LINED WITH A MOSAIC OF BOTTLE CAPS AND OTHER CASTAWAY ITEMS, A BUS SHELTER IN FRONT OF THE BANANA FACTORY ARTS CENTER IN BETHLEHEM OFTEN MAKES PASSERSBY PAUSE.
They want to get a closer look at the shelter, which the late artist Gregory Warmack, better known as Mr. Imagination, transformed from a run-of-the-mill structure into a sensational piece of outside art. They want to take pictures of it or have conversations about its history, whimsical details and dual purpose as a Sept. 11 memorial, says former Reading Mayor Tom McMahon, an arts advocate.
“You can’t help but look at it and say, ‘What’s going on there?’ It captures your attention and gets you talking,” he says. “We’re trying to make that happen here [in Reading] and make the argument that we need a plan for public art and a way to fund it…so it passes from generation to generation.”
McMahon, as well as entrepreneur and retailer Albert Boscov, are passionate about art, particularly how it can revive the City of Reading, inspire its residents, provide a creative outlet and attract visitors, young families and businesses.
“Art is one of the best ways to redevelop the city,” says Boscov, who owns Boscov’s department stores and is one of the area’s longtime art benefactors. “Art is fueling the rebirth of the City of Reading.”
In Reading, art is varied and spans several mediums.
For example, The Miller Center for the Arts books awe-inspiring performances, and the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts draws in talented artists, writers, graphic designers and photographers. Plus, its movie theater screens award-winning indie films.
Last fall, Susan Rehhausser of Birdsboro organized ArtSparks. More than 100 people created collages with their wishes for Reading and its residents on wooden triptychs, which were encircled by glowstick necklaces and placed along 10 city sidewalks
Artists Dan Gorman and Chrystal Hardinger have painted breathtaking outdoor murals throughout the city, and artist Ed Terrell was selected in June to complete a community art project that includes a sculpture installation and the revitalization of the Garden of Good Thoughts in in the city’s Sixth Ward neighborhood. The project was made possible through a partnership between the City of Reading, GoggleWorks and Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Berks, which helped Reading win a National Endowment for the Arts’ Our Town grant.
ART CAN AID THE CITY
“Art, in my mind, is always beneficial,” Boscov says. “I see the impact of art. It really can be a catalyst for change, for improvement, and that’s what we need in Reading.”Boscov chuckles when he describes his lack of artistic ability. He’s far better at the art of negotiation, he says, than painting a picture. But he has always loved art and believes it can transform a community for the better. “Look at Manayunk,” he says. “That used to be all empty factories, and now look at it. They used art to turn the area into an exciting town.”
The idea behind GoggleWorks was partially based on the Banana Factory, and now Boscov says he’s working to expand its artistic footprint. Discussions to develop the surrounding area as the Ricktown Arts Neighborhood are underway, and Boscov is establishing Entertainment Square, which is anchored by GoggleWorks and the Miller Center and also includes Panevino, Reading Movies 11/IMAX theater, the GoggleWorks Apartments and the under-construction GoggleWorks artist residence apartments.
“Initially, the Willson Eyeglass Building was going to be turned into a parking lot, but our intent was to establish an art center downtown, and as you can see, it’s helping to revitalize the city,” he says. “With the professional artists who will stay in the residence apartments, that will only add to the excitement at GoggleWorks and in downtown Reading. People will come here just to see our art.”
Boscov often visits Goggleworks, either to watch a foreign film or stroll through the galleries. “We have big plans for the city, and we’re working so hard. People are moving back after years of moving out. We want to add vitality. We want to create an atmosphere that people want to be a part of and people can be proud of. We’re going to use art to do that,” he says.
ART MOVES FORMER MAYOR TO ACTION
Like Boscov, McMahon has long admired artists and their creative works. “I love art. It enhances the community,” he says while sitting on the GoggleWorks deck, which overlooks a shimmering mosaic. “I envy artists and when I see them doing their work, I think, ‘How do they do that?’ It’s magic to me.”
McMahon’s passion is creating and preserving Reading’s public art, such as The River Speaks stainless steel sculpture at 2nd and Penn streets, the red Ruins XXVII steel sculpture along the riverfront and the Diversity in Reading mural at First Evangelical Congregational Church at 8th and Court streets.
“Public art shows people there’s something interesting happening here,” he says. “Reading doesn’t have to be boring. It has beautiful architecture, and we now have great murals, too. When you see public art, like the frogs in West Reading, it draws your attention, you ask questions about it, and you can get a conversation started. And people develop an interest in that area.”
At one time, McMahon explains, the city had its own Fine Arts Board, which helped to develop several public art pieces. When the board was disbanded, maintenance of the city’s artwork was neglected, he says. “There is significant deterioration in some of this art,” he says. “The more progressive cities I’ve gone to have organizations that support public art and maintaining it.”
McMahon, along with GoggleWorks artist Yesid “Jesse” Gomez, have kicked off a project to restore The Dove in City Park. The fiberglass and concrete sculpture, made by artist Ramon Lago in 1972, is chipped and rusted, and blue graffiti covers its broken tail. With the funds raised, Gomez will renovate The Dove, create a mediation area with benches and add a retaining wall and landscaping.
“We need to do something,” Gomez says. “This is one of the most prominent pieces of artwork in the city, plus it’s the universal symbol of peace. How amazing is that, right here in Reading?”
Both McMahon and Gomez believe restoring The Dove, as well as the city’s other well-known art pieces, could have the same impact as the LOVE statue in Philadelphia, which has become a popular attraction. “It adds vibrancy to the city,” McMahon says. “People come for that, and they filter into the community, noticing other beautiful art, shopping at the stores, eating at the restaurants.”
Gomez adds, “Reading has crazy potential. The minute we bring art outside and into the community, people love to see that. They respect that. They understand the beauty. People will start to say, ‘Hey, did you know there is a beautiful dove in City Park? Let’s go take pictures with it.’ It will change the environment, and it will change attitudes and perceptions.”
McMahon recently researched Boise, Idaho’s cultural and arts analysis, and ultimately, he would like to rally support locally and outline a similar plan for Reading. Renovating The Dove will be a start, he says.
“My goal is to show people there is a value to this,” he says. “Art is part of what will make Reading a vibrant place where people want to visit and live and that residents can be proud of. We can really change the image of Reading.”
BY KRISTIN BOYD | photos BY JOHN A. SECOGES, SECOGES PHOTOGRAPHICS
