HANOVER TWP., LEHIGH COUNTY, Pa. – Let’s face it, air travel can be stressful.

But thanks to a new mural—a follow-up to a collaboration between Lehigh Valley International Airport and ArtsQuest—passengers will soon have something beautiful to admire as they depart or arrive at the airport.

The second mural, expected to be unveiled in September, features calming shades of blue, purple and orange.

It is located on a wall in the passage tunnel near the ABE short-term parking lot.

“It’s the last place outside the airport where people are,” said Allentown muralist Matt Halm. “They get out of their cars and get ready for their journey.”

“Up there, the murals give them a warm feeling as they travel. And when they park here, it’s the first thing they see when they come out again.”

Micaela Hood

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LehighValleyNews.com

“It’s interesting, a fly on the wall, if you will.”

Like the first mural, completed last summer, it was painted by students at ArtsQuest’s week-long summer art camp and taught by Halm, who drew both designs.

I wish you a safe flight

On Friday, some students began painting the walls, using numbers as a guide, while departing passengers rolled suitcases down the aisle and casually mentioned how great it was to watch them painting.

The first mural features a prominent sign reading “You have a friend in the Lehigh Valley,” referencing the introduction of airmail service at the airport in 1935.

Micaela Hood

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LehighValleyNews.com

For the second design, Halm decided to expand on this concept by incorporating an image of the late Wilfred M. “Wiley” Post, Jr., former manager of Lehigh Valley International Airport and known in the region as an aviation pioneer.

Wilfred Post, nicknamed after Wiley Post, the first person to fly around the world in 1933, was from Allentown.

He helped the airport (then called Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Airport) expand from a single unit used primarily for mail purposes to a modern, three-story terminal with runways for propeller aircraft in the 1950s and larger jet engines in the 1960s.

“A calming effect”

While the first mural was intended to welcome travelers to the region, the second version bids them farewell.

“On this page it says something like ‘Have a nice trip’, ‘Have a nice trip’ and ‘Travel’,” said Halm.

The finished mural shows a young pilot looking out the window, excited about reaching a new destination.

The mural project was made possible by funding from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

In recent years, art installations have become a trend, with murals popping up in busy terminals and on the grounds of Denver International Airport in Colorado, Tampa International Airport in Florida, Portland International Airport in Oregon, and Bradley International Airport in Connecticut.

“I think it has to do with the anxiety and stress level of traveling and giving people a welcome, a warm distraction and something to look at while they wait,” Halm said.

“You have to wait a lot, so it has a calming effect, especially inside the airport.”

Summer Camp at ArtsQuest

Thirteen-year-old Payton Bard first saw the Lehigh Valley version when she flew to Florida with her family (Allegiant Air is one of four airlines that offer nonstop flights to major U.S. cities).

“I saw the mural and thought it looked so cool,” said Bard, a student at Wilson Area Intermediate School.

“When I heard that I could paint this one, I asked my parents to sign me up.”

Daniela B.

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LehighValleyNews.com

A total of nine students registered for the camp, which took place in the banana factory and at the airport.

“There were a few more campers than last year, and it was great,” said Lisa Harms, ArtsQuest’s director of education and outreach.

“They spend the week with (Halm) at the banana factory learning how he supports their roles, the value of public art to the community, and then comes the climax where they get hands-on experience at the airport themselves.”

After the students complete their part of the design, Halm will make some final touches with the help of airport staff.