Lamp Theatre posters to be unveiled in Irwin

Eight scenes depicting Irwin’s history and landmarks past and present will be unveiled Friday when shadowboxes are illuminated on an exterior wall downtown at The Lamp Theatre.

The posters on the Lamp Theatre Community Wall will be revealed about 5 p.m. after a brief ceremony at 4:30, said John Gdula, president of the nonprofit that operates the historic theatre and concert venue at 222 Main St.

“We will power up the wall for the first time, with all the images in place,” Gdula said.

After the reveal, The Lamp will have a viewing of the classic Christmas movie “It’s A Wonderful Life,” starring Indiana-born Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.

Lamp officials hoped to have the project completed by mid-October, but Gdula said a series of setbacks delayed its completion.

The scenes include coal mines, the Pennsylvania Railroad Irwin station and the Lincoln Highway that ran along Pennsylvania Avenue in town. There also will be old movie posters of shows at the Lamp Theatre as well as a drawing of an usher who used to work there, Gdula said.

The idea for the shadowboxes originated in plans to replace a mismatch of wooden panels and siding on the wall that allowed cold air to leak into the theater.

Shoff Construction LLC of Irwin removed the siding, exposed the brick wall then resurfaced it. Weather-resistant faux brickwork was added, and the shadowboxes were installed on the new exterior.

The posters are printed on a polycarbonate surface that is stronger than acrylic, said Nick Benevento, sales manager for Laurel Print & Graphics of Duquesne, which is printing the posters. The translucent images will be backlit with LED bulbs, Benevento said.

The artwork was done by Greg Gongaware, a York-area artist who is a Larimer native and 1991 Norwin graduate. Gongaware’s art focuses on American history and the Civil War.