Building a connection between members of a community takes much more than the physical infrastructure of a railroad trestle or a series of murals painted onto brick. While these are key components, such connections require an understanding of community-based development and a desire to create sustainable change. Thus, this project required an immense consideration and appreciation for the social context this initiative operates within, which will ultimately act as a major force in determining its success and sustainability. For this reason, this project seeks to pay homage to the era of industrial prosperity while bringing together both the Lafayette and Easton communities. The means by which we hope to accomplish this is through the collaboration of arts and engineering students from Lafayette.
The city of Easton, Pennsylvania has a long and rich industrial history, as well as a history of being home to an elite liberal arts college, Lafayette College. Since its founding in 1826, Lafayette College has been a faction embedded within the Easton community, for the most part operating independently on its own accord (Mission and History). Over time, the college’s values evolved and now reflect a dedication to community engagement and encouraging students to be both educated citizens and to pursue community-based learning experiences (Community-Based Learning and Research). As both a student of Lafayette College and member of the Easton community, even if it is for four years, it is important to immerse oneself in the community, as there are opportunities for learning and growth for students and community members.
Easton has a robust industrial history, much of which can be credited to its location at the fork of the Lehigh River and Delaware River. This natural capital aided in its emergence as a hub for industry and transportation (City of Easton – History). In the 1800s, Easton had a variety of industrial infrastructure, for example, a paint mill, flour mills, sandstone grinding mills, and most notably of all, the Simon Silk Mill (Condit, 1885, p.82). This history of enterprise and activity is incredibly valuable and gives the city both character and a unique story, which should be kept alive and shared with members of the community and visitors passing through.
Historically, artists and engineering students have had struggles collaborating. The Experiments in Art and Technology, E.A.T. initiative, for example, started in the late 1960s, and aimed to create technology which was “not the preconception of the engineer or the artist, but rather the result of the human interaction between their two areas” (Wisnioski, 2016, p.138). While this initiative had admirable intentions, much of the tension that occurred was caused by differences in attitudes between artists and engineers. However, this initiative seeks to mitigate those tensions and encourage open dialogue and creative conversation amongst students. One of the main reasons such a program could be successful at Lafayette, is because of the emphasis placed on a liberal arts education and the encouragement from Lafayette to engage community members across disciplines. Students at Lafayette are encouraged to pursue learning, not only across disciplines, but also to incorporate an interdisciplinary approach to solving problems and implementing solutions. Furthermore, this initiative will aid in bridging a gap that students may feel within the Lafayette community. As stated in an article published by the American Physiological Society, “institution-wide teamwork, demonstrates inclusion, and builds community amid students and colleagues” across an institution (VanRyn & Wehrwein, 2018).
Based on experiences shared by a multitude of students, there is often a divide present amongst students based on major, and most noticeably for arts and engineering students. Engineering students are known for late nights studying in Acopian Engineering Center, and arts students are known for trekking down College Hill to the arts buildings for long studio hours. However, many students do not realize the similarities they really have, and the potential they have to create a successful and sustainable community-based project. Both arts and engineering students must be creative and use an analytical mindset, but these skills are applied differently. Through initiatives such as this one, students are provided with the opportunities to explore new connections within their own discipline and to use their backgrounds to create works that exemplify the synthesis of two academic disciplines.
Another crucial component of this project is to encourage a town-gown relationship between Lafayette and the Easton community. A town-gown relationship, as depicted in Figure 1, is the rapport present between a collegiate institution and the town it is housed in. Town-gown relationships are categorically a tricky business, often described as “a source of difficulty, frustration, and annoyance, for both the town and the university” (Bruning, McGrew, & Cooper, 2006). This can be attributed to the invisible barriers institutions create surrounding their campus, which students are educated, eat, sleep, and interact within (Bruning, McGrew, & Cooper, 2006). However, through thoughtful programs and interaction, there is the potential to have a valuable relationship between the two entities. As stated by Dr. Lawrence Martin, Director of the Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Central Florida, “the linkage between universities that create knowledge, and communities that develop it and create incubators to find markets for creative ideas is getting closer–and towns that don’t tap into this synergy are at a competitive disadvantage” (Chenoweth, 2017). Furthermore, this idea of focusing on “supporting efforts that link the town and the college/university to a common destiny by enhancing the physical assets of the institution while concurrently preserving the heritage of the community” is said to improve town-gown relations (Bruning, McGrew, & Cooper, 2006). By choosing projects that highlight the heritage of the community, it lets community members know they are as much a part of the process as the students leading the effort and that the college values their heritage as a community. In the long run, this can have huge benefits as it has been shown that incorporating community members gives them a sense of pride and ownership over the project which will make it much more sustainable for years to come (Lucena, Schneider, & Leydens, 2010).
Figure 1: Town-gown relations. (Chenoweth, 2017)
Town-gown relationships are often described as a relationship “a lot like an arranged marriage that neither partner can end” (Gavazzi & Fox, 2015). Similar to marriages, with a great deal of work, dedication, and patience, they can be extremely rewarding, prosperous, and harmonious. There are many sources available to make an improved town-gown relationship possible for students working on these community-based projects. First and foremost, there is a wealth of faculty and staff at Lafayette that are very supportive of initiatives such as this, and furthermore have excellent ties and connections to the community to help facilitate these projects. Lafayette has two representatives on the Arts Advisory Council, including President Byerly, and Ed Ahart, who serves as a Lafayette College Board of Trustees Chair (Board and Advisors). In addition, there are staff such as Mary Wilford Hunt who has previously stated, “ I think there are many opportunities to display student artwork on campus, both on a temporary and permanent basis” (personal communication, November 16, 2018). With countless more people ready and available to help students to carry out such initiatives, all that is left for students to do is show some initiative and a genuine interest for bettering community ties through arts and engineering projects.
