Featured Image: The RedBall at the Sun Inn. Photo by Jake Clifford.
BETHLEHEM, PA—Wedged between buildings, the 250-pound giant red ball known simply as ‘RedBall’ made its debut in Bethlehem today, magically appearing at the historic Sun Inn in the city’s Historic District. People who want to catch a glimpse of the 15 foot in diameter ball, or grab a photo with it, can do so through April 22. Each day from noon-7 p.m. the ball will appear in a new location in Bethlehem as part of ArtsQuest’s SouthSide Arts & Music Festival (SSAMF) taking place April 20-21.
Upcoming RedBall Project locations include:
April 19: Lehigh University, Farrington Square, South New and Morton Streets
April 20: Hoover Mason Trestle at SteelStacks
April 21: 5th Floor Bridge between Gateway at Greenway building & S. New St. Parking Garage
April 22: National Museum of Industrial History, 602 E. 2nd St.
Launched in 2001 by artist Kurt Perschke, the RedBall public art project is designed to highlight its host city’s architectural landscape and history by showing up in new and unexpected locations each day. During SSAMF, RedBall is appearing in five locations throughout the city, with most of these locations in south Bethlehem in an effort to draw residents and visitors to the SouthSide Arts District’s restaurants, shops and businesses.
Since its debut, RedBall has appeared in more than 25 cities in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America including Barcelona, Calgary, Montreal, Paris and Sydney. Made of architectural fabric, the travelling public art piece is considered the world’s longest-running street art work.
An Ashville, N.C.-based artist, Perschke developed RedBall as part of an urban art project for the Arts in Transit Program in St. Louis. An artist who works in sculpture, video, collage and public space, he also creates modern dance set designs for the Kate Weare Company in New York. Perschke has completed commissions for several institutions including the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, the Vienna Technical Museum and the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis. His video work has been screened in Europe and the U.S., as well as at the Bronx Museum during his time as an AIM Fellow.
RedBall is made possible in part through the County of Northampton’s Hotel Tax Grant Program and is appearing as part of the SouthSide Arts & Music Festival (SSAMF) presented by Capital BlueCross April 20-21. For more information on RedBall, visit redballproject.com/bethlehem/. Additional details on the festival are available at SouthSide Arts & Music Festival at www.steelstacks.org.
Information and image provided to TVL by:
Mark Demko, ArtsQuest
http://www.artsquest.org/
