Karl Stirner Arts Trail Celebrates Grace Gate

By Christina Georgiou

Sculptor Willie Cole talks about the inspiration for "Grace Gate" at the
work's dedication ceremony Tuesday afternoon. The design
is a stylized representation of his face, with his hands clasped
in a gesture of gratitude in front of it.


The Karl Stirner Arts Trail celebrated its newest art addition Tuesday afternoon, officially dedicating "Grace Gate", created by renowned sculptor Willie Cole. The event was attended by about 25 officials, members of the public, and art students.

The iron gate sits near the northern midpoint of the trail, which runs along the Bushkill Creek in the West Ward and Downtown neighborhoods of Easton, and marks an access point to the path from Easton Cemetery. To enter the Stirner Trail, one must traverse the tunnel that runs under Route 22, and step through Grace Gate, which will stay closed most of the time, as it's designed to keep motor vehicles out, but allow pedestrians to pass through.

The proximity to the cemetery influenced Grace Gate's design, Cole said.

"I thought about the tunnel and the entrance between life and death," he told the assembled crowd. "I enjoyed the fact too that the gate was not to stop people, but to stop cars."

The gate's design is in keeping with its name, the artist said.

"I was coming to the realization of the importance of giving thanks," Cole said, explaining that the work is a stylized representation of his face, with his hands clasped in a gesture of gratitude in front of it.

The eyes on the gate are open, because "I wanted to keep the play of light moving," he added.

"I would have loved to have created a gate on the other side too, to create a dialogue between the two. Maybe I'll raise the money and donate it to the city," Cole said.

The artist said in the short time he's been visiting Easton, he's come to appreciate both the architecture and atmosphere that is conducive to the arts community.

"I almost feel like I need to move to Easton now," Cole said.


Jim Toia, chair for the Bushkill
 Creek Corridor Council of
the Arts, talks about
"Grace Gate" at the
dedication on Tuesday.

 Cole, who is best known for his transformations of ordinary domestic objects, has been exhibited at a long list of major museums and other public venues across the country, including the Musuem of Modern Art in New York City. A New Jersey native, he lives in Minehill, NJ, near the Delaware Water Gap.

Jim Toia, chair for the Bushkill Creek Corridor Council of the Arts and an art teacher at Lafayette College, praised the work.

"The fact that you can step right through this gate, which sort of defies what a gate is about, is really great," he said. "When Willie came up with the idea for the gate, I looked at the drawing, and I thought, 'Wow, this is really minimal.' But after more talking, it became deeper and deeper. He was right, and what we have behind us is a testament to that."


Sculptor Willie Cole, right, chats with Karl Stirner.

 Toia also said more art is set to be added to the arts trail this summer, including a work by Easton artist Karl Stirner, for whom the nature path is named.

Mayor Sal Panto also praised the work and said he's excited to see the trail area populated with "good art" instead of graffiti.

Athena Barat, sings
"Amazing Grace".

"I don't know what good art is, but we know what bad art is," he said.

Adding an artistic note to the formality of the Grace Gate dedication, in a musical sense, the celebration was punctuated by two acapella  songs by Cole's friend Athena Barat, including the aptly chosen, "Amazing Grace."



Grace Gate, as seen from Easton Cemetery.