A new collaborative art project is afoot here in Lewisburg. Consider it a complement to the fantastic work Jim Reid and Bob Albin are doing for the new "Art Alley," aka Cherry Alley. Eyes have turned to another area with man-made surfaces begging for adornment, specifically the concrete piers between the creek and the in-town section of the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail. These are some of the most prominent industrial ruins in the area, the concrete supports that used to carry railroad sidings accessing the coal yards. 

The piers have attracted the attention of local artists and thinkers and planners and dreamers.  Seeing them as a site with huge potential, a team has come together to work on turning them into yet another key public space in the Borough.  The team invites everyone to “Picture the Piers” in a new light, as a place of encounter, a place of celebration, a place of commemoration.  We have a vision for site-specific interactive art there and want to bring others in and discover what they will bring to the space.

The first exhibit proposed to be realized this year on the surface of the piers will be on the theme of our 2020 pandemic experience, entitled “6 feet apART.”  There will be a gathering at the piers (6 feet apART of course!) on the Spring Equinox, Saturday, March 20, starting at 6:30pm, during which local artist Davis Hathaway Moore will share his site studies to date and seek input from others in the community, whether artists or thinkers or supporters.  Following the discussion and just after sundown at 7:20pm that evening, he and Paul Botelho will offer a performance of music and storytelling in observance of the equinox. 

Moving on from that event, those wanting to make their mark more durably will be able to submit project proposals to the team for review and approval.  That said, not everything need be done with the permanence of paint; there will also be a community chalk art event at the site during this year’s Celebration of the Arts in April.  And then, by June, we will be realizing our visions with a combination of media, using the weathered concrete as our canvas.

How will you express your 2020 experience?  What comes to mind?  What do you want to share?  Let’s come together to realize 6 feet apART.

This is a collaborative effort of Lewisburg Neighborhoods, the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership, the Lewisburg Arts Council, and visionary community members, bringing art to life in Lewisburg Borough.