A new piece of public art in the area has been sparking conversation on and off the internet.
The piece in question is a metalwork sculpture commissioned by the Oil Region Alliance (ORA) to serve as a gateway near the Oil Region National Heritage Area’s northern border and to replace the wooden derrick erected along Route 8 in Titusville in 2009 for the Oil 150 celebration, which fell into disrepair and was torn down more than five years ago.
Artist Adam Stempka, of Stempka Designs in Erie, produced the piece based on his winning submission during an open call for proposals in the fall of 2024.
“The Oil Region Alliance sought to create a gateway that will stand the test of time at the Route 8 South entrance to the historically significant city of Titusville and the National Historical Landmark Drake Well itself,” said ORA Heritage Program Manager Abigail Watson-Popescu. “This gateway sculpture represents all of the best attributes of the ORNHA from our world-changing oil heritage to our burgeoning reputation as an outdoor recreation hub.”
Stempka’s design is a 15-by-15-foot Corten Steel structure that mimics oil derrick and pumping jack design, and also incorporates references to the area’s scenery and wildlife with trees and bears and outdoor recreation offerings with silhouette cutouts of a cyclist, angler, hiker and kayaker.
The material is “designed to patina over time to have that oil region look,” Stempka said of the sculpture’s finish.
“This commissioned gateway sculpture is hopefully the first of other projects we hope to do in other gateway communities in the Oil Region,” said ORA President and CEO John R. Phillips II. “Adam did an amazing job capturing what the Oil Region National Heritage Area has to offer our residents and visitors and pays homage to our history all in a very striking and long-lasting piece of artwork.”
The sculpture is bolted into a foundation on city property near a replica gas station and wall of oil heritage displays. It arrived from Stempka’s studio in pieces on a flatbed trailer and was welded into place on site.
“We would like to thank the artist Adam Stempka for his enthusiasm for the region as reflected in his masterful sculptural representation, as well as Scott Brown and the City of Titusville for their hard work and avid support of this project,” Watson-Popescu said.
Landscaping, lighting, and a dedication sign acknowledging the funders are finishing touches that will be added soon.
Funding for the gateway was provided in part by grants from the National Park Service and the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The ORA is planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony later this month to officially commemorate the project.
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