Sharpsburg celebrates unveiling of sculpture James Sharp Landing, new mural

A steel sculpture crafted in appreciation of the riverfront and acknowledgement of the indigenous land in Sharpsburg was recently unveiled at James Sharp Landing.

Two canoe ores leaning against one another in the shape of an X were installed near the kayak parklet of James Sharp Landing on Sept. 28.

They stand about 10 feet tall and combine to weigh at least 200 pounds. One of them is topped with two metallic bald eagle feathers.

The sculpture unveiling was the same day as a celebration of a mural completed in August.

Both projects were funded through a Creative Communities Cultivation grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts obtained by local nonprofit Artspiration.

Artspiration is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Sharpsburg, Etna and Millvale through the arts.

Found and Forged owner Jimmy Olson of Etna crafted the sculpture. He was assisted by the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center.

Olson, a 2003 Shaler Area graduate who grew up skateboarding and kayaking at James Sharp Landing, spent the better part of a month or two at his metal shop toiling on what would become his first permanent public artwork.

“It feels good to have something permanent,” Olson said. “I can’t wait to see how it ages. We’re going to let it rust naturally and see how it looks over time. It’s just raw steel.”

There are a few benches and tables nearby for people to sit and enjoy the recreation site.

“I think it’s a nice little area for people to meet,” Olson said. “I really like that you can see (the sculpture) from the river, too. I’m super grateful for the opportunity.”

Olson hopes to do more sculptures for Sharpsburg.

Sharpsburg public works crews dug the holes for the sculpture’s foundation. The anchor posts are about 4-feet deep and are believed to be below the original boat launch’s depth.

Mayor Kayla Portis, who helped to oversee the land acknowledgment plaque that was installed with the sculpture, was amazed at the finished product.

“The eagle feathers symbolize honor and respect in the indigenous culture,” Portis said. “The sculpture was beautifully executed and is a perfect addition to our developing riverfront.”

The plaque notes Sharpsburg rests on the traditional lands of the Seneca Nation, Onöndowa’ga — “People of the Great Hills,” which was part of the great Iroquois Confederacy.

“We honor and respectfully acknowledge the original ancestors of this land. Connecting the past, present and future,” the plaque’s message reads in part.

Mural party

Nanci Goldberg, founder and director of Artspiration and founder and owner of Ketchup City Creative, hosted a mural celebration along Main Street a few hours after the sculpture ceremony.

Artists Emily Paige Armstrong and Phil Seth spent multiple months meeting with residents and borough officials gathering input on what would become a 240-square-foot mural on the side of Conicella Family Dentistry, 701 Main St.

“From the initial design to now, we’ve made a lot of changes,” Armstrong said of the community input’s impact. Painting took three weeks and was completed in late August.

Goldberg said she wanted to have a party to commend the artists for their hard work.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Goldberg said. “It focuses positive attention on Sharpsburg. I think it’s resonating with the people of Sharpsburg. Our goal is to put art that is place-keeping and feels real to the people who live here.

“Place-keeping feels like it belongs here. I’m just excited and, hopefully, we’ll be getting more public art with a lot of public input in the borough.”

Armstrong and Seth are artists at Redfishbowl Studios in Lawrenceville. They talked with multiple people about the mural and showcase more of their artwork inside the gallery.

Armstrong, 27, is a 2015 Valley High School graduate who recently bought a home in Sharpsburg with her twin sister, Catherine.

Seth, 42, of Avalon has been a professional artist for at least six years and has his own mentorship art program.

The mural features a ketchup bottle at its upper left corner above a bass jumping out of the river. A great blue heron flies toward several icons used as borough references.

Icons include a wolf, in reference to the old Sharpsburg High School; a tooth, as a thank-you to Dr. Bruno Conicella for the use of his building; a heart, representing a love of community; two ores, as a nod to river activities and the new sculpture; and the image of Guyasuta, a leader of the Seneca Tribe whose hunting grounds included the Sharpsburg area.

The center includes the message “Welcome to Sharpsburg” along with a map of the borough below it. There’s a red “start” on the map indicating “you are here” and green balloon icons similar to ones used by GPS devices to point out recreation sites.

The map was inspired by one kept by the Sharpsburg Historical Society.

“We were really looking at this map from the past as well as the present,” Armstrong said. “The purpose of it was really to welcome newcomers to Sharpsburg by highlighting, ‘You are here. Check out these locations.’

“Also, it’s a familiar visual to some of our old-school residents. They don’t use that GPS to get around on their phone, but they would pull out a map. … Everything has a meaning that is in the mural.”

Postcards of the mural are available at Ketchup City Creative. They feature a QR code that takes people to a website highlighting local businesses.

The Sharpsburg mural font also was used on specialty beer cans by the Dancing Gnome.

They feature a QR code that takes people to a website highlighting local businesses.

“It’s been well-received by everyone, and it makes them feel proud about where they’re at,” Seth said. “Sharpsburg’s really a small community. Everybody pretty much knows each other in this whole 3-mile radius that this whole community lives in. I think we hit the nail on the head, which is great.”

Seth said the early community engagement really impacted the creative process, and there was a lot of encouragement along the way.

“Once we were painting on the wall, people were driving by honking their horns, giving us thumbs-up out the window,” Seth said. “People are stopping and walking by. When you’re working in public like that, people find the need to cheer you on. You don’t get that in the gallery setting of the art world. It’s a little bit more fun way to work, in my opinion.”

The mural also was part of a partnership with the Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization.

Ketchup City Creative is working on T-shirts with Sharpsburg written on the front with the same font as the mural.

More information is available at ketchupcity.com.