Bell celebrating Greene County unveiled
Liberty Bell design one of more than 100 celebrating Pennsylvania locations
A Liberty Bell sculpture painted with a tableau of historic Greene County sites and heritage was unveiled Saturday, the latest in a series commemorating next year’s semiquincentennial of the country’s founding.
America250’s Bells Across PA initiative taps local artists to design art pieces for 108 fiberglass bells that will represent the heritage of all 67 counties in the state.
“We kept it as an open book,” said Bri Farrand, director of branding and design for America250PA. “We want to make sure within the celebration that each of the counties can tell their own stories and their history.”
Nemacolin artist Danielle Nyland’s work honoring Greene County was revealed to the public Saturday afternoon during a ceremony at the Greene County Historical Society and Museum.
Nyland submitted her design three years ago for Greene County’s bell, which was sponsored by FirstEnergy. After learning she was picked in August, she spent the next month translating her original idea to the contours of the bell.
“As an artist from the area, being able to paint our county’s Liberty Bell feels incredibly special,” she said. “It’s a chance to celebrate both our history and the creativity that continues to thrive here. I wanted my design to reflect Greene County’s spirit, our deep roots, our hard-working communities, and the beauty of the landscape that connects us all.”
Reflecting the county’s mining heritage, the front of the bell is dedicated to the Nemacolin Mine, at one point the largest coal mine in the country.
Log cabins represent the early American settlers. To show the country’s agricultural side, Nyland added a barn — though because of restrictions on product placement, it could not advertise Mail Pouch tobacco on the side.
Animals round out the picture: a flock of sheep in the field for the wool industry that once led the country, and a rainbow trout heralding the county’s access to the Monongahela River.
“And on top, there’s just a little turkey vulture flying above the whole scene to reflect the nature and the wildlife,” Nyland said.
After Saturday’s ceremony, people crowded around the bell, snapping photos and inspecting the details.
“It’s definitely the most public piece of art that I ever had,” Nyland said. “So it’s pretty cool knowing that my art will be there and be seen by people not just from the county, but anybody who might be going and checking out all the bells across the state.”
Nyland painted with outdoor acrylics, which was paired with an automotive clear coat courtesy of the Greene County Career and Technology Center.
After the winter, the bell will be displayed outside on a concrete pad in front of the museum, said the museum’s Executive Director Matt Cumberledge.
“It’s really cool to have something like that by somebody local who’s really talented to display here,” he said.