SCRANTON, Pa. — If you've gone down Penn Avenue behind the Lackawanna County Government Center in Scranton, you may have seen Denton Burrows and Jonathan Neville with a brush or spray can in hand. The two artists were commissioned by the county to turn seven blank panels into works of art.
"This was something we kind of inherited that definitely needed a little love to make it just look more fun, friendly, and positive and vibrant," said Maureen McGuigan, Lackawanna County's deputy director of arts and culture.
The theme showcases the county's past, present, and future.
Over the past few days, the artists have spent hours painting line by line, and panel by panel, hoping to give people who pass by something they could appreciate.
"It's definitely a lot. It's definitely more corrugated metal than we've ever done. But we love what we do, so you know we work long hours and have fun and try and see a little bit of Scranton and meet everybody," Denton Burrows said.
"A lot of people stop. We get beeps from the horns, yell out the window, and it's really nice. That's part of the reason why we do it. It's an addicting feeling to be thanked for what you love to do," Jonathan Neville said.
Bern Giovannucci's floral shop is right across the street from where the artists are working. She loves watching the progress.
"You sit, and you look, and then he takes back. He looks back. He'll go over, and he'll put like this little detail in and make a big difference," Giovannucci said.
County officials and the artists worked to put a different part of Lackawanna County's history in each panel.
"I got to do the research on a lot of the industrial history is granted, and it's definitely very interesting, and we have to go to some of the museums and stuff like that as well," Burrows said.
"It's history, but it's unique," McGuigan added. "The design is just so unique. It captures in a new way."
The artists say as long as the weather cooperates, they expect to have the mural finished in two weeks.
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