Artists create public murals in Erie region that add beauty, celebrate history

The cultural heritage mural along South Main Street in Union City, shown in an undated photo, is included on the PA Route 6 Public Art & Mural Trail.

Nicole Salgar, 40, at left, a Miami-based Latina muralist, with collaborators and local artists Sarah Howard, 53, center; and Katherine Peters, 20, at left, are shown, on July 6, 2022, in front of a section of Salgar's mural at West 11th and Weschler streets in Erie. The mural is the first of ten to be completed as part of Phase I of Erie Arts and Culture's and United Way of Erie County's Purposeful Placemaking project. The project will locate murals along identified Safer Walking Routes to designated community schools in the Erie School District. The mural features Salgar's interpretation of the neighborhoods she sees in Erie. "The community mentioned the number of houses with porches and how that creates a friendly, welcoming environment," she said. For more information about the Erie Arts and Culture mural project, and how to take park, visit bit.ly/Erie_Mural_Project_2022.

Esther Tregler, 101, is shown, on June 30, 2022, at the unveiling of "Sights and Sounds" a 48' x 9' mural by Erie artist Tom Ferraro that now decorates the north wall of Tregler's home on the southeast corner of West Third and Cascade streets in Erie. The idea for the mural, which covers a wall that was once covered in graffiti, began with a conversation between Tregler and Ferraro. The mural's name and the scenes depicted were inspired by Tregler's view from her window of Erie's bayfront as well as her experience playing the French horn in the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra. A group of eighth-grade students from Mother Theresa Academy in Erie, led by art teacher Samantha Nordlund, helped develop the idea. The project was a collaboration with Gannon University, the Our West Bayfront neighborhood group and KeyBank. The mural is one of three murals along Cascade Street on which Ferraro has collaborated.

A mural celebrating the 150th anniversary of the naming of Union City in 1871 is shown Aug. 28, 2021 on the south-facing wall of 28 S. Main St. in Union City. The mural was created by artists Tom Ferraro and Steve Mik with input from the community.

This mural, which celebrates the Corry and the Climax Manufacturing Co., which once operated in Corry, is shown, Sept. 14, 2020, on the south side of a building in the first block of North Center Street in Corry.

George Humes, 62, of Edinboro completed a mural, shown here on Oct. 8, 2020, on a garage owned by Dana Volkman on Route 6N in Edinboro. Humes first painted a Steelers mural on the garage 25 years earlier and spent two summers creating an updated version.

Erie artist Tom Ferraro installs a mural, on Aug. 5, 2020, at Pontiac Field in Bayview Park. The mural celebrates Erie's baseball history and Negro League baseball greats like Sam Jethroe and Satchel Paige.

Muralist Jason Mumford of Edinboro painted the mural on the railroad overpass on Sassafras Street in Erie, shown Oct. 17, 2020. Mumford was commissioned by nearby business Logistics Plus.

Work continues on a mural being painted on the west wall of Methodist Towers in Erie on Oct. 2, 2019. The mural depicts Rudy Daniels, a Methodist Towers resident.

Rudolph "Rudy" Daniels, 71, who is blind, is shown, Oct. 15, 2019, near the eight-story-tall mural painted on the west side of Methodist Towers, 160 W. 8th St., in Erie, where he lives. The mural was painted in his likeness by Elio Mercado, an artist from the Dominican Republic who goes by the name Evoca1. "I appreciate it," said Daniels. "(The mural) built my self-esteem up, 71 years. I feel good."

Shown on Sept. 11, 2020, a mural that honors Luther Manus Jr., 92, a retired Erie teacher and counselor, was unveiled earlier that month at Manus Sunoco, 26 E. 12th St. The mural, created by artists Ceasar Westbrook and Antonio Howard, was sponsored by Erie Arts & Culture.

The former Arnone's Bakery, located on the northeast corner of West 18th and Cherry streets in Erie, has been purchased by the Village at Luther Square. The building was photographed Sept. 7, 2016.

Artist Ehren Knapp, 40, of Erie, paints a mural at the Erie International Airport on Sept. 9, 2014. The 644-square-foot mural is a celebration of aviation in northwest Pennsylvania. The mural was unveiled on Sept. 26, 2014.

Artist Ehren Knapp is shown, Nov. 2, 2019, with the mural he painted at the Cascade Park Club in Erie. The mural is dedicated to William Galleur, who died in January 2018 and was a past president of the club.

Artist Mark Weber speaks, Oct. 27, 2017 during the unveiling of a mural he designed at the St. Martin Early Learning Center's playground in Erie. The mural was painted by area residents that attended the 25th Annual Erie Art Museum Blues & Jazz Festival at Frontier Park in August 2017.

Artist Tom Ferraro, left, joins twin sisters Zahraa, center, and Hawraa, 10, near a mural, background, they helped paint at the UECDC/Quality of Life Learning Center in Erie on May 9. Two other murals are displayed at Potratz Floral Shop & Greenhouses and at Rodger Young Park.

