A new exhibit at Easton’s Sigal Museum will explore the history of the Lehigh Valley’s changing landscapes by featuring the work of regional artists juxtaposed with photographs of the same locations today.
Credit: Sigal Museum
“Warehouse Valley: A Changing Landscape” will open on Thursday, Sept. 26, and run through July 6, 2025.
“Warehouse Valley is very much an exhibit about our relationship with space and memory,” said the Sigal Museum’s Curator of Exhibitions, Tim Betz. “It looks at the landscape as a historical document which can be used to compare the past and present and learn more about the community.”
The exhibit features paintings by Walter Emerson Baum, Mary Maxwell McCartney and Gustav Grunewald, among others.
“We are looking at all sides of the current development boom,” said the museum’s Executive Director, Megan van Ravenswaay, “but some of the statistics we’ve learned during our research have been sobering. Is continued growth always positive? What is the impact on the environment and quality of life? … We hope this exhibition will foster important community dialogue about how our actions affect the world around us.”
Another new exhibit, “I Saw Easton the Way It Could Be: Tim Hare” will also open on Sept. 26 and run through July 1, 2025. Tim Hare (1947-2020) was an Easton artist and architect who became a driving force for historic preservation and community revitalization in the wake of urban renewal projects that transformed the city.
“Tim Hare reminds us all of the role we play in our broader community,” van Ravenswaay said. “We can use our voice and the power of peaceful protest to enact important change and advocate for issues that are dear to our hearts.”
A VIP reception for both exhibits will be held Sept. 26 from 4 to 7 p.m. Admission to the exhibits is free for museum members or $10 for non-members.
This local news story was reported with generative AI assistance.
