Artists Sought for Downtown Bellefonte Mural Project

Downtown Bellefonte Inc. is planning to install a large-scale mural in the borough this summer and is seeking qualified artists for the project.

Artists can submit their qualifications for consideration through the DBI website until July 23. According to the project overview, artists will be hired to create proposal concepts and after a jury review the selected artist will be contracted to implement the concept by September.

The 1,000-square-foot mural, which will be installed on a building at the corner of Perry and West Cherry lanes, will have a theme that celebrates the Bellefonte community. DBI worked with community members to develop a creative brief, which highlights community assets, celebrates Bellefonte and tells its story. The brief will inform and inspire the design for the mural.

“A dedicated group of volunteers has worked to make sure this project encapsulates what many generations love and want to honor in Bellefonte,” DBI board member Ellen Matis said in a news release. “As an organization, we know that public art at this scale plays a huge role in community development and placemaking.”

Funding for the mural project was allocated during the “Wilds Are Working: Remote Lifestyle Experience” initiative in partnership with the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship. The initiative, funded Appalachian Regional Commission grant, provided resources and public improvements to attract a remote workforce.

The mural project aims to attract visitors, locals and tourists, and DBI leaders hope it will lead to more investment in the arts.

“Murals activate public spaces, reinventing their use and purpose, and by creating a cultural destination, we engage an audience while visitors move from business to business within a community,” Alexandra Hall, of A H Public Spaces Consulting, said, adding that organizers hope to see interest from artists locally and around the country.

The Bellefonte Art Museum is a partner in the project. Lori Fisher, deputy director of the museum, said the mural will “breathe life and energy” into the downtown while adding vibrancy to what is now a dull building.

“Statistics show that public art promotes a sense of community — it brings people together and encourages community gatherings,” Fisher said. “It also stimulates tourism. People want to visit towns that express vitality and creativity. Engaging in public art generates excitement and ultimately leads to increased foot traffic.”

Longtime DBI volunteer and arts advocate Amy Debach “has been dreaming up this project for a long time,” Matis said.

“We’re excited that her long-term vision is coming to fruition in a way that will showcase what makes our rural community so special,” she added.

Debach said her vision for the project began taking shape in 2018.

“As an avid traveler who enjoys public art in other small towns, it’s refreshing to see this vision finally coming to fruition,” Debach said. “Bellefonte is the perfect mix of historical, classic and modern palettes and this as well as other public art pieces in the future should incorporate pleasantly. I’m hoping this sparks creativity and action in others to also propose public art projects to the community without jeopardizing our historic vibe.”