The mural above was completed in 2021 by Sadie Allen (pictured) and is located in the parking lot of the Troy Sale Barn at 50 Ballard St., Troy. Sadie created a mural that reflects on the local history in Troy. Work began on the Wyalusing Pride mural below in 2019 with artist Jonathan Laidacker brainstorming ideas with students from Wyalusing Valley High School at 11364 Wyalusing New Albany Rd, Wyalusing. The mural was designed with their ideas in mind and features a landscape inspired by the Wyalusing Rocks with a ram standing in front of it. There is a clock included to represent the clock in town and also symbolize the passage of time. The photos floating through the landscape show the history of the school and town. Detailed information about the photos in the mural can be accessed by a QR code that will be installed in the Spring of 2022.
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Tucked away among the beautiful scenery of the PA Route 6 corridor is a vast collection of creativity and imagination. Sometimes “hidden” in plain sight, other times camouflaged as parts of larger works, dozens of murals and public art pieces are waiting to be discovered. Now, PA Route 6 Alliance has made it even easier for visitors to locate and appreciate these many exquisite works of art with the PA Route 6 Public Art & Mural Trail.
The trail consists of more than 50 stops throughout the 11-county PA Route 6 corridor. Each stop can be viewed through an interactive map on the PA Route 6 website (www.paroute6.com) that pinpoints the exact location of each art piece and mural. Viewers can click on each pin on the map to see photos and a brief description of what they will find at each stop along the trail.
Erin Morey, who serves as the Artisan Trail Coordinator for PA Route 6 Alliance, also worked to bring the Public Art & Mural Trail to life. “Before starting this project, I was completely unaware of the many murals that decorate our towns and cities,” says Morey. “I have come to appreciate the process and dedication of the artists and communities involved in making each of these public displays of art possible. My hope is that others who view this trail will feel that same appreciation.”
Morey spent many months researching the murals and art pieces on the trail and says she thoroughly enjoyed learning about each one throughout the process. “You can learn a lot just by looking closely at a mural or art piece,” says Morey. “They each have a story or meaning, and more times than not they are wrapped up in the history of the towns they are located in.”
Patterned after work previously done by the Mural Arts of Erie County and Valley in Motion’s Lackawanna Mural Trail, the PA Route 6 Public Art & Mural Trail is unique in that it spans many regions and showcases the history and talents of artists all across PA Route 6.
Since humans have walked the Earth, we have devised ways in which to tell our stories, and murals were some of the first artforms used to do so. Some of the first murals were cave drawings over 40,000 years ago. These murals captured important events in time, traditions of their civilizations, religious ceremonies, and family life.
In the thousands of years since the first murals were created, their purpose is still somewhat unchanged. Although today’s murals often appear on the outside walls of buildings, bridge overpasses, or inside buildings, they still tell stories that celebrate heritage and commemorate important events in our communities and society.
The murals located in the Heritage Communities of Carbondale and Union City are just two examples of where historic events have been captured on building walls. In Carbondale, the mural features railroads right alongside UFOs, and if you think there is a story behind that, you are right! And in Union City, the mural on South Main Street introduces viewers to the many influences that have shaped the history of the town.
The PA Route 6 Public Art & Mural Trail offers an immersive experience where viewers can understand and appreciate these works of art individually and as a whole. The trail celebrates the artists who grew their ideas into impressive pieces of art for the enjoyment of generations to come. These works tell the stories of our heritage, our communities, our past, and our future.
To learn more about the PA Route 6 Public Art & Mural Trail, go to www.paroute6.com/public-art-and-mural-trail.
The Butterfly Mural at 61 E Tioga St, Tunkhannock was completed in 2014, and started from an idea from the “Butterfly People.” Located on the backside of the Greenwood Furniture building, the hope for the mural is to not only “encourage ecotourism but raise awareness about the importance of maintaining habitat for these butterflies so we don’t lose them.” The mural was painted by local artists, Lavona Daniels, Gail Long, Peg Morris, and Michelle Thomas.
This historic train car is located at 1 Washington St, Towanda, on the property of the Bradford County Tourism and Promotion Agency. The mural, which is set to be installed during the summer of 2022, was created by artist Jonathan Laidacker. This project was supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Enjoy a scenic drive along quaint, country roads through the farmlands of the Wyalusing and surrounding areas as you look for the building. adorned with painted quilt patterns. Hear the stories, legends and history of the surrounding countryside on this self-guided audio driving tour of historic barns and businesses. Stop by the Greater Wyalusing Chamber of Commerce at 20 Main St., Wyalusing to get a Quilted Corners Map Brochure and experience the first Audio Barn quilt driving tour in Pennsylvania.
Three murals adorn the historic Dietrich Theater at 60 E. Tioga St. in Tunkhannock. On the southern side of the building are two murals (above) completed in 2019 & 2020 by local artist Bob Lizza. They show one of the most iconic structures in the county, the Nicholson Bridge. Lizza created these murals to look like you can walk right into them. The third mural, facing Bridge Street, is of giant postcard (below) of the Vosburg Neck of the Susquehanna River. This mural was also completed by Bob Lizza from a photograph that was taken from 700 feet above and was completed in 2021.
The 400-ft Steven Foster Mural (below), painted by the late Bonnie Bell Hilfiger in 2010, is a tribute to Steven Foster. Foster who was called the Father of American Music, wrote several well- known folk songs including “Camptown Races,” “Oh, Susanna,” and “My Old Kentucky home”. He was born and attended school in Bradford County in his younger years.
The PA Route 6 Alliance, a 501(c3) corporation, was established in 2003 to manage the PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor and to implement branding and marketing plans, community development programs and other planning efforts along the corridor. The Alliance includes representatives from all 11 counties, 9 convention and visitor bureaus, 4 heritage areas, local development districts, local business owners, Chambers of Commerce, and other interested parties along the corridor. The PA Route 6 Heritage Communities program is a program of PA Route 6 Alliance and PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor funded by the PA Heritage Area Program under the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
