Cultural Trust plans 'Wings Across Westmoreland' installation

A pair of wings that are part of the Westmoreland Cultural Trust’s Art in the Alley public art exhibit in downtown Greensburg may soon spread to other county locations.

Created by the Trust’s Incubator for the Arts artist Patrick Mahoney, the wings are a popular selfie site and regularly appear on social media through the hashtag #WCTsArtintheAlley.

“People come through and it brightens their day. Everyone comes down to take photos and seems to appreciate it. I hope that sense of pride translates to other small towns,” Mahoney says.

Everytime a RuggedAngel gets her wings... #wctsartinthealley pic.twitter.com/uQw1IEO42X

— The RuggedAngel Cast (@RuggedAngelCast) April 13, 2018

Through a new project, “Wings Across Westmoreland,” Trust officials anticipate more wings will appear in several communities by mid- or late summer.

The project is part of an effort to bring art and awareness to different towns and bring other Trust programs to those areas.

Mahoney’s wings include significant local locations in their span. Look closely and one can see The Palace Theatre’s marquee, the county courthouse and White Rabbit Cafe’s logo.

First painted on canvas, the 46 x 97.5-inch wings were then photographed, enlarged and printed on vinyl. They were adhered to a metal sheet and cut before being hung in the alley.

“It’s a proven fact that art improves community. We are very much looking forward to spreading our wings across Westmoreland,” says Kelli Brisbane, the Trust’s director of corporate engagement and events.

Taking wing

Locations where community leaders have expressed interest in a pair of wings include the town hall courtyard in Ligonier, the West Overton Museum in East Huntingdon, Sobel’s Obscure Brewery in Jeanette, Vandergrift’s Casino Theatre, and undetermined locations in Latrobe and New Kensington.

Like their predecessor, each piece of artwork will represent its community of installation. Suggestions of landmarks and iconic buildings to be incorporated into the artwork are being accepted on the Trust’s Facebook page.

A Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation grant is providing partial funding for the project.

Community partners and businesses interested in donating to the initiative can contact Brisbane at 724-836-1123, ext. 255 or at kelli@wctrust.net