The SouthSide Urban Arts Trail
An Artful Adventure Awaits
The Urban Arts Trail is a complete list and walkable guide showcasing the vibrant public artworks that shape South Bethlehem’s creative landscape. Featuring pieces by local, regional, and visiting artists, the trail offers a glimpse into the area’s rich artistic spirit and cultural heritage.
Spanning approximately 3 miles across South Bethlehem, the trail begins at 3rd St & Brodhead St, extends as far as the Bethlehem Skate Plaza, and loops back around to finish along 4th St & Broadway. You can expect a complete self-guided tour to take between 1-2 hours.
Parking & Access
On street parking is available for up to 2 hours in rapid zones and up to 3 hours in flex zones. Garage parking is available at the following locations:
- New Street Garage (324 S New St)
$1.50 per hour - $12 daily max - Sundays are Free
Cashless facility. Credit Card & Scan to Pay Only - Polk Street Garage (418 PA-412)
$1.50 per hour - $12 daily max - Sundays are Free
Cashless facility. Credit Card & Scan to Pay Only
NOTICE REGARDING RELOCATED ARTWORKS
Please be aware some artworks listed on the Urban Arts Trail, previously located at the Banana Factory Arts Center, have been temporarily relocated or are otherwise unavailable due to the ongoing construction and development of The ArtsQuest Creative Factory powered by PPL.
All artwork that is currently unavailable to visit will be noted below. But you can still learn and read about the missing artworks. We have included them in their own list, separate from the self-guided tour locations
Stop # 2: Mr. Imagination Bus Shelter
Stop # 3: Homage to Humanity
Stop #4: Joyful Experience
Stop #5: BananaWORKS
Relocated Artworks
Title: Mr. Imagination Bus Shelter
Artist: Gregory Warmack A.K.A "Mr. Imagination"
Date Created: 2002
Medium: Concrete and mixed media
Location: temporarily relocated
Artist Gregory Warmack "Mr. Imagination" designed and created The Grotto a concrete bus shelter encrusted with a myriad of odd baubles such as shells, bottle caps, buttons, and pebbles.
Mr. Imagination worked with a group of local SouthSide youths to bring the structure to fruition. The young artists were part of a Pennsylvania Career Link program that focused on helping youth build job skills. For the group, the goal of the project was learning how to take initiative and work as a team to complete the project from start to finish.
Within the shelter, you will see imagery memorializing September 11, 2001, including an American flag and a depiction of The Statue of Liberty.
In 2024, the structure was disassembled and relocated in preparation for the construction of the new ArtsQuest Creative Factory, powered by PPL. Once the building is completed, the salvaged Mr. Imagination Bus Shelter will be reinstated in a reimagined way onto the ArtsQuest campus.
Title: Homage to Humanity
Artist: Karel Mikolas
Date Created: 2003
Medium: Stone
Location: temporarily relocated
In 2003, Lehigh County sculptor Karel Mikolas created Homage to Humanity as an entry to the Banana Factory’s first outdoor sculpture competition. Any artist aged 18 years or older who lived within 100 miles of Bethlehem could enter the competition. Mikolas's sculpture was selected as the winner out of three finalists who went before a jury.
This composition consists of three figures described as the Muse, the Average Citizen, and the Disengaged.
The Muse has inspired creativity over the centuries. Although she has endured continuous abuse, she remains intact, powerful, always able to inspire anyone who is interested in purposeful life and humanity.
The average citizen, is puzzled by her indomitable ability.
The third figure is disengaged from the world around her.
Title: Joyful Experience
Artist: Susan Small
Medium: Steel
Date Created: 2002
Location: temporarily relocated
Joyful Experience is an ode to joy art-making brings to all who create, engage with, and appreciate art. It is an exploration in the exploration of oneself and creating one's own path.
The sculpture was submitted by Susan Small for the Banana Factory's first outdoor sculpture competition in 2002. Although she did not win the competition, Small was encouraged to secure funding to make the sculpture a reality.
The Puffin Foundation supported the purchase of supplies and hardware to create the sculpture and the Skrivanek Family donated the money for the fabrication of the stainless steel armature in honor of Catherine and Gustave Skrivanek, who had been dedicated MusikFest volunteers. As part of the sculpture, one thousand rings were made with the help of family, friends, and fellow artists.
Title: BananaWORKS
Artist: Tomas Wolff, Olga Gonzalez, Jessica Acevedo, Erik Davis, Monique Dyer, Jesus Estrada, Byran Hughes, William Lopez, James Moseley, Pierre Poteat, Mercy Quinonez, Roberto Rivera, Iris Rodriquez, Augustine Rosario, Abraham Santos, Luz Silva, Joseph Smith, Jessica Torres
Medium: Ceramic tile
Date Created: 1997
Location: temporarily relocated
The BananaWORKS mosaic was created as part of the Banana Factory's Grand Opening. Over the course of 6 weeks, the young adults learned how to create sketches, present design proposals to a client, and make alterations to their designs from that feedback. They learned the process of painting and working in mosaic to create a piece of art. Most of the participants local to Bethlehem, which created a continued sense of civic pride in the art.
