STEELSTACKS ART AND ARCHITECTURE TOUR

ArtsQuest and Historic Bethlehem Partnership will be serving visitors to Bethlehem by offering unique guided walking tours of the 150 years of American architecture at SteelStacks, as well as the public art and art exhibits that are part of this 21st Century cultural campus.
The 75-minute tour will feature art and architectural richness with examples of significant buildings erected as far back as the late 1860’s, in addition to public sculpture by local artisans. The trained guides will explore the history of the buildings and the emphasis is placed on learning how the architecture of the steel mills has evolved over time.

Visitors will start the tour with one of the earliest buildings on the former Bethlehem Steel site and now the oldest, the 1863 Stock House. Made fully of stone and brick, it was initially used to store raw materials in the iron making process.  Along the way, visitors will see the Bessemer Rail Rolling Mill, a “state of the art” facility and the first fully integrated steel mill in the United States, the 26,000 square food Turn and Grind Shop, the commercial style Steel General Offices, the new Leavitt Pavilion, the PBS 39 building and concluding with a tour of the ArtsQuest Center, home to a gallery, as well as a variety of permanent and temporary art.

Throughout the tour, visitors will learn about how in the early days of the 20th century, Bethlehem Steel became a major producer of structural steel and the wide flange beam, “the I beam,” which is now the logo of the company. It was said that 80% of New York’s skyscrapers contained structural steel produced by Bethlehem Steel. Being able to witness history in the making is what makes this tour different than any other.

The community’s commitment to bringing new life to the former Bethlehem Steel plant is also highlighted by the five large public sculptures at the SteelStacks campus. The art pieces featured on the tour will include the steel and fire sculptures designed by Elena Columbo, the “Bridge” and “Alchemy;” the handmade glass sculpture “The Four Elements;” the neon sculpture “Transformation” by Stephen Antonakos; and Salma Arastu’s “Celebration of Life,” a sculpture representing the joy of humanity and community.

The SteelStack Art and Architecture Tour will be on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sunday. The tours depart at 11 am, rain or shine. The tour will leave from the Visitor Center at SteelStacks 7 11 E. First Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015, and has a moderate walking distance. Tickets for the tour are $12 and are available online at artsquest.org and historicbethlehem.org or on the phone at 610-332-3378
 
For more information on the SteelStacks Art and Architecture Tour, please visit www.artsquest.org.