A contact who is extremely valuable for development of this initiative is Jim Toia, a professor in the art department, who also serves as a director on the Karl Stirner Arts Trail Board (Board and Advisors). Originally, an idea was proposed for arts and engineering students to collaborate on a project surrounding the installation of a new footbridge that would connect the KSAT to Simon Silk Mill. However, Professor Toia explained that the footbridge was already too far along in its construction for students to participate in the process, but suggested they take a look at an abandoned railroad trestle that can also be found on the KSAT. While at one time “lovers of nature would be sorry to see the beautiful [Lehigh] valley marred by the presence of a railroad,” in current times it has become a piece of history in Easton and many have come to admire what remains of the railroad trestle which is juxtaposition amongst nature on the KSAT (Condit, 1885, p.87). Another resource to help create a town-gown relationship is Chaz Hampton, owner of Brick + Mortar Art Gallery and Design Studio. Mr. Hampton is in a unique position to help students because he integrates many of the components of these proposed projects all together. First and foremost, he is a member of the community interested in preserving the historical heritage of Easton, which can be seen in his artwork. Secondly, he is a business owner in the Simon Silk Mill complex which is area these projects aim to integrate into both the Lafayette and Easton communities, and finally, he is very active within the Easton Mural Project. Professor McGuire, of the civil engineering department, is yet another asset who will be extremely helpful for students, especially those working on the railroad trestle project. He has already conducted a comprehensive structural analysis on the trestle and past students have already worked with him to create a plan to get it up to operational status. While much of the technical foundational work has already been completed by Professor McGuire and his students, this leaves the opportunity open for future students to approach the trestle in a more creative sense and to find a way to ensure they are beautifying it, honoring its historic heritage, and engaging the community with the social context in mind. These are just a few examples of the countless resources that students have available to them to make progress with these projects. This illustrates yet another aspect of these projects, that they encourage students to make meaningful connections with community members and to act as the manpower and glue that has previously been lacking in order to bring these projects to fruition.
In order for these projects to be successful, high levels of participation are required from students, faculty, community contacts, and community members, as this creates a sense of inclusivity for the projects being carried out. This concept of inclusivity also plays a major role in terms of who has access to the final deliverable of these projects. By preserving Easton’s heritage through murals, and refurbished railroad trestles, these are art installations that all members of the community can appreciate no matter their socioeconomic status. These all aim to include all community members and to make them feel united in their identity as Eastonians, rather than making people feel as if these projects are gentrifying or dividing.
Projects like the Easton Mural Project are also meant to “to improve the visual landscape of the City and to create opportunities for the promising artistic community” and create excitement in the community (Easton Mural Project). Similarly, these projects will give students the opportunity to engage community members about Easton and its history and allow them the opportunity to show off their work to a wide variety of people whether it is shown at the Silk Mill, on the KSAT, on the Lafayette Campus, or elsewhere in Easton. Art installations on the Lafayette campus could be especially beneficial as a study published by the Public Relations Review found “that individuals who had attended an event on campus were more likely to regard the university positively on the relational dimensions of trust, openness, investment, and commitment (Bruning et al., 2006)” The same goes for the railroad trestle on the KSAT, which will encourage a flow of people along the trail to explore what’s on both sides and maybe discover a new part of Easton they had yet to see, which could include Lafayette. It is just as important for these projects to reassure students that they are a part of the Easton community as it is for members of the Easton community to feel as if they are welcome on the Lafayette campus.
Figure 2: Young Masters Wall on the Karl Stirner Arts Trail (Young Masters).
When considering this initiative, it is vital to view the social context as one overarching social context, rather than identifying social contexts for each individual project. No matter the project, they are all surrounded by the same context and all aim to meet the same goals. This initiative places high priority on the relationship between arts and engineering students and the relationship between Lafayette and the Easton community. Furthermore, this capstone project aims to lay foundations for future work, as it is imperative that there is clear communication on what the goal of these projects should be and that students understand the potential impacts of their work. While a mural may seem like a trivial thing to some, or a bridge just appears to be a mass of metal welded together, there is much more at stake.
Making decisions without careful consideration for the community these projects would appear within could do more harm than good and create an even larger rift between the college and city and the people who live there. For example, Movies at the Mill is an event held at the Simon Silk Mill, which has the potential to be a great opportunity to bring the community together to enjoy a historic site in Easton (Movies at the Mill Easton). Mark Mulligan even stated in an interview with 69 News that VM Development “designed the entire site around the idea of doing a film festival there,” however, tickets ranged from $30 to $125 and did not prove to provide a very inclusive event for the community (Russo, 2018). This ties back to the concept that programs and events that aim to bring the community together should not limit the socioeconomic groups that can attend. While VM Development definitely wanted to cater to the desires of Easton who “really wanted an artist community” and wanted to create inclusivity with this project, they prevented large groups of people from being included (Russo, 2018). These kinds of events are what leads to the gentrification of communities, distrust, and rocky relations between a community and outlying entities such as a college.
The city of Easton has a rich industrial heritage which should be shared with community members and Lafayette students. Lafayette students should be proud of the city Lafayette is housed in and should be inspired to engage their neighbors on the hill. Through effective planning and implementation, students can be the necessary link to bridge the gap that has been missing for some time. These projects are more than installing a deck on an abandoned railroad trestle or painting a brick wall. They aim to take something, already full of history and life, and to transform it into the best version of itself for the community to join together around. When people in a community are proud of their community and care about its wellbeing, everyone is better off.
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