Local news

Community and Culture: Three new murals added to city’s growing outdoor arts offerings through collaborations

LOCK HAVEN -- Two muralists along with Dripped On The Road brought cycling culture, local history and outdoor recreation together through three new murals at the Bike Gallery, Lock Haven Express and Vape Haven in downtown.

Area artists Margalo and Jappy Agoncillo completed two of the murals as part of a broader effort to add public art throughout the community, with Dripped on the Road's very own Denton Burrows and Jonathan Neville creating a third on the building that houses Vape Haven.

The Express spoke with Margalo and Agoncillo last week as they worked to complete their murals.

While each artist brings a different approach to the project, both said their designs reflect the culture and character of the area.

Jappy, a muralist originally from the Philippines who is now based in New York, said his design focuses on the cycling and outdoor recreation culture found in Lock Haven and throughout Pennsylvania.

"My idea behind it was to kind of highlight the bike culture here in Lock Haven, but also Pennsylvania," Jappy said. "And kind of like bring in that energy that is associated with action sports, outdoor sports and biking in general."

Jappy said the growing popularity of gravel racing in the area also influenced his design. With another gravel race planned for June of next year, he wanted the mural to connect with cyclists visiting the community for the event.

The mural is also intended to make visiting cyclists feel welcome while highlighting the community's connection to the sport.

"When people come here for that race, they can come here and see this is, you know, for them," he said. "It's all about the community and the culture."

Jappy said his interest in mural work began with skateboarding as a child. He was drawn to the artwork and graphics associated with the sport and began creating his own designs.

He is now in his 10th year as a muralist and has traveled throughout the country, including Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as in his hometown of Manila.

Margalo, who is in their second year of doing art full time, took a different approach to the mural chosen for The Express by incorporating elements connected to local history and the surrounding nature.

Margalo said the design was developed in part through a look at The Express' archives, including an article about former editor Rebecca Gross and photographs documenting her role at the paper.

The mural also incorporates historical references, including an anniversary element that Margalo adjusted to make timeless rather than tied to a specific year, cartoons and origami birds.

Margalo said the birds were an unexpected connection to the site, noting that the artist had not known birds were nesting in the vines surrounding the area before starting the mural.

Before pursuing art full time, Margalo attended Penn State, where they studied art history, before leaving school to focus on mural work.

The two artists were brought to Lock Haven through the team behind the community's ongoing mural projects. Jappy said Burrows and Neville have played a leading role in bringing artists to the area and coordinating the work.

Dripped On The Road is a traveling artist residency program for muralists and street artists and has been to Lock Haven multiple times. The program visits towns and cities across the U.S. to paint murals and engage with local communities.

This is the third round of murals that Dripped on the Road has helped coordinate since the city secured grant funding to bring the arts into the forefront of the community.

Burrows and Neville told The Express they love to return to community.

"It really feels like a second home now," Burrows said.

These three murals are part of an ongoing project overseen by Lock Haven City government since 2024. City Planner Abbey Kling notes the murals are part of the city's Active Arts Corridor along Jordans Alley.

"Active Arts Corridor. The goal of this corridor is to promote walking, biking, and other modes of active transportation along Jordans Alley and off the higher traffic state routes in the city. The corridor follows N. Hanna Street and Jordans Alley to 5th Street and will connect to the Bald Eagle Valley Trail (BEVT) in Castanea Township," Kling said in a release. "This connection will bring trail users to the City of Lock Haven for lodging and dining experiences."

The project has been funded by Pennsylvania Creative Industries, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth and powered by the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts; and a Community Engagement Mini-Grant from the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship which is made possible through the Trust for Civic Life and a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Kling said there were a number of other businesses and organizations the city wanted to thank for making this round of murals possible. They include: Action Equipment, Clinton County Economic Partnership, Clinton County Government, Lindsey Place, Millbrook Playhouse, Rusty Herlocher Auto Sales and Wise Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Center.

"A special thanks to The Bike Gallery, Lock Haven Express, and Vape Haven for working with the City of Lock Haven and artists on mural designs and implementation," she continued. "Even though the murals go up quickly, these businesses took time over the past few months to provide information and history, review designs, and coordinate with artists and city staff."

Roberts said the city will continue to apply for funding to develop the corridor, saying it will focus on roadway improvements in the future.

"Corridor and will be focusing on roadway improvements in the future. As the BEVT connects to the city line, staff will be working with Clinton County Government to extend the trail into the city," she said.

The city will also receive its final round of the multi-year Pennsylvania Creative Industries grant in July 2027. Kling encourages any commercial or residential property owners along North Hanna Street or Jordans Alley who are interested in having a mural placed on their building to reach out to her at akling@lockhavenpa.gov.