West Reading Avenues Winter 2020-2021 - 26

Arts & Culture in the Community
Muhlenberg Greene
Architects' Design Staff
Hand-Paint Pretzel Canvases
for Local Public Art Installation

L

ast fall, Suzanne Cody, of Muhlenberg Greene Architects,
attended the Mural Stroll and Dean's Way Dedication,
presented by Berks Community Murals' Mike Miller,
a muralist and Wyomissing schools art teacher. During Mr.
Miller's remarks, Dean was quoted to have said, " Public art
humanizes the built environment. "
Suzanne returned to her job at the Architectural firm and
shared Dean's statement. Architects are tasked with imagining,
creating, and improving the built environment - and Dean's
sentiment impacted the team at the firm.

It was agreed that if an opportunity to take part in a public
art initiative presented itself, the staff would try to participate.
More than a year later, Miller invited Cody to take part in a
larger-scale public art project, The Berks Pretzel Collection,
from Reutlingen to Reading.
The Berks Pretzel Collection public art project originated through
Reading's participation in a Street Art Festival in Reutlingen,
Germany (Reading's sister city). The project consists of a large
collection of small paintings, all inspired by a pretzel. The first
phase of the project's installation is slated for this weekend
and will be permanently displayed in downtown Reading at
645 Cherry Street.

24

Avenues Winter 2020-2021

About Berks Community Murals, and The Berks
Pretzel Collection, from Reutlingen to Reading
Berks Community Murals informs the public about collaborative
public art in the Greater Reading area and posts how to become
involved in current projects. Past projects have involved hundreds
of local citizens in public art projects found throughout the
Reading area.
In the Spring of 2019, Reading was invited to participate in
a Street Art Festival in Reutlingen, Germany (Reading's sister
city). In preparation for this festival, a local art project was
planned on the theme of a pretzel, thinking of its German
roots. Local artists and art students were invited to paint their
own version of a pretzel on a small piece of mural fabric. In
May of 2019, over 80 pretzel paintings went to Germany with
local artist Josh Brightbill, who installed them as part of the
festival. The paintings were well received and even displayed
in Reutlingen's Town Hall to help kick off the art festival.
In the Fall of 2019, Susanne Immer, an art teacher in Reutlingen,
contacted Reading and wanted to reciprocate on Reading's art
project by painting pretzels with her students. Immer was
planning to bring the paintings to Reading this summer, but
as with many plans...all was put on hold.
West Reading Avenues Winter 2020-2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of West Reading Avenues Winter 2020-2021