The Banana Factory was a proud partner for more than 13 years in the "Banana Works Projects" which flourished around the entire Lehigh Valley from 1998-2011. Professional artists who specialized in public art and teaching worked with 9 young adult participants who were participating in a Pennsylvania CareerLink job skills program.
Various community funders supported the program including Just Born, The Bethlehem Housing Authority and St Luke’s University Health Network.
Self-Guided Tour
1- Welcome to the SouthSide
Directions:
Exit the parking garage onto New Street. Walk towards 3rd St. Make a left at 3rd St. Head towards Brodhead Ave. You will see Stop #1 on a wall along the sidewalk.
Title: Welcome to the SouthSide
Artist: Max Meano
Date Created: 2015
Medium: Fabricated Metal
Location: 120 W. 3rd Street
The idea for the "Welcome to the SouthSide" mural was conceived during Professor Karen Pooley's urban policy class at Lehigh University in 2015. Students were tasked with brainstorming ideas on how to bridge the existing gap between the SouthSide community and the Lehigh student community.
Pooley's class organized student surveys and focus groups. These studies discovered that students who had the chance to experience SouthSide Bethlehem through off-campus housing or by working on the SouthSide had a very different and more positive perception of the community as compared to those who lived on campus and did not venture out.
Some students viewed the SouthSide as an unsafe and rough neighborhood because of negative stories they became aware of while attending school; therefore, students were nervous and apprehensive about getting out and exploring the community.
The South Bethlehem Greenway was pointed out to be an excellent accessible public resource that could get Lehigh students to explore the community and start making connections with its businesses and members.
Dr. Pooley's class determined that having a piece of artwork along the South Bethlehem Greenway would bring a sense of welcoming and comfort to students and visitors, along with being an artistic landmark.
The location chosen was a historic wall that had been a part of the lumber and millwork company, Brown-Borhek Co. The company was founded in 1820 and dissolved sometime in the late 20th century. Eventually, the land surrounding the wall was sold and became the Comfort Suites. The 160 ft. stretch of brick is the only remainder of the old lumber yard.
The mural is constructed out of fabricated metal and mounted on the brick in order to maintain the historical integrity of the wall.
The block letters of the mural feature iconic landmarks of the SouthSide community, including the Bethlehem Steel Stacks, the Banana Factory, the Bethlehem Star, and the Sands (now Wind Creek) Casino Resort.
“The mural represents the pride the university takes in being a part of the South Bethlehem community,” said Dale Kochard, the assistant vice president of community and regional affairs. “Lehigh is committed to its partnership with the City of Bethlehem to impact the community in positive ways.”
6- Vibrant Asymmetry
Directions:
Return to 3rd Street. Make a left turn and continue walking until you are slightly past Lehigh Pizza. The next stop is in the Lehigh Pizza parking lot on the exterior wall of the building.
Title: Vibrant Asymmetry
Artist: Devyn Leonor Briggs
Medium: Acrylic Paint
Date Created: 2018
Location: 13 W. 3rd Street
Devyn Leonor Briggs' concept for Vibrant Asymmetry is an abstract design in keeping with the running theme of her paintings during the time of the piece's creation. Briggs uses color theory, balance, and asymmetry to create a composition with dynamic color relationships and polyrhythmic structures.
The piece was one of five temporary murals that were installed on the South Bethlehem Greenway in the winter of 2018 as part of a new "Mural Arts Walk," trail. The idea for the trail was conceived by Lehigh University, ArtsQuest, the Banana Factory, and the SouthSide Arts District Design Committee.
The Arts Walk concept resonated with the local community, and many residents expressed admiration and delight in the featured mural works; consequently, the SouthSide Arts District applied for funding from Northampton County's Community Investment Partnership Program to have each of the five murals permanently installed on exterior walls throughout SouthSide Bethlehem's streetscape.
7-Southbound
Directions:
Stay left on 3rd Street and walk towards the intersection of 3rd and New Streets. A large mural on the side of the building straight ahead is the next stop.
Title: Southbound
Artist: Matt Halm
Medium: Acrylic paint
Date Created: 2018
Location: 1. E. 3rd Street
This 15′ x 25′ exterior mural was created by Matt Halm as part of the 2018 ArtsQuest's SouthSide Arts & Music Festival. The work is inspired by the creative spirit and imagination of the growing art community on Bethlehem's SouthSide.
