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Sarah Karess Brings Her Artistry to Downtown Allentown’s Newly Renovated LANTA Bus Terminal with a Grant from the Allentown Arts Commission “Art of Encouragement” Relief Project
ALLENTOWN, PA | August 16, 2021
A mural painted by Allentown’s Sarah Karess is coming to the newly renovated Allentown Transportation Center.
The $60,000 “Art of Encouragement Relief Project was created to help support artists struggling through loss of work during the coronavirus pandemic. Sarah, and 15 other artists were awarded stipends for publicly accessible works ranging from murals, sculpture, and 3-dimensional designs to audio/video projects.
Sarah’s site work at the newly renovated LANTA bus terminal in downtown Allentown begins Monday, August 16 and will take approximately two weeks to complete. Her uplifting creation will enhance the terminal with a bright celebration of nature. The terminal is off 6th Street between Linden & Turner streets and is set to re-open September 10. A dedication will follow the terminal opening.
“Often when a community struggles with a social concern, the arts foster cooperative dialogue and bring about compassion, solutions and change. Without our collective support, our artists and the creative institutional core could sustain irreparable damage,” said Jane Heft, Arts Commission Chair and VP Director of Project Design City Center Investment Corp. “Sarah’s work is an excellent example of how their efforts can empower a place.”
According to Sarah, “My goal with this mural is to help the community of Allentown stay present and appreciate the beauty in everyday life. It’s the small things in life that add up to big changes in mindset. Appreciating a beautiful sunset, a friendly conversation with a stranger, blooming flowers, the peaceful silence during a heavy snowfall or anything in-between. Like hummingbirds, these fleeting moments can go overlooked unless you take the time to really appreciate them. I took this opportunity to make a physically tiny creature unrealistically huge to bring awareness to the small positive moments that make life as great as it is.”
About Sarah Karess
Seen as a double-edged sword, Karess has built and continues to improve upon her career as a combination graphic designer and fine artist. The designer in her challenges to perfect the artist in her, and the artist attempts to soften the hard-edged mind of the designer. Her artistic career began with regional and national recognition for realistic portraits, and it has bloomed into a focus on large-scale realistic murals and original works in oil, charcoal, and pencil. Sarah’s design career began in 2014 and she is currently a full-time employee with a web agency based in the Lehigh Valley. Karess is based in Allentown, PA and continues to have her work featured in the tristate area and beyond. SarahKaress.com
Allentown Murals on the Rise! The Commission has another opportunity for Allentown artists for a Civic Theatre mural – the deadline for applications is August 24th. Visit AllentownArts.com to download the application.
About the Allentown Arts Commission
We support the Arts + Artists in Allentown. As the agency that champions the arts, we believe that a creative cultural environment is essential to the city’s well-being, and we strive to integrate the arts into all aspects of city life. The Allentown Arts Commission supports the City by advocating for innovative arts policy, creating access for equitable participation in the arts, enlivening the urban environment, and fostering & enriching arts engagement for all residents.
AllentownArts.com
Information provided to TVL on behalf of the Allentown Arts Commission by:
KAREN A. LORE
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY TO THE MAYOR
435 Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18101
http://www.AllentownPA.gov
