Public art mural coming to Jeannette

A large public art project is in the works for Jeannette.

But where the work will be displayed has not been decided.

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is planning a public meeting Tuesday to discuss ideas for the piece.

“There’s definitely an energy happening in downtown Jeannette,” said Anne Kraybill, The Richard M. Scaife Director/CEO at the museum.

The artist, John Van Hamersveld, will be in attendance at the meeting to take notes and create a design. Kraybill said the project could be completed next year.

The public art collaboration with Van Hamersveld was born after the museum received a grant for the project through the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, Kraybill said.

Van Hamersveld is a graphic design artist who created iconic album covers in the 1960s and 1970s. He gained notoriety with his “Endless Summer” poster advertising a film of the same name early in his 50-year career. As art director for Capitol Records Distribution Co., he designed album covers for the Beatles, the Grateful Dead, the Rolling Stones and others.

His artwork is on exhibit at the museum through Oct. 20.

“We’ve been wanting to do more work in Jeannette,” Kraybill said. “John definitely has a certain style and that’s going to be prevalent in his public art project.”

Van Hamersveld completed last year a huge mural in California that depicts local surf legends and a tribute to the City of El Segundo. The mural displays bright colors in the artist’s signature style.

Kraybill said Van Hamersveld has a knack for combining the past, present and future in his work. Original plans to have the mural displayed on the side of a building where an amphitheater is being constructed on Clay Avenue fell through, she said.

The mural meeting is open to the public and will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at You Are Here Gallery, 406 Clay Ave., Jeannette.