8- Steelworker
Directions:
Cross the street at the intersection towards Taylor Family Gas Station and walk down 3rd St. The next stop is a large mural on the side of a building adjacent to the parking lot.
Title: Steelworker
Artist: Denton Burrows, Jonathan Neville, Ramiro Davaro-Comas and Lauren Asta.
Medium: Acrylic Paint
Date Created: 2017
Location: 24 W. 3rd Street
Steelworker was birthed in 2017, as part of ArtsQuest's SouthSide Arts & Music Festival. Muralist group Dripped on the Road ended a month-long traveling residency in which they visited six cities and completed nine murals in total. They would create their final mural in Bethlehem. Inspired by the history of the renowned Bethlehem Steel, Steelworker reflects on the community's past and looks to the future of the SouthSide.
9- Power
Directions:
Cross the intersection and remain on 3rd Street. Walk towards Adams Street. You will pass under a large clock mounted on a corner building. The next stop is on the exterior wall of the building across the street.
Title: Power
Artist: Christopher Colon
Medium: Acrylic Paint
Date Created: 2020
Location: 101 E. 3rd Street, Bethlehem PA 18015
Power celebrates an era where the women's revolution is at an unprecedented point. There are more professional opportunities for women than ever before in history. Vibrancy in color, the piercing gaze of the figure, and the symbolic reference to fighting for your dreams is combined with pop culture elements to inspire the viewer.
10- Connected by Kindness
***This mural is no longer accessible due to ongoing construction. We apologize for the inconvenience! ***
Directions:
You're already there! The four corners of the intersection where you are standing is the next stop.
Title: Connected by Kindness
Artist: Sarah Karess, Mounir Mulhem
Medium: Traffic paint
Date Created: 2021
Location: 101 E. Third Street
Connected by Kindness's design depicts outstretched hands offering flowers to passersby. It is a street mural inspired by the random acts of kindness of David James. James is an Australian citizen who went viral on social media in 2020 for gifting flowers to complete strangers for no reason other than do a kind thing.
The mural's design features hands offering flowers to passersby.
Artists Sarah Karess, Mounir Mulhem comment that "Within any community, the cornerstone to wellness and quality of life is driven by kindness, and we all have a hand in helping each other grow. This mural intends to remind the Bethlehem community to be kind to each other as well as oneself. By doing so, we will be well together."
Karess and Mulhem dedicated the creation of Connected by Kindness to Karess's late grandmother, Harriet Rose Karess, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 89.
The street mural was commissioned by the SouthSide Art District ( a program of the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation,) the County of Northampton, and Lehigh Valley Health Network.
11- The Flying V Mural
Directions:
Continue walking down 3rd St. until you arrive at Webster St. The next stop will be a large mural on the exterior wall of the Flying V Poutinerie.
Title: The Flying V Mural
Artist: Kyle Confehr
Medium 201 E. 3rd Street
Date Created: 2021
Location: 201 E. 3rd Street, Bethlehem PA 18015
The Flying V Mural was the first ever mural created by Philadelphia based artist and designer, Kyle Confehr. Confehr is an ambidextrous artist who blurs the lines between art and graffiti by weaving nostalgia, humor, and personal experience into densely ornate pieces.
Owners of the Flying V Poutinerie, Matt and Christie Vymazal, wanted to spruce up the large, blank wall on the outside of their building. They asked Confehr to create a mural that not only displayed the flare their business brought to the community, but also displayed the iconic landmarks and features of the community as a whole! How many Bethlehem landmarks can you spot in this mural?
12- Lehigh Valley Charter Arts Student Murals
Directions:
Continue walking down 3rd St. The next stop is the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts. When you reach the tiling inlayed in the sidewalk, you have reached the Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Arts.
Title: LVCA Student Murals
Artist: Various students
Medium: Acrylic Paint
Date Created: N/A
Location: 321 E. 3rd Street
This public art project features artworks from a group of junior and senior visual art majors from the Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Arts. The project was financed by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Charter Arts Foundation Giving Circle. A grant from the council allowed the school to bring professional muralist Matthew Halm to mentor the students.
Each mural features a rose because each student receives a rose on the first day of school every year. Working with Halm and Charter Arts faculty, the students were challenged to design images that reflect life at the school, the Bethlehem community surrounding it, and the diversity of its student body.
13- Solar
Directions:
Walk down 3rd St. and make a left turn at Polk St. Continue walking towards the back of Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Arts.
Title: Solar
Artist: Austin Mcinnis, Julian Pelekanakis
Medium: Steel
Date Created: 2017
Location: 398 Columbia Street
Solar is one of seven functional art bike racks installed throughout SouthSide Bethlehem in 2017. The design was selected as part of "The Artist Designed Bike Rack Project", a partnership between the City of Bethlehem and ArtsQuest designed to encourage foot and bike traffic throughout the business district and bring public art to the area.
