‘The Cloud’ rises in Bethlehem
Iron sculpture latest addition to ‘eclectic’ South Side outdoor exhibit
A blue and silver hunk of cast iron and steel now sits on the median at Third Street and Founder’s Way in Bethlehem; the stylized cloud sculpture is meant to hearken back to the plumes of smoke that once billowed from Bethlehem Steel.
Aptly named, “The Cloud,” the sculpture was installed this fall as the most recent addition to both the city’s wayfinding program and Urban Arts Trail. Bethlehem has been actively increasing signage and landmarks throughout the city to improve navigation and build up its public arts collection throughout the last five years.
“I think that the community is very happy with this arts evolution that the South Side has been experiencing,” said Darlene Heller, Bethlehem’s director of planning and zoning. “The South Side has always been the funkier side of town. It’s more eclectic. It’s always been that way.”
“The Cloud” was installed in late Octo
ber after months of collaboration between ArtsQuest, the city, Northampton County and British-American artist Coral Penelope Lambert. It sits near the SteelStacks outside the ArtsQuest Visitor’s Center.
“It’s made by the very same processes that took place at Bethlehem Steel: melting iron and casting iron and using molds,” said Lambert, who melts iron at temperatures up to 2,650 degrees Fahrenheit. “You’re taking something that’s maybe used to make manhole covers or engine blocks, and then using that process of molding to create more modeled forms.”
Lambert said she chose to sculpt the image of a cloud as a symbol of optimism: “Every cloud has a silver lining.” She said the sculpture also celebrates Bethlehem’s historic past while looking to the future.
“The Cloud” is meant to serve as a gateway sculpture as a complement to the city’s wayfinding program that began more than five years ago to make Bethlehem easier to navigate.
The program includes directional signage in downtown areas with the time it takes to walk specific routes, as well as information about historic city leaders. Bethlehem is moving forward with adding more pedestrian signs, as well as vehicular signs as part of the program.
Heller said artwork, such as “The Cloud,” will serve as a gateway to certain parts of the city. In this case, “The Cloud” signals to visitors coming off routes 412 and 378 that they are entering the SouthSide Arts District, which was created in 2015 as an initiative of the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation.
“As you’re coming off a highway to come into the city, the gateways are important,” Heller said. “They pretty much signify you’re going from a more arterial corridor to someplace that’s more urban, and now you’re entering an arts district. And it’s not necessarily giving people directions, but it’s really triggering the fact that this is a gateway to a new type of neighborhood.”
“The Cloud” was funded by a $50,000 Northampton County grant and an additional $12,500 from the city. It’s the newest of 37 sites of artwork along Bethlehem’s Urban Arts Trail, which spans 2.75 miles.
Prior to its addition, “De Borinken, Al Mundo,” a mural at Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley, was added in June to pay homage to baseball legend Roberto Clemente as a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his death.
HCLV chose Clemente for the piece mainly for his compassion, in addition to his talent as a sportsman. The mural also features a strip of 23 Latin American flags beneath the rendering of Clemente, which were painted by community members and children in Bethlehem.
The Urban Arts Trail has grown exponentially within the last five years. Before 2017, it included 10 works of art; it now has nearly 40.
A decorative bicycle rack project in 2017 was one of the first efforts at revitalizing Bethlehem downtown areas through the arts. The racks aimed at encouraging bicycle and foot traffic in the city.
In the five-year period from 2017 to 2022, there have been 27 additions to the trail, including “The Cloud.”
Heller said securing funding can be difficult for public arts projects, and their benefits aren’t always visible to the public, but still they exist.
Lisa Harms, senior director of visual arts and education for
ArtsQuest, said public art helps promote tourism and in turn brings money into the city as visitors eat at local restaurants and stay at nearby hotels.
“Individuals that we have coming in to look at public art through walking tours, or bike tours, they are going to then also support our local businesses,” she said.
Public art is also a way to amplify civic engagement, especially when local students are included in its creation or viewing, Harms said; it also also helps create a sense of identity in cities, like Bethlehem, whether it’s a celebration of residents’ Hispanic heritage, or an homage to the city’s industrial past.
“It’s a wonderful way to beautify our surroundings, but in a more impactful way,” Harms said.