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TWO NEW EXHIBITIONS OPENING
AT THE SIGAL MUSEUM
September 26, 2024
WAREHOUSE VALLEY: A CHANGING LANDSCAPE
September 26, 2024 – July 6, 2025
“I SAW EASTON THE WAY IT COULD BE:” TIM HARE
September 26, 2024 – July 1, 2025
EASTON, PA (September 18, 2024) – Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society explores our changing landscape, urban development, and the geographic role of the Lehigh Valley in two thought-provoking exhibitions opening on September 26 at the Sigal Museum, in Easton.
WAREHOUSE VALLEY: A CHANGING LANDSCAPE
This exhibit explores the history of the landscape of the Lehigh Valley and the ways in which place shapes community identity. It pairs historic artworks and images by regional artists like Walter Emerson Baum, Mary Maxwell McCartney, and Gustav Grunewald with photos of those same locations today.
While the juxtapositions can be startling, and it seems like our landscape is rapidly shifting, it has been changing throughout history. Small settlements grew to larger towns, which grew into cities. People started businesses, used the natural resources of the area to grow their communities, and farmed the vast and fertile lands of eastern Pennsylvania. Industries grew and changed.
For the last 250 years, we have evolved from small businesses and farms to megamalls to warehouses. What does this mean for the land itself, and to those living and working here?
“Warehouse Valley is very much an exhibit about our relationship with space and memory,” notes Curator of Exhibitions Tim Betz. “It looks at the landscape as a historical document which can be used to compare the past and present and learn more about the community.”
How does today’s landscape reflect our values? “We are looking at all sides of the current development boom,” says Executive Director Megan van Ravenswaay, “but some of the statistics we’ve learned during our research have been sobering. Is continued growth always positive? What is the impact on the environment and quality of life? What do we want our landscape to look like moving forward? We hope this exhibition will foster important community dialogue about how our actions affect the world around us.”
“I SAW EASTON THE WAY IT COULD BE:” TIM HARE
This exhibit celebrates the life of Tim Hare (1947-2020), an artist and architect who was a driving force in historic preservation and community revitalization in Easton after urban renewal. As an artist, he saw the beauty in his town and its buildings. As a husband, Tim advocated for marriage equality and basic civil rights for the Lehigh Valley’s LGBTQ+ community.
“Tim Hare reminds us all of the role we play in our broader community,” remembers van Ravenswaay. “We can use our voice and the power of peaceful protest to enact important change and advocate for issues that are dear to our hearts. Imagine what downtownn Easton would look like today if Tim and other residents kept silent and did not fight to preserve and protect our historic structures?”
Warehouse Valley and Tim Hare open to the public on
Thursday, September 26, with a VIP Reception from 4:00-7:00 p.m.
Members enjoy free admission.
$10 Non-Members
RSVP to Sarah White at sarah@northamptonctymuseum.org
Sigal Museum hours:
Thursday-Saturday: 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00-4:00 p.m.
342 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 18042
610-253-1222
Did You Know?
30%
of American consumers are within a one-day drive of the Lehigh Valley.
521 Million
square feet of warehouse were in the Lehigh Valley as of 2023.
The Lehigh River
is considered one of the most endangered rivers in the United States due to high development and pollution.
16.5%
is the amount that manufacturing accounts for in the Lehigh Valley’s economy. This is higher than the national average of 12%.
86
bridges in the Lehigh Valley (many of which carry semi-trucks full of goods from warehouses) are rated as “Poor” by the Federal Highway Administration.
162
is the average number of packages delivered to our homes in one year.
Information provided to TVL by:
Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society