Austin Mcinnis and Julian Pelekanakis of Spillman-Farmer Architects created the design, which was selected by a jurying committee that included representatives from the City of Bethlehem, ArtsQuest, Southside Arts District, Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission and the Coalition for Appropriate Transportation.
14- The Love of Music
Directions:
Walk to 3rd St. Stay on 3rd St. and make a left towards Fillmore St. and the Steel Stacks.
Title: The Love of Music
Artist: Ramiro Davaro-Comas
Medium: Acrylic Paint
Date Created: 2019
Location: Fillmore and 3rd Streets
Ramiro Davaro-Comas created The Love of Music for the SouthSide with the sincere hope that it would become a favorite spot for community residents and kids to photograph themselves with due to the piece's colors and character design.
Davaro-Comas expressed "I wanted to paint a happy scene of music notes... I like to use this illustrative character style because it is very recognizable and relatable for the youth."
15- Love
Directions:
The next stop is only a few feet from Location 14. Musically inclined individuals are obligated to interact with this artwork. 😉
Title: Love
Artist: Christopher Colon
Medium: Functional Art
Date Created: 2020
Location: Fillmore & 3rd Streets
Love resides beneath a humble awning outside of the Northampton Community College Fowler Center. The idea was simple:
Step 1: Find an old piano.
Step 2: Transform the mundane into something magical.
Christopher Colon wanted to create a functioning public art piece the residents of Bethlehem could interact with and use to express love.
"I created a design based on the word "Love". I'm gearing it more towards a fun celebration of color, leaving it up to the viewer to create the overall message." -Christopher Colon
Using weather-proof paint, Colon's artwork was designed using a full spectrum of vibrant color. The piano is joyous and quite fun to play.
16- Molten Metal
Directions:
Continue walking down 3rd St. After you pass the Northampton Community College Fowler Family Center, you will find the next stop.
Title: Molten Metal
Artist: Ethan Hahn
Medium: Steel
Date: 2017
Location: 511 E. 3rd Street
17- The Cloud
Directions:
Continue walking down 3rd St. After you pass the Northampton Community College Fowler Family Center, you will find the next stop.
Title: The Cloud
Artist: Coral Penelope Lambert
Medium: Cast iron, steel
Date Created: 2022
Location: 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 18015
The Cloud is a hand forged cast iron and steel beast of a contemporary sculpture. It was the winning finalist entry selected by a jury panel of community stakeholders to be the anchor art piece near the Steel Stacks campus outside the ArtsQuest Visitor's Center.
The Cloud's billowed shape and sheer size is reminiscent of the swaths of smoke and steam clouds that once have emanated from the Bethlehem Steel plant when it was in operation. The bold blue color is eye catching and calming, with the inside of the cloud possessing a silver lining. This addition signifies that while the Bethlehem Steel's closure in the late nineties was a negative change in the community at the time, many years later, its legacy birthed an entire culture and appreciation for community and history in the SouthSide of Bethlehem.
The Star of Bethlehem is also perforated into the sculpture's steel in two places, allowing daylight (and solar light in the evening) to shine through the entire sculpture at all hours of the day.
18- Hayes Street Mural
Directions:
From Founders Way, continue on 3rd St. until you reach the crosswalk at 3rd and Hayes Sts. Cross to Hayes Street.
Walk up the hill past Evans and Mechanic Sts.
Head to the intersection at 4th and Hayes Sts. Notice the colorful painted phone booth! You are on the right track.
Cross at the crosswalk at 4th and Hayes Sts.
Continue up the hill on Hayes St.
On the right, you'll see a large mural installation. It is the next stop.
Title: Hayes St. Mural
Artist: Holly Fields-Scott, Nevada Scott, Joey Gourniak
Medium: Acrylic Paint
Date Created: 2019
Location: 414 Hayes St., Bethlehem, PA 18015
The Lehigh Valley Community Land Trust and Community Action Develop Corporation of Bethlehem led a project to revitalize and restore the triplex home at 414-418 Hayes Street.
The building's façade received a complete makeover and masonry restoration by Preservation Works, Ltd. Thanks to funding from Wells Fargo, this mural became part of the revitalization. Holly Fields-Scott, owner of Bella Pintura Inc., worked with her daughter Nevada Scott and artist Joey Gourniak to complete this mural.
19- Lehigh Valley Hawk
Directions:
Continue on Hayes Street to 5th Street. Cross the road to the left. You will see two small mural installations on the SouthSide Lofts building.
Title: Lehigh Valley Hawk
Artist: Ramiro Davaro-Comas
Medium: Acrylic Paint
Date Created: 2019
Location: 435 Hayes St., Bethlehem, PA 18015
The artist's concept for this mural is based on the Lehigh Valley University Hawks and birds of prey in general.
