It was an ordinary day. Traveling through Lancaster to drop off a few photos at Strawberry & Company. Always enjoy my trip into town from the north, as I get to see many of the murals that have been painted on the walls and buildings of the city. I don't mean graffiti, but true art. There have been murals on walls as long as there have been people to scratch them, paint them, etch them, carve them and make them. Mural painting dates back at least 30,000 years to cave paintings. In some cases these mystical and magical works have luckily been preserved by the rocky shelters they inhabit, allowing later generations to enjoy and learn from them. These ancient murals often depicted activities in which the people of the time engaged, from religious ceremonies to scenes of hunting and gathering for sustenance. Today's murals in the city also depict the activities of the people who inhabit the city. The painting itself is masterful. The talent it takes to create a mural on the side of a 20 foot building is remarkable. As I traveled south on Prince Street into the city, I am greeted with a 10 foot high wall which is covered with art for about about 50 feet. The wall is in front of a home for the elderly. The art work was done by two young women over five years ago. Took them almost all summer to complete it and it depicts life in downtown Lancaster; the independent baseball team, the local opera house, the art galleries and cafes, and the bicycle race through the downtown streets. Luckily, neither graffiti nor fading have taken a toll on the wall. A turn to the right on Walnut Street yields two fantastic scenes, a block apart. The first scene, on a building which is for lease, is on the second floor of the stucco building. It depicts scenes such as quilting, dancing, farm life and a day at market, and a look at the founding fathers of Lancaster. This was completed by a female artist 8 years ago. Still has most of the brilliant colors from when it was completed. In the next block, over a business, is one of my favorites. Shows the West End neighborhood as it appeared about 8 years ago. Colors are pastel, but not necessarily faded. Same girl who did the 50 foot wall did this mural. On the east end of town on King Street, about 3 blocks from the center of the city, is a fairly recent mural depicting The Eastern Market in the city. Very vibrant colors. A block further east yields a second floor mural which looks like a quilt and was done by a young artist and four students from the city high school. All the murals are fantastic, but my favorite is only about a mile from my house on a road that still has a few farms scattered along the road. On the property of two students who I had in class many years ago. Al and Art Reist grew up on the family farm which still has Clydesdale horses in the fields. And, on the old wooden barn along the road is a wall that displays a mural in memory of one of their relatives who died in the French and Indian War at Fort Necessity, PA. Jacob Reist was transporting supplies for George Washington in a Conestoga Wagon when he was ambushed and killed. I drive by the farm regularly and am always amazed at the talent and skill of the artist who painted the mural. Hope you have "Walls that talk" along your journey. Makes the ride more interesting. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - the following are photos I took of the work I described in my story.
Mural on North Prince Street as I enter the city of Lancaster. Three photos show the size of the mural and the last photo gives the names of the artists.
Mural on the second floor of a Pittsburgh Paint/Curves store that has closed and is for lease. Really bright colors. 2nd photo shows the artist's name.
A mural with very soft tomes and colors depicts a neighborhood on the West Side of the city. 2nd photo gives the artist's name.
Mural painted on the side of a building on East King Street in Lancaster. Represents what the area was like when there was an open air market.
Mural at the corner of Plum and King Streets in the city. 2nd photo gives information about the mural.
The mural on the barn of Eden Road. Information about the mural accompanies the photo of the mural.
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