HANOVER TWP., LEHIGH COUNTY, Pa. — Let's face it, air travel can be stressful.
But thanks to a new mural — a follow-up project to a collaboration between Lehigh Valley International Airport and ArtsQuest — passengers soon will have something pleasant to admire as they depart or arrive at the airport.
The second mural, expected to be unveiled in September, features calming shades of blue, purple and orange.
"It's interesting, a sort of fly on the wall, if you will."Allentown muralist Matt Halm
It's on a wall in the walk-through tunnel near the short-term parking lot of ABE.
"It's the last place outside the airport that people are," Allentown muralist Matt Halm said. "They come from their cars and get ready to go on their trip.
"Up there, the murals give them some kind of warm feeling on their travels. And it's the first place, if they park here, that they see when they come out.
"It's interesting, a sort of fly on the wall, if you will."
Like the first mural, which was completed last summer, it is painted by students from ArtsQuest's week-long summer art camp and taught by Halm, who drew both designs.
Have a safe flight
On Friday, a handful of students began canvassing the walls, using numbers to guide them, as passengers departing the airport rolled suitcases through the walkway, casually mentioning how neat it was to watch them paint.
The first mural, which features a splashy sign that reads, "You've got a friend in the Lehigh Valley"; makes references to beginning of airmail service at the airport in 1935.
With the second design, Halm decided to expand on that concept by incorporating a picture of the late Wilfred M. "Wiley" Post, Jr., former manager of the Lehigh Valley International Airport and, locally speaking, an aviation pioneer.
Nicknamed after Wiley Post, the first person to fly around the world in 1933, Wilfred Post was an Allentown native.
He helped the airport (then known as Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Airport) expand from one unit, used mostly for postal reasons, to a three-story modern terminal with runway space for propeller planes in the '50s and larger jet engines in the '60s.
'A Calming effect'
While the first mural was meant to welcome travelers to the region, the second version bids them farewell.
"This side has more of like the bon voyage, have a safe trip and traveling," Halm said.
The completed mural will depict a young flier looking out the window, excited to be going to a new destination.
"I think it does have to do with like that anxiety and the stress level of traveling and giving people a welcome, a warming distraction, and something to look at while they're waiting."Allentown muralist Matt Halm
The mural project was made possible by funding provided by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
In the past few years, art installations have become a trend, with murals popping up at busy terminals and grounds at Denver International Airport in Colorado; Tampa International Airport in Florida; Portland International Airport in Oregon; and Bradley International Airport in Connecticut.
"I think it does have to do with like that anxiety and the stress level of traveling and giving people a welcome, a warming distraction, and something to look at while they're waiting," Halm said.
"There's a lot of waiting around, so especially inside the airport, it becomes sort of like a calming effect."
Summer camp at ArtsQuest
Payton Bard, 13, first saw the Lehigh Valley's version while flying with her family to Florida (Allegiant Air is among four airlinesoffering non-stop flights to metro cities in the U.S.).
"I saw the mural and thought it looked so cool," Bard, a Wilson Area Intermediate School student, said.
"When I heard about that I could paint this [one], I asked my parents to sign me up."
In total, nine students signed up for the camp, held at the Banana Factory and airport.
"We have a couple more campers involved than we did last year and it's been great," ArtsQuest's Director of Education and Outreach Lisa Harms said.
"They spend the week with [Halm] at the Banana Factory learning how he goes about facilitating their roles, the sort of value of public art in the community, and then again it kind of culminates with them where they have the hands-on experience at the airport."
After the students complete their part of the design, Halm will make some final touches with help from airport staff.
