Reading Is Ours: A Folk Mural Of Reading, PA
By Andrew Pochan
Schott Productions commissioned artist and fellow filmmaker Andrew Pochan to create a mural depicting Berks County’s historical characters and events. “Andrew’s whimsical mural and paintings brought a playfulness to the film that reminds us that we should never take ourselves too seriously, even when we’re making history! The mural reminds me of the old PBS show Where’s Waldo. Everytime you look at this painting you will see something new!” – Tracy Schott, Filmmaker
The mural can be viewed at its permanent installation on the Hot Glass Building at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts.
See key to discover all the stories hiding inside the mural.
Artist Statement
“Any town in the world has people living in it. Reading, PA is no different. It has a name like any town in the world, even though most of the world mispronounces its name. Perhaps you just did. (it’s ‘Red-ing’ for the record, now you can look smarter as you lose that game of Monopoly) It’s the word ‘read’ in the past tense, which is how many people view this town. It has a history like any other town in the world, even though most people take for granted that they themselves participate in it on a daily basis. And that’s where this mural’s life begins. With its poetic jigsaw of architecture, cars, people and trees resembling nothing short of an abuse of chronological order, the past and present intermingle every moment in this town. I just added a potential glimpse of the future, forever dating myself in the process. History is past, present and future, and that’s what this mural is. It just takes place in Reading, kind of like you at the moment. Reading is Ours: a folk mural of Reading, PA is the fairy tale that this town will always be. You just have to believe.” by Andrew Pochan *Assisted by Nadia Pochan, Noah Heslop, Jane Ney, Gregory Pochan