Jeannette Receives Its Wings
Sobel’s Obscure Brewery Becomes Home to Wings Across Westmoreland’s Newest Art Piece
Westmoreland Cultural Trust is excited to announce that Jeannette will be the first town to receive a pair of wings from their Wings Across Westmoreland art initiative with an official unveiling Saturday, November 30. The piece celebrates the unique history of Jeannette and features prominent landmarks and emblems including the historic Manos Theater, the fire station, and Keynote Café. The wings, installed at Sobel’s Obscure Brewery, will be revealed at 4:30 PM at the start of Jeannette’s Sparkle of Christmas event celebrating the holiday season.
Jeannette Mayor Curtis Antoniak is proud to have the first pair of wings given to a town outside of Greensburg. “The city is honored to be included in Westmoreland Cultural Trust’s newest art initiative and to have its history celebrated in such a unique way. The wings are one of the many new endeavors taking place in Jeannette, contributing to the resurgence of our growing community.”
Sobel’s Obscure Brewery is excited to host the newest set of wings. Says Owner Jackie Sobel: “We are honored to be selected as Jeannette's location for Wings Across Westmoreland. The Jeannette community is so welcoming and embracing of growth and revitalization. Being selected as one of the first locations to receive the wings really shows just how much our community effort is succeeding on that goal. This event coincides with Jeannette's holiday parade and celebration, so we are very excited to share this reveal with our community. We hope the addition of the wings will help to continue the goal to make Jeannette a destination!”
Wings Across Westmoreland has truly been a community effort. Fejes Signs, a prominent business in the Jeannette area since 1985, has not only been hired to manufacture and install all of the wings for the initiative, but is sponsoring the set in Jeannette. Owner Robert Fejes remarks, “I’m grateful that I can give back to the town that has supported my business for over thirty years. Wings Across Westmoreland has been a great project to collaborate on, and I am proud to see it highlight what makes Jeannette special.”
Jeannette is just one of the towns around the county that will be receiving wings. In the upcoming year, Vandergrift, Mt. Pleasant, Ligonier, and Youngwood will become part of Wings Across Westmoreland with each town’s unique story and imagery featured on their own set of wings. Additional locations will be added as funding permits. Earlier this month, a pair of wings was unveiled at Overly’s Country Christmas, commemorating the history and tradition of the Westmoreland attraction.
In addition to Fejes Signs, Westmoreland Cultural Trust would like to thank Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners as part of Westmoreland County Local Arts Grant Program and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful for sponsoring the Wings Across Westmoreland project.
Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, says of the contribution: “Community revitalization is so critical, but resources are limited. When it comes to community improvement, a little can go a long way by coordinating investments with economic and community development already underway and then engaging local community organizations to nurture long-term community stewardship. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is honored to provide assistance with the development of this project and we look forward to seeing the artwork as a valuable asset for local residents.”
Wings Across Westmoreland was inspired by a piece from WCT’s Art in the Alley, an outdoor installation gallery located behind The Union Trust building on North Main Street in Greensburg. The original work, by WCT’s Incubator for the Arts artist Patrick Mahoney, incorporates elements from the surrounding area such as The Palace Theatre, the county courthouse, and other Greensburg locations. Over the years, the wings have gained popularity on social media through the hashtag #WCTWings.
