Program Used: Tourism Sales & Marketing Grant
Project Description:
Over the past decade, Lemoyne has been actively involved in community revitalization and beautification. As part of its Streetscape Revitalization Plan, the Borough looked at a number of art projects appropriate for the community, eventually finding inspiration in the outdoor public murals of Philadelphia. Seeking maximum impact and benefit from this initial effort, the Community Development Committee and the Borough partnered with PennDOT District 8 to use a retaining wall adjoining the Lemoyne exit ramp off I-83 South as the canvas for The Lemoyne Passage mural.
The 445-foot long mural highlights Lemoyne’s role as a transportation hub throughout history. At slightly over 17.5 feet high at its highest point, the mural covers approximately 5,150 square feet. The artist, Daniel Finch, a professor of painting and drawing at Messiah College, created the final design and worked with over 100 community volunteers to transfer the design onto parachute cloth and apply the color through a “paint by numbers” process. The result was a true community art experience that created civic pride and ownership.
The final product, which was installed in July 2017, was funded with the help of a $25,000 Tourism Sales & Marketing Grant from the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation (CAEDC) as well as donations from local businesses, organizations, individuals, and foundations. The initial $81,000 goal was surpassed and additional monies raised have been put into a fund for maintenance of the mural.
Testimonial:
“My greatest hope for this project is this landmark image would serve as more than just a benign public mural, but that it would be experienced as a powerful monument to a specific region, people, and history. May it serve as a point of interest and pride as viewers are reminded of their rightful inheritance to both the cultural and historical richness of Lemoyne and the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania.” — Daniel Finch (artist and creator of The Lemoyne Passage mural)
