EASTON, Pa. — Easton has secured a multiyear $100,000 grant to fund public arts projects and activities in the city over the next four years.
The funds, from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, are intended to go toward “reinforcing the city’s standing as a hub for creativity, culture, and community-driven revitalization,” the Greater Easton Development Partnership said.
According to a release from the partnership and another from state Rep. Bob Freeman, the GEPD will lead the project.
The PCA added the project to its Creative Communities Initiative. Its said that as a place-based community and economic development project, it was selected for its innovative and comprehensive approach to addressing a variety of local challenges and opportunities.
“This project will help advance downtown revitalization and community development,” Freeman said. “Artist-led community engagement will help the organization plan and implement public art projects and activities.”
Freeman’s office stated arts and culture account for more than $30 billion of the state’s economy, and support than 175,000 jobs.
The Creative Commons Communities Initiative aims to strengthen the commonwealth’s communities through support for arts-based community and economic development work.
Each project is rooted in deep community engagement, and capitalizes on the community’s unique creative assets to cultivate community connectedness, livability, and economic development, the PCA states.
According to the GEDP release, as the city continues its resurgence from a 20th century urban renewal to a “vibrant arts and culture destination,” funds from the program can build on the success of the Easton Murals program.
West Ward expansion of mural art
The murals in Easton have been widely recognized as a transformative measure in the quest to revamp the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods with public art.
“The initiative will also focus on expanding public art into the West Ward, a diverse neighborhood where art will serve as a catalyst for both youth engagement and broader community development,” the GEDP statement reads.
Easton Muralslaunched in 2012 as a collaboration between Chaz Hampton and Tom D’Angelo of Brick & Mortar Gallery. The project has sought to not only beautify the city but also engage the public.
"Public art has the power to connect us, inspire us, and drive economic and social change."Jared Mast
The overall mission entails large-scale works by nationally acclaimed artists to original creations from local high school students, and everything in between, fostering community pride and interaction while transforming walls into canvasses which add to the city’s “rich cultural tapestry.”
"Public art has the power to connect us, inspire us, and drive economic and social change," Executive Director of GEDP Jared Mast said.
"With this generous support from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, we are poised to continue our work in making Easton a place where art and community intersect in meaningful ways. This grant will allow us to not only expand our mural program but also to deepen our engagement with the residents of Easton around art.”
Walking throughout the city, one is bound to recognize pieces like Lisa Congdon’s inspirational text-and-symbol work “We Gon Be Alright” at 325 Northampton Street, Paul Roden’s vibrant rainbow-and-plant façade at 4th and Bushkill Streets, Noségo’s stunning tiger at 657-59 Northampton Street, and so many more.
The Easton Murals program aligns with the city’s comprehensive plan, as well as the West Ward Neighborhood Plan.
Mast said it also serves as an integral part of GEDP and the Easton Main Street Initiative’s broader economic development strategy emphasizing the importance of design and public art when it comes to fostering revitalization efforts.
Beyond funding new murals, the GEDP intends to explore new opportunities for creative expression, including the installation of crosswalk murals, and other public art projects which seek to enhance the connectivity and aesthetic appeal of the city’s streetscapes.
“As Easton’s various public art initiatives grow, GEDP is committed to leveraging this momentum to support artists, attract visitors, and contribute to Easton’s growing reputation as an arts destination in Pennsylvania,” a statement from the GEDP reads.
