October 12, 2012, Reading, PA – The night of Friday, October 19, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. ten city blocks around the city of Reading will be getting a surprise. The chosen blocks will literally light up with ten 11” x 14” handmade, wooden, collaged triptychs that will be set up on the sidewalks, each surrounded by glow sticks. This visionary project—ArtSpark— was conceived and brought to fruition by Susan Rehhausser, a graduate student in the Masters of Liberal Studies in Community Leadership at Alvernia University and Assistant Director of Volunteer Services at the Reading Hospital.

“Art sparks the imagination to action, art inspires and art is a voice,” comments Rehhausser. “The City of Reading is in need of all of this and more. My project is intended to be a tipping point or at the very least a potential ignition point to encourage people to make a difference and realize they have a voice and can be an agent of change for the City of Reading.” 

Over 100 children and adults from Alvernia University, the Children’s Home of Reading, the Teen Actors of Genesius Theatre, South Reading Youth Initiative and private citizens came together in a series of workshops run by Rehhaussser to create the 100+ triptychs that will be placed on the chosen city blocks. The blocks chosen are: 1200 Birch Street, 1500 Perkiomen Avenue; Quad at Alvernia University; 300 Summit Avenue, Millmont; 200 S. 4th Street; N. 11th and Penn Streets; 100 Walnut Street; 600 Crescent Avenue; Centre Park; Douglass and North 2^nd Streets; and 5th and Penn Streets.

“The triptychs were made from the hearts of all these individuals with a sense of community, a sense of love,” says Rehhausser. “They will be placed on these blocks with the hopes that those who need the words of encouragement or hope will find them, take them, and keep them as a symbol of change and inspiration. My hope is that people are inspired to make a difference in the City and maybe are inspired to make changes within themselves.”