Piano Alley invites walk down Jasper’s musical history
Source: Dubois County Free Press
With a call to a historic business that helped build Jasper, the newly christened Piano Alley was celebrated Tuesday afternoon.
Rounding out the aesthetic improvements and walkability of Jasper’s Downtown, the musical corridor created in the southeast alley invites pedestrians for a stroll along the colorful keyboard. Each piano key progresses into the wall of the nearby building. The colors flow up the wall into carefree swirls framing a special photo opportunity in the center: an inviting arch featuring an adage from Hans Christian Andersen, “Where words fail, Music Speaks.”
From the Square, a donated and restored Kimball piano sits ready to be played if someone is so inclined. A plaque now adorns the wall at the entrance to the alley describing Kimball International’s legacy in pianos and electric keyboards. A timeline shows the impact of Arnold F. Habig’s decision to purchase the Chicago-based W. W. Kimball brand in 1959.
That purchase spurred growth in the piano and electronic organ business for The Jasper Corporation. By 1969, the Kimball brand was on top of the global piano market. It led to the creation of Kimball Electronics, through which the company tapped into the home market and created a stepping stone to the establishment of Kimball International as a leader in office furniture manufacturing.
“The Kimball Piano has left an indelible mark on the cultural fabric of Jasper and the surrounding regions,” said Kate Schwenk, executive director of Heart of Jasper. “Our aim was to showcase the rich history of the Kimball Piano and the impact that it’s had on this community.”
Paid for through donations from Kimball International and Kimball Electronics as well as a grant from the Dubois County Community Foundation, the project bringing this alley to life is a collaboration between the Community Foundation, Heart of Jasper and the City of Jasper as well as the Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement and the students and faculty of the U Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design.
Design and execution were completed by IU students Hayden Grider and Katie LaTorre. Grider admitted this was his first piece of public art, though he had been working on projects online for a while.
“Having that art on your screen actually be up on a wall that is probably 20 feet tall and 60, 70 feet wide, it’s pretty surreal,” Grider said.
The group worked on the project with Eskenazi faculty and ServeDesign Director Jon Racek. He pointed to the importance of placemaking for communities.
“Placemaking is the idea of creating places people want to be,” he said. “I think Jasper has been a leader doing this kind of work, and we’re happy to contribute.”
Nicole Lampert, Director of Community Development & Communications at the community foundation, noted the mural completed by IU students Hayden Grider and Katie La Torre was to be commended during the unveiling on Tuesday. “We are so grateful,” she said during the gathering.
Grider and LaTorre worked together to create the design. After which, the pair spent the summer visiting Jasper during the process. After chalking the design on the walkway and walls, Grider and LaTorre worked with fellow students to paint and bring the design to life.
Read more about the team from Eskenazi's ServeDesign Center
Corie Eckerle, a Jasper resident and art teacher at North Spencer, was commissioned to turn the donated Kimball Piano into an art piece as well. With another nod to Jasper’s history, the group chose the color of jasper stones — the City of Jasper is named after the jasper walls described in Revelation 21-18. Eckerle took that foundation and created a whimsical art piece.
Going to her elementary school roots, Eckerle chose a design that let people know the piano could be touched and played.
“They wanted it to be musical and inviting for people to come play it rather than just look at it,” Eckerle said.
The Piano Alley project and the Astra Alley mural completed in the adjacent corner both help accomplish the Heart of Jasper’s mission of creating a unique small-town experience for all. “One of our goals with the downtown renovation was to activate the alleys,” Schwenk said.
For Piano Alley, Schwenk said the piano is an added element that works as an activation piece that attracts people downtown.
She added that the collaboration between the students and other partners in Dubois County greatly enhances the opportunities for further placemaking projects. “I think that is kind of what it is all about,” she said. “Collaborating with different groups and getting things done and just being open to new possibilities.”
In a potential second phase for Piano Alley, the groups are exploring whether it could have an even broader musical impact, with the keys in the alley activating audible musical notes as pedestrians walk through.
The alley and piano are available to explore now, along with Astra Alley and the four new gathering spaces around the Square.
The city and its partners will also celebrate the near completion of the Downtown Renovation and Revitalization project with a ribbon-cutting Friday evening at 5 p.m. The event is open to the public. The ribbon cutting will take place on the west side of the Courthouse and will include a short performance from Jasper High School’s marching band. Handicap-accessible parking is available at the parking lot next to City Hall.