Latest news with #WestmorelandMuseum
CBS News
28-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Liberty Bells coming to every Pennsylvania county for America's 250th birthday
Across Pennsylvania, counties are getting ready to celebrate America's 250th birthday with an impressive statewide art installation. Bells Across PA will see 67 fiberglass Liberty Bells placed in each county, designed with images of the people, places and things that make that county so special. The Liberty Bell is not only an iconic symbol of America, but it's also an enduring symbol of Pennsylvania. It's so popular that soon the state's license plates will be ornamented with it. And starting this summer, each and every county in Pennsylvania will have a unique bell of its own. Westmoreland's bell is currently being worked on by artist Mandy Sirofchuck at her studio in Ligonier. Silvia Filippini-Fantoni, the director of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, says when the Westmoreland bell is finished in August, it will sit right outside the museum for all to see and experience. "When something is outside and it also represents a community that it is in, people can connect to it on a different level," said Filippini-Fantoni. "And I have to say that this bell will be doing exactly that. It is going to invite people to come, and I am sure that people will walk around the bell and try to figure out what buildings are what, what river is what, what animal is what and there will be a conversation, there will be stories that are shared and that's what makes art special." And while the bell that will sit outside the museum in Greensburg is currently being worked on for later this summer, event organizers are seeking a local artist in Westmoreland to make a second bell with the theme: "MORE Energy in Westmoreland: Powering our Past and Energizing our Future." This second bell is being sponsored by First Energy, and they are looking for images associated with coal, solar, wind, gas, hydroelectric and more. Submissions for this paid position are currently being accepted, so if you think you have what it takes to make a memorable bell design, click here for more information.
CBS News
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Westmoreland Museum of American Art ringing in spring with 'Art in Bloom' exhibit
Spring has sprung at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, and for the next week, special floral arrangements will not only be accenting their galleries but taking center stage. While spring colors are just starting to bud outdoors in the Pittsburgh region, indoors at the Westmoreland Museum, flowers and art are in bloom. This is thanks to 20 local florists who have made floral arrangements that coincide with specific art and paintings around the museum. The exhibit is called 'Art in Bloom' and is back for its second year at the museum. Claire Ertl, the museum's marketing director, says this exhibit was brought back for a second year after its radiant success last year. She says they intend to have 'Art in Bloom' at the museum each spring. "Coming to the museum itself is inspirational," Ertl said. "But having just this added feature of the flowers and it being the beginning of spring, it's just a great tradition that I think we have started here. And I think the community really embraced it as something to look to in the spring season." While many artists' floral works are on display, one local artist, JD Peterson, was at the museum on Wednesday, meeting guests and telling them about her unique arrangement of calla lilies, which is paired with a painting by Mildred Thompson called 'String Theory.' "You really have to think about how to interpret this," said Peterson. "For example, (String Theory) is a two-dimensional piece of art, but you have to bring it to life in three dimensions. And I just loved working with the texture, the color, the line, and the shape, and I am just thrilled to have this piece." Admission to 'Art in Bloom' is $10 for the public and free to museum members. The flowers will only be on display through Sunday, March 30. For tickets and more information, click here .
