Ligonier To Receive Newest Pair of Wings from Westmoreland Cultural Trust
Westmoreland Cultural Trust is continuing to spread its wings throughout the county. As part of the Wings Across Westmoreland initiative, Ligonier will be receiving a new piece of art that highlights distinct cultural features of the surrounding area including Idlewild Park, the Diamond, and Compass Inn. The wings will be revealed on January 25 at 11 AM at their new home located on the Town Hall Building in downtown Ligonier.
Concurrent to this unveiling will be the 29th Annual Ligonier Ice Fest – a time-honored tradition that transforms the town into a winter wonderland. The festivities will include glittering ice sculptures from DiMartino Ice Company of Jeannette, sleigh rides, live music and more.
Wings Across Westmoreland was inspired by a piece of art in WCT’s Art in the Alley located behind the Union Trust Building on North Main Street in Greensburg. WCT Incubator artist Patrick Mahoney created the piece with iconic imagery of the city including The Palace Theatre and the county courthouse. Over the years, these wings gained popularity via social media by use of the hashtag #WCTWings. This inspired WCT to create a set of wings for other Westmoreland County cities to add beauty and art to the area and highlight what makes each town unique.
Jeannette was one of the first towns in the county to receive its wings, taking a permanent residence at Sobel’s Obscure Brewery. In addition, Overly’s County Christmas® displayed a pair of wings over the holiday season that celebrated the memories and magic of a beloved tradition. Moving forward, WCT has plans to expand Wings Across Westmoreland to Vandergrift, Mt. Pleasant, and Youngwood. Additional cities are expected to join the lineup at a later date.
Westmoreland Cultural Trust CEO, April Kopas, is proud to present the latest addition of Wings Across Westmoreland to Ligonier. “As one of the leading art organizations in the county, we strive to reach out to cities beyond Greensburg. Ligonier has a reputation not only a town with a rich history, but a town that promotes originality and embraces creativity. We are ecstatic to add another artistic attraction to this charming destination spot,” stated Kopas.
Ormond Bellas, Mayor of Ligonier, is similarly proud to have this new piece displayed in town. “We appreciate the recognition of Westmoreland Cultural Trust, and we are excited to take part in this project. This piece of art will be a treasured reflection of our history and what makes Ligonier a wonderful place to live and visit.”
Wings Across Westmoreland is made possible by funding from the Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners as part of Westmoreland County Local Arts Grant Program and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.