BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Bethlehem native Chelsea Southard has been selected as the featured artist for the fourth annual Sculpture at SteelStacks exhibition, where her newest public artwork, Down the Line, will be unveiled Thursday, Oct. 9, at 4:30 p.m. outside the Bethlehem Visitor Center.
The annual exhibition, hosted by ArtsQuest, celebrates large-scale works that reflect the city’s industrial past and creative future. Southard’s sculpture, crafted from welded steel tubes and finished with a rusted patina, draws inspiration from Bethlehem’s history and the legacy of Bethlehem Steel.
The title Down the Line references the railroad tracks that once transported materials from the steel plant across the world — a symbol, Southard said, of connection and endurance.
“‘Down the Line’ is an etymological reference used for location and distance on a railway, Bethlehem Steel’s primary method of transport both in and out of the plant, now more commonly used as a measure of time,” Southard said. “This cascade of lines represents the changing trajectory of life, the geometry that emerges from the choices we make each day, every moment.”
Southard, who has worked professionally in metal fabrication and lighting design since 2014, is known for combining sculpture, sound, and light to explore human experience and interconnectedness. Her work has appeared in international art festivals and in residencies across Central America.
Southard is a graduate of Berklee College of Music. She integrates sound into her visual works, creating interactive, multi-sensory installations. In Bethlehem, she continues to preserve her industrial heritage through her work.
ArtsQuest officials said Down the Line embodies the spirit of the SteelStacks campus.
The sculpture will be available for purchase. Those interested can contact Lisa Harms at [email protected].
ArtsQuest invites residents and visitors to attend Thursday’s unveiling.
