The Tamaqua Arts Center has announced a new mural installation, “Greetings From Tamaqua,” that will color the west side of the 100 block of Pine Street on the side of St. Luke’s Tamaqua Medical Plaza, which is located next to St. John’s United Church of Christ.

“We wanted to create something that reflects who we are and our attitude of what can be. Everyone from Tamaqua has memories of going to Heisler’s or the Bungalow, and new residents quickly connect to the train station, playgrounds and library, too,” says Kyle Whitley, co-director of the Tamaqua Arts Center.

The mural, which calls to mind a vintage postcard, summarizes the culmination of the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership’s 2022 strategic plan. During the brainstorming and feedback process, which dates to 2020, the “Choose Happiness” theme emerged and became its own marketing brand that drove the process.

Spelling out Tamaqua, the first letter T shows Donnie Serfass, semiretired from the Times News, who is involved in the community.

The first A shows the Tamaqua Raider Band parading in Disney with the castle in the background.

The letter M shows the depot.

The next letter A features Dr. Joanne Calabrese of St. Luke’s.

The Q depicts an artist’s rendering of a Tamaqua streetscape project to fully develop all floors of the buildings in the commercial district.

The letter U shows the Tamaqua Bungalow pool and the final letter A shows pharmacist Lee Shafer as he introduces young readers to a copy of ‘A Hill to Climb,’ a local history in hardback published the late Ruth A. Steinert.

“The mural as a whole is the image and identity of our town, showing a bird’s-eye view of Tamaqua and the southern mountains,” Whitley explains. The piece connects all the themes of the Tamaqua Choose Happiness project and plan, which are depicted in the letters: food, arts and music, history, health and wellness, economic vitality, sports and recreation, and learning. Residents and visitors are encouraged to stop by take a selfie and post it to their social media using the tags #GreetingsFromTamaqua #TamaquaArts #TamaquaChooseHappiness #myStLukes #RuralLISC.

The mural and its design are made possible through the support and partnership of Rural LISC, St. Luke’s Miner’s Campus, the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership, Tamaqua Choose Happiness, and The Genetti Family. More information about the Tamaqua Arts Center can be found at TamaquaArts.org and Choose Happiness at choose-happiness.org