The mural, shown Nov. 2, 2019, at Rogís Inc., a rigging and crane service business located at 327 E. 18th St. depicts a group of eastside residents that artist Manolo Mesa met with before starting the mural. Mesa wanted to create a sense of community by painting people of different ages and of various cultures.

This mural, shown May 17, 2017, is titled "Setting the Stage for Erie's Future," and is located on the east side of the Erie Playhouse Workshop, 1158 E. 12th Street in Erie. The artwork was created by Erie artists Tom Ferraro and Ed Grout and was partially funded by Erie Arts & Culture. Officials with the arts advocacy group hope to raise $500,000 this year as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Arts & Culture Campaign.

This is a detail of a mural created by artists Ceasar Westbrook and Antonio Howard that honors Luther Manus Jr., 92, a retired Erie teacher and counselor. The mural is located at the Manus Sunoco at 26 E. 12th St.

Muralist Jason Mumford of Edinboro begins repainting the railroad underpass April 24, 2020 on Peach Street, just south of 14th Street in Erie. Mumford was commissioned by nearby business Logistics Plus, and said the mural will contain a hopeful message during the time of COVID-19, the new coronavirus. Mumford, who originally painted the mural in 2006, said the pandemic has had an impact on his business because many of his customers are shut down.

On June 22, Erie artist Ehren Knapp (in lift vehicle, at left), 42, and his nephew Caelan Knapp, 18 glue all-weather fabric panels to the east side of the former Skinner Engine Co. building at 337 W. 12th St. in Erie. In partnership with the Erie Art Museum, Erie Arts & Culture and the YMCA of Greater Erie, Ehren Knapp created and is installing a 25-foot-by-45-foot mural on the building celebrating Erie's industrial age.

The mural "Flotsam" is seen on the second-floor observation deck at Dobbins Landing, bottom center, at dusk near the Bicentennial Tower in Erie on Sept. 4, 2019. International artist Rafael Gerlach, known as SatOne, painted the mural.

Artist Rafael Gerlach completes a mural on the second-floor deck of the Bicentennial Tower, Dobbins Landing, in Erie on Aug. 14, 2019. Internationally known as SatOne, Gerlach, 42, worked between rain showers to complete the 12,000-square-foot mural, best viewed from the top of the tower.

The mural, shown Nov. 2, depicts Oliver Hazard Perry on the Brig Niagara during the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812 and was created by local artist Jason Mumford for Logistics Plus.

Artists Tom Ferraro, center completes a mural, July 30, 2020, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Erie in Millcreek Township. The 45-foot-long, nine-foot-tall mural features symbols and principles central to the Unitarian Universalist faith. The focal point of the mural, shown here at center, is a glass mosaic of the flaming chalice, an important UU symbol.

The artist Zedz, whose name is Ronald van der Voet, works on an abstract minimalist mural, Sept. 5, 2019, on the west side of the former General Tire building, 121 W. 12th St., in Erie. Zedz, 47, who is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, was commissioned by property owner Pete Zaphiris. Zedz expects to finish work on this 16-foot-by-82-foot mural, and another smaller mural on the east side of the building, by next week.

Erie artist Ed Grout applies a clear, sealing coat over his latest public mural, shown here in Erie on June 18, 2019. This mural, which is on the north side of Larry's Central Market, 1626 Sassafras St. in Erie, depicts scenes from Italy as well as Erie's Little Italy neighborhood and family members who own Larry's Central Market. Depicted in the mural here is Lidano Adiutori, who opened Larry's Central Market in Erie's Little Italy neighborhood in 1926. The mural was created by Grout, Tom Ferraro and Cathy Ferraro.

The mural, shown Nov. 2, 2019, at the Martin Luther King Center was painted by 50 west bayfront children ranging in age from 6 to 14 who enrolled in the center's after-school and summer programs. The 45-foot-by-20-foot mural includes musical notes from the song "Let the Children Sing," by Erie native Harry T. Burleigh, and was supervised by Erie artists Ed Grout and Tom Ferraro.

Artist Ehren Knapp painted a new mural, shown Nov. 2, 2019, at the Cascade Park Club in Erie. The mural is dedicated to William Galleur, who passed away in January of 2018 and was a past president of the club.

The mural, shown Nov. 2, 2019 at the former Palace Hardware building in the 900 block of State Street celebrates Erieís diversity and heritage and was created by artists Tom Ferraro and Ed Grout. The artists worked with more than 65 new Americans now living in Erie, as well as roughly 300 English as a Second Language students from Erie High School.

Mary Miller works on a mural celebrating Girard's history, on July 5, 2019, inside the York/Seaway building in Lake City. The mural will be hung on the side of a building in Girard located on the corner of Myrtle and Main streets.