"I mixed a style of illustration with muralism to create a lovable Hawk character surrounded by a wreath... and with various facts about Hawks hidden in the background of the mural. This aspect will engage the viewer, and invite them to look at the mural closer, and learn all the facts about the Lehigh Hawks. There are ten of them." - Ramiro Davaro-Comas
20- Lehigh University
Directions:
Located next to Location 19.
Title: Lehigh University
Artist: Rafael Menendez
Medium: Acrylic & Spray Paint
Date Created: 2021
Location: 435 Hayes St., Bethlehem, PA 18015
Rafael Menendez and his artist family "Maltas Con Leche" designed this lighthearted and funky mural using ideas contributed by students from Lehigh University.
21- De Borinken, Al Mundo
Directions:
Walk back to 4th St. Cross the street and arrive next to the colorful phone booth. Make a left. Walk down 4th St. going away from the SteelStacks. Your next stop is the courtyard at the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley.
Title: De Borinken, Al Mundo
Artist: Salina Almanzar-Oree
Medium: Acrylic on panel
Date: 2022
Location: 520 E 4th St., Bethlehem, PA 18015
De Boriken, Al Mundo (English translation: From Boriken, to the World) celebrates the life and humanity of Roberto Clemente. Clemente was a world renowned Pittsburgh Pirates baseball legend and humanitarian who was born and raised in PuertoRico; however, he spent much of his professional life in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, a working-class steel town quite similar to Bethlehem.
The mural depicts Roberto Clemente swinging a baseball bat emblazoned with the flag of Puerto Rico, with an American flag patch prominently embroidered on the sleeve of his baseball uniform. Surrounding him are the maps of Puerto Rico and Pittsburgh which represent the connection between the two places that influenced his life and career.
Multicolored Flor de Magas, Puerto Rico’s national flower, burst from the bottom left corner. In the background, blueprints of a Bethlehem steel furnace symbolize the kindredness between the working class and immigrant communities of Pittsburgh and Bethlehem.
Twenty-three different Latin American and Caribbean countries’ flags, representing the Bethlehem community’s diversity, adorn the base of the mural and were painted by students, seniors, and other community members.
Clemente was a naturally charitable and caring man, and his personal philosophy is boldly inscribed on the mural, reading:
“Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on Earth.”
During his time in the Major Leagues, Clemente made history multiple times by defying systemic racism and cultural discrimination and becoming the first Latin American and Caribbean player to win a League MVP Award in 1966 and also a World Series MVP Award in 1971.
His charitable nature showed its quality when a natural disaster devastated Puerto Rico and surrounding countries in 1972. Clemente personally arranged for several planes full of essential aid and supplies to be delivered to survivors, and he boarded one of these flights to Nicaragua to ensure the aid was not confiscated by the corrupt Nicaraguan government. In a tragic twist of fate, the plane’s engine failed shortly after takeoff. Clemente, only 38, lost his life in the subsequent crash.
In 1973, posthumously, Clemente became the first Hispanic person to be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
De Borinken, Al Mundo was commissioned by the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley with support from: Richard and Helen Anderson, Patrick and Diane Bower, Capital Blue Cross and St. Luke’s University Health Network. It was created by Puerto Rican and Dominican artist Salina Almanzar-Oree.
22- Calma
Directions:
Continue on 4th St. in the same direction. Cross the street at the intersection of 4th and Polk Sts. and make a right. The next stop is at Cafe the Lodge.
Title: Calma
Artist: Pau Quintanajornet
Medium: Acrylic Paint
Date Created: 2019
Location: 427 East 4th St., Bethlehem, PA 18015
Pau Quintanajorne completed Calma as part of the 2019 ArtsQuest's SouthSide Arts & Music Festival. The mural was a continuation of her "artivist" project Project Wallflowers which she began in 2013.
The piece was completed in Pau's signature style ,and it is thematically focused on Café the Lodge's mission of supporting mental health recovery and self-care for the mind, body, and spirit.
The mural was supported by ArtsQuest, Café the Lodge, Resources for Human Development, and Just Born.
23- Rebuilding & Remembering
Directions:
Walk past Cafe the Lodge towards Fillmore St. Make a left onto Fillmore. You will see a path that is parallel and in between 3rd & 4th Sts. Turn left onto the Greenway. Look to your right to the exterior wall of the building there.
Title: Rebuildng & Remembering
Artist: Devyn Leonor Briggs
Medium: Acrylic on panel
Date Created: 2021
Location: Behind 314 Fillmore Street, Bethlehem PA 18015 along the South Bethlehem GreenWay
Rebuilding & Remembering celebrates the families who joined the Bethlehem community after category 5 Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico and the Northern Carribbean islands. It focuses on the experience of the children who grow up experiencing two distinct cultures and how a third culture grows from that individual's experience. The seed of individual strength is rooted in family, community, and culture.
