The Arts Council of Greater Morgantown is overseeing the fabrication of a new public art addition in Star City.
Located across from the Edith Barill Riverfront Park, two patriotic crosswalks will now embellish the streets of Star City. The mural project was coordinated through the efforts of Steve Blinco with the Star City Council, who approached ACGM for connections to artists and funding. Through a collaborative effort, ACGM and Blinco connected with local artist Danielle Rudash to design the crosswalk and fabricate the work. The public art addition will be completed within the coming days.
This project was made possible through the Organizational Arts Grant, a grant programming initiative coordinated through Your Community Foundation (YCF) and the ACGM. The Organizational Arts Grant is comprised of funds from the Douglass Tanner Fund, The City of Morgantown, and the Monongalia County Commission. With these appreciative financial contributions, the program can allocate funds to local art organizations and organizations with art-based missions. For the 2022 period, the Organizational Arts Grant awarded $169,700 to local organizations to expand art programming and projects.
Artist feature: Tanners Alley
Located at 416 High St., Tanners Alley Leather has been a well-known community partner and business for years. Tanners Alley is an artisan storefront that produces and sells high-quality, handmade leather products. The store is operated under the creative efforts of Charles “Charlie” McEwuen and Joanna Bartone.
McEwuen taught himself how to craft leather goods while serving with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell. The requests and feedback he received while serving led him to the direction of opening the first storefront of Tanners Alley in 1976. The space was a 6-foot storefront, taking form more as a walled-off alleyway on Walnut Street. McEwuen has been a beloved artisan in the community for more than 40 years and his work speaks directly to his impeccable talent.
Bartone began her journey with McEwuen as she expanded her love for the design and construction of unique pieces. Bartone started her professional career in theatrical accessories, receiving a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in costume construction, which led to her works being used in a variety of productions.
To learn more about Tanners Alley and the products they design and create, please visit their website https://www.tannersalleyleather.com or stop by their storefront on High Street.
Get connected to the creative community
The Arts Council of Greater Morgantown (ACGM) is your local resource for arts information and opportunities. Here at the ACGM, we aim to advance the arts and enhance the community by encouraging investment in imagination, infrastructure, and invention. Please check out our website artsgm.org or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @theArtsCouncilofGreaterMorgantown.
Want to stay connected? Email Jordan@artsgm.org to be added to the ACGM Creative Network mailing list! Also, donations to advance the Arts Council can be made through the donation tab located at artsgm.org.
