Beauty on the Streets of Allentown: The Lehigh Valley Community Mural Project
Photo by Laini Abraham
As I work on the first edition of Laini’s Little Pocket Guide to Allentown, I am discovering there are some things in Allentown that I absolutely love. I’m not going to list them all right now (that’s what the pocket guide will be for), but for today, I would like to share these murals with you. These were all created as part of the Lehigh Valley Community Mural Project, which is described as follows on the HALA (Hispanic American League of Artists) website:
“The LVCMP is a project never before attempted in the Lehigh Valley. Under the guidance of a culturally diverse committee of community leaders HALA’s Lehigh Valley Community Mural Project brings murals to the heart of the city. The artistic themes of each mural are formulated in community meetings, providing an alternative and holistic way to address community issues and empower various Lehigh Valley communities to interpret their own artistic expression. The murals brighten and give focus to what were once blighted or empty spaces.”
I will admit, these murals have been in existence for several years. But they are new to me. And I’m guessing a lot of other people in the Lehigh Valley don’t know about them, either. So, here you go. Look at what some talent, paint, love, and community support can do for the side of a building.
These last two images are details of the same mural, called “Building Bridges, Embracing Change.” I was too close to the building, in a car, with the wrong lens to capture the whole thing. But you can see it here. If you know of other murals in the Lehigh Valley that I should know about, too, please let me know. Also, does anyone know what the current status is of the Lehigh Valley Community Mural Project? I would love to see these types of murals in other parts of the Valley, like maybe Easton. 🙂