The mural resides on the exterior of Victory House of Lehigh Valley. They are a nonprofit providing shelter and transitional services to homeless men, many of them veterans, for over 35 years. Please consider donating to this essential community organization: https://www.victoryhouselv.org/donate/
24- Diversity
Directions:
Turn around. Walk up the stairs to the courtyard of Café the Lodge. On your right is the next location.
Title: Diversity
Artist: Rafael Menendez
Medium: Acrylic on panel
Date Created: 2021
Location: 427 E 4th St., Bethlehem PA 18015
Rafael Menendez and his family of artists, dubbed "Maltas Con Leche" created Diversity in an image that brings the word to life with respect to the SouthSide community, culture, and spirit.
"We wanted to show diversity, but also what we have in common. In the Valley - that's food and our scenery." -Rafael Menedez
25- I-Beam
Directions:
Return to the Greenway. Go left. Follow the path to Polk Street. Turn left and walk up to 4th Street. Once on 4th St., make a right turn. Continue walking toward Touchstone Theatre. The next stop is to the side of the building.
Title: I-Beam
Artist: Ethan Hahn
Medium: Steel
Date: 2017
Location: Parham Park, 317 E 4th St, Bethlehem, PA 18015
I-Beam is one of seven functional art bike racks installed throughout SouthSide Bethlehem in 2017. The design was selected as part of "The Artist Designed Bike Rack Project", a partnership between the City of Bethlehem and ArtsQuest designed to encourage foot and bike traffic throughout the business district and bring public art to the area.
Designed by local resident, Ethan Hahn, I-Beam is a tribute to his father James who worked at the Bethlehem Steel.
26-Yellow Vibrancy
Directions:
Continue on 4th St. towards Taylor St. Make a right on Taylor St. and walk towards the Greenway. Continue walking Taylor St. until you arrive at Bonn Place Brewing Company. The next three locations are on the exterior of the building.
Title: Yellow Vibrancy
Artist: Amy Perdue
Medium: Acrylic Paint
Date Created: 2019
Location: 314 Taylor Street
Yellow Vibrancy is an abstract wonderland of color, unbound shape, and contrast. The artist, Amy Perdue, works primarily in sculpture and installation but is also active in painting, illustration, music and poetry. Her work is based in conceptual art and shows some attributes of feminism, surrealism, minimalism and abstract expressionism and is often infused with autobiographical content as well as her respect to the process.
27- Bonn Place Brewing Tribute
Directions:
Around the side of the building
Title: Bonn Place Brewing Tribute
Artist: Denton Burrows
Medium: Acrylic Paint
Date Created: 2019
Location: 310 Taylor St., Bethlehem PA 18015
A simple black and white sketchbook style homage to Bonn Place Brewing. No more. No less.
28- Lehigh University Tribute
Directions:
You're here! Keep exploring the different sides of the building.
Title: Lehigh University Tribute
Artist: Key Detail
Medium: Acrylic Paint
Date Created: 2017
Location: 310 Taylor St., Bethlehem PA 18015
Artist duo from New York, Key Detail, created this spritely tribute to Lehigh University and their mascot-- the Mountain Hawk.
29- Stacks
Directions:
Turn around and walk back on Taylor St. Walk to the Greenway and make a right onto the path.
Title: Stacks
Artist: Austin Mcinnis and Julian Pelekanakis
Medium: Steel
Date Created: 2017
Location: The Greenway crossing at Taylor St., Bethlehem, PA 18015
Stacks is one of seven functional art bike racks installed throughout SouthSide Bethlehem in 2017. The design was selected as part of "The Artist Designed Bike Rack Project", a partnership between the City of Bethlehem and ArtsQuest designed to encourage foot and bike traffic throughout the business district and bring public art to the area.
30- Harmony Pavilion
Directions:
Walk past the Stacks down the Greenway path. You will see a large structure. This is the next location.
Title: Harmony Pavilion
Artist: The Chinese Bridge Project, a program of Lehigh University
Medium: concrete, wood, tile
Date Created: 2013
Location: The Greenway, Between Taylor and Webster Streets, Bethlehem PA 18015
Harmony Pavilion is an outgrowth of a Henry Luce Foundation-funded project called the Chinese Bridge Project. based at Lehigh University.
This traditional style Chinese pavilion is the second venture of the project, which is concerned with bridging connections between American and Chinese students.
