Politics & Government

Borough Council Takes 'Opportunity to do Something Spectacular'

Emmaus Borough Council unanimously approves the Emmaus Mosaic Project at Monday night's council meeting.

"We have an opportunity to do something spectacular, something that lasts for generations. That doesn’t come along very often. We have an opportunity to do something here that is special."

That's how Emmaus Councilman Mike Waddell introduced a presentation on Monday night's borough council agenda unveiling the details of what is being termed the Emmaus Mosaic Project.

After the presentation, council unanimously approved the project, which would result in the creation of a mosaic mural on the rotunda wall of the Emmaus Public Library.

Two Emmaus High School teachers -- Regina Oster and Lisa Caruso -- came before council seeking approval for the project, which would bring together the Emmaus community, students from East Penn School District and Philadelphia mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar to create the mural. Zagar is known for his work in the Magic Garden in Philadelphia.

"This is a concept that’s been in discussion for over a year," explained Waddell, who had become familiar with the project through his involvement with the Emmaus Arts Commission and a presentation made by Oster and Caruso to his General Administration committee last week. "Last year, the East Penn art teachers met with an artist in Philadelphia and they got all fired up. And, a year later, they are still all fired up."

The teachers needed council's blessing for the project, since the library building is owned by the borough. The Arts Commission, Waddell said, is excited about the mural because the commission is talking about creating a sculpture garden in that area of the library property. "It has the potential to become an arts-focused area in this community," he said.

Oster and Caruso said their timeline for the project "starts tomorrow" and they anticipate a completed mural by the end of July 2014. The next step, they said, is securing donations for undertaking, ranging from monetary support to materials such as commercial tiles.

The teachers, along with the 11 other East Penn art teachers, created sketches of the mural that were shared with Zagar and also formed the foundation of mosaic vignettes that were on display during the meeting. Emmaus High School students were involved in creating the vignettes, just as students from all East Penn schools will be participating in the project in some way.

Council approved the mural by a 6-0 vote. Lee Ann Gilbert did not cast a vote in the matter, as she was serving as mayor during the meeting. Mayor Winfield Iobst did not attend the meeting due to illness. 


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