PA Route 6 Alliance Announces Public Art & Mural Trail

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 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.