Co-director of the project, Norman Girardot, had this t say about the project:
"We're bridging the Chinese and American cultures. We're also bridging disciplines because we have people who are architects, chemists, engineers and people who study cultural history to participate in the project," said Girardot. "It represents another crucial bridging or partnering activity that links the university and the community. And the fact that it is on the Greenway is especially significant since that is the new lifeline that unites the whole SouthSide."
This pavilion, inspired by the pavilions from the Tang and Song periods, is named "Harmony Pavilion," and symbolizes the spirit of people coming together for rest and reflection.
31- Blue Herons
Directions:
Walk past the pavilion. To the left, you will see an area of brush/wildflower plants. The next stop is in the center of the garden.
Title: Blue Herons
Artist: Virginia Abbott
Medium: Mixed Media
Date Created: 2011
Location: The Greenway, Between Taylor and Webster Streets, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Blue Herons is a community work created by Banana Factory Resident Artist Virginia Abbott, chosen to represent art on the Greenway because of the species' historic presence in Bethlehem. The sculpture is made of many different materials including garden tools, household items, and smaller sculptures of animals assembled by Broughal Middle School students.
32- SouthSide Proud
Directions:
Continue on the Greenway path past Blue Herons. Walk until you reach Adams St. Make a left. Continue across 4th St. Make a right on the sidewalk and walk towards Molly's Irish Grille & Sports Pub The next stop is on the exterior wall of Molly's Irish Grille & Sports Pub, and directly across the street from Godfrey Daniels Coffee House.
Title: SouthSide Proud
Artist: Joseph Iacona
Medium: Acrylic Paint
Date Created: 2019
Location: 100 4th St., Bethlehem, PA 18015
This mural was a collaboration with Community Action Development and neighborhood residents to create a visual representation of the "SouthSide Proud Campaign". The campaign centers on community members and residents sharing why they are proud to be a part of the SouthSide and what is it about the SouthSide that makes them proud.
33- Sustainable Meter Rack
Directions:
Continue walking past Molly's. On the corner of 4th and New Sts. in front of Molly's is the next stop.
Title: Sustainable Meter Rack
Artist: Deanna Kocher, Christian Murphy, John Flory, Burian Sizemore, Noah Saltzman, Elana Abrams, Gibson Reine, Prof. Mike Moore, Prof. Brian Slocum and Prof. Wes Heiss.
Medium: Steel, mixed media
Date: 2017
Location: 4 E. 4th St., Bethlehem, PA 18015
Sustainable Meter Rack is one of seven functional art bike racks installed throughout SouthSide Bethlehem in 2017. The design was selected as part of "The Artist Designed Bike Rack Project", a partnership between the City of Bethlehem and ArtsQuest designed to encourage foot and bike traffic throughout the business district and bring public art to the area.
34- Bethlehem
Directions:
Cross at the crosswalk at New St. to continue walking down 4th St. At Vine St., cross over to the window of Homebase Skateshop, located at 29 W. 4th St.
Title: Bethlehem
Artist: Freebridge Design Co., Homebase Skateshop
Medium: N/A
Date: N/A
Location: 29 W. 4th St., Bethlehem, PA 18015
Based on the City of Bethlehem Map Collection - this one of a kind window mural pays homage to Bethlehem - and Homebase Skateshop's home for over 17 years!
35- Lehigh Bike Rack Bar
Directions:
Cross Vine St. to the business next door to Homebase Skateshop.
Title: Lehigh Bike Rack Bar
Artist: Deanna Kocher, Christian Murphy, John Flory, Burian Sizemore, Noah Saltzman, Elana Abrams, Gibson Reine, Prof. Mike Moore, Prof. Brian Slocum and Prof. Wes Heiss
Medium: Steel, wood
Date: 2017
Location: 101 W. 4th St., Bethlehem, PA 18015
Lehigh Bike Rack Bar is one of seven functional art bike racks installed throughout SouthSide Bethlehem in 2017. The design was selected as part of "The Artist Designed Bike Rack Project", a partnership between the City of Bethlehem and ArtsQuest designed to encourage foot and bike traffic throughout the business district and bring public art to the area.
Students of Lehigh University frequently patronize Deja Brew. It is a staple of students' days. The team built this horizontal bike rack and table to offer bikers a change to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee. Stop and look at the table to see an engraved map of the town.
36- History
Directions:
Continue down 4th St. Arrive at Brodhead Ave. Cross the street Turn right at the Tally-Ho. Here you'll find the last mural on the trail.
Title: History
Artist: Lauren Kuhn
Medium: Oil Paint
Date: 2019
Location: 205 W. 4th St., Bethlehem, PA 18015
Lauren Kuhn specializes in custom, commissioned oil paintings that offer an opportunity to capture a 'moment' in lieu of a basic likeness. Kuhn was selected to create this piece to reflect on the history of South Bethlehem.
37- Ribbon Rack
Directions:
Return to 4th St. Make a right. Continue past Tally-Ho and Dunkin Donuts. Here is the final trail destination.
Title: Ribbon Rack
Artist: Deanna Kocher, Christian Murphy, John Flory, BurianSizemore, Noah Saltzman, Elana Abrams, Gibson Reine, Prof. Mike Moore, Prof. Brian Slocum and Prof. Wes Heiss
Medium: Steel
Date: 2017
Location: 4th St & Broadway, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Ribbon Rack is one of seven functional art bike racks installed throughout SouthSide Bethlehem in 2017. The design was selected as part of "The Artist Designed Bike Rack Project", a partnership between the City of Bethlehem and ArtsQuest designed to encourage foot and bike traffic throughout the business district and bring public art to the area.
38- Hope In Flight Stair Mural
Directions:
Start at Bethlehem Skate Plaza, located at 1325 Steel Ave, Bethlehem, PA 18015. Walk to the Bethlehem Greenway foot and bike path and travel West towards the Bethlehem SteelStacks.
It is a 3 minute walk from the Skate Plaza to the stair mural.
Title: Hope In Flight
Artist: Tiffany Anderson, Carla Majczan
Medium: Porcelain tile
Date: 2023
Location: South Bethlehem Greenway at Hobart St & RailRoad St.
Hope in Flight is Bethlehem's latest, permanent art installation and its very first mosaic stair mural. It is a colorful collage of porcelain tiles jam packed with vibrant imagery of birds, flowers, and music. Local artists and school teachers Tiffany Anderson (Donegan Elementary School, South Bethlehem) and Carla Majczan (East Hills Middle School, North Bethlehem) conceived the idea for Hope in Flight with the help of the SouthSide community and their school communities. They engaged in community conversations and polled local residents, families, and students about the imagery that should be included in the mural and what kind of art folks wanted to see in their neighborhood.
“When working together to come up with an overlying theme, we thought about our schools and the communities around them… The images we chose symbolize our theme and focus on hope…” Anderson commented. “The flowers and colors were chosen to symbolize many of the cultures found in Bethlehem…Birds represent flight and movement, similar to how the Southside was formed. The piano keys are representative of the rich musical culture that continues to grow throughout Bethlehem…And the rainbow represents beauty, hope, and acceptance for all which is what, as teachers in Bethlehem, we want all of our students and the members of the community to see and feel.”
Over several months, Tiffany and Carla broke, cut, arranged, adhered, and ultimately transformed tiles into mosaic panels with the help of volunteers from their school families. In July of 2023, they installed and weatherproofed the mosaic onto the Hobart Stairs, a centrally located staircase which connects the local neighborhood to the South Bethlehem Greenway walking and biking trail as well as the Bethlehem Skateplaza.
This public art project is part of the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation’s SouthSide Art District Program, a continuous revitalization initiative for the SouthSide of Bethlehem. This project was made possible, in part, by funds from the County of Northampton PA, and SouthSide Tomorrow. SouthSide Tomorrow is a 6-year revitalization program of Community Action Development Bethlehem and the City of Bethlehem with support from Univest Bank & Trust Co., Embassy Bank for the Lehigh Valley, People’s Security Bank & Trust, PPL Electric Utilities, and Provident Bank.
39- Welcome to Bethlehem
Title: Welcome to Bethlehem (Historic 1927 Wall Mural)
Artist: William Nieves, Jermel Fountain, Donegan Elementary School 5th grade students & Tiffany Anderson
Medium: Acrylic Paint
Date: 2024
Location: South Bethlehem Greenway at Hobart St & RailRoad St.
The historic wall this colorful mural adorns is an old relic of the early 20th century, inscribed with a date of 1927. Graffiti covered and generally ignored by passersby on the Bethlehem Greenway, artists William Nieves and Jermel Fountain saw an opportunity to breathe new life into the old concrete fixture.
The two artists worked with 5th grade students from Tiffany Anderson's art class at Donegan Elementary School to brainstorm a colorful and creative design that would brighten the Greenway trail and be visible from Daly Avenue.
The students submitted designs which the artists incorporated into the project. The mural took a total of 12 days to execute from surface preparation to painting.
The students' ideas came to life in the form of brightly colored flowers, a rendering of the Bethlehem SteelStacks, and the iconic Star of Bethlehem.
40- Diversity (Yosko Park Mural)
Title: Diversity
Artist: William Nieves, Jermel Fountain
Medium: Acrylic Paint, Spray Paint
Date Created: 2023
Location: Yosko Park, 617 Atlantic St Bethlehem, PA 18015
Representing the diversity of the community through a spectrum of bright and saturated color, William Nieves and Jermel Fountain wanted to express their chosen location, Yosko Park, as a place of play and welcome for all to enjoy.