Published: November 13, 2009 11:29 pm      

Many curious about downtown sculpture

JOHNSTOWN — Like a crop circle mysteriously appearing in a farmer’s field, a pile of lumber sprang up overnight at the corner of Bedford and Haynes streets in downtown Johnstown.

“Whoever did it, did it in the middle of the night,” said Jerry Coco, whose family owns Yankee Shoe Repair, which is located just up the street from the mysterious wood pile.

The businessman had no idea what the creation was.

“When you find out would you let me know?” Coco asked.

Was it a sculpture – created by an unknown artist who saw it as a beautiful work of art? If so, the art community was left out of the loop.

“I have no idea,” said Rosemary Hagadas, executive director of the Community Arts Center of Cambria County in Westmont.

Could it be a pile of discarded garbage left behind by a contractor who thought the empty lot would be the perfect place to store unused lumber?

“We may have to dispose of it,” said Debbie Parish of Lamar Advertising of Altoona, which owns the property.

Was it the makings of a great bonfire – to be lit on a special occasion – perhaps to welcome visitors to the friendly city? That possibility had city firefighters concerned.

“When you have that amount of wood just strewn about, there’s always the potential for somebody to have a fire and we don’t want that,” said Tony Kovacic, Johns-town Fire Department chief.

Whatever it is, the pile of lumber had people scratching their heads.

“We’re just as curious,” Parish said. “We certainly didn’t put it there.”

Jim Cook, Rotary Club board member, said his club had an agreement with Lamar to use the location.

The group had an architect design a plan for a small park to be constructed in the spring. The wood creation was not part of the plan.

Finally, a Westmont Hilltop Middle School teacher and artist provided the answer.

“Yes, in fact, that is my work,” Norman Ed said.

“That is just a little free gift to the city.”

Ed said he is not insulted that not everyone understands his present.

“Is it art or is it not art? I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not the final judge. Each individual has to make that call on their own.

“Very honestly, from one point of view, it’s just a pile of wood.”

The artist, under the impression the property was owned by the city, built the sculpture with the help of some friends.

“It is a guerilla or covert action, if you want to call it that,” he said.

Ed said the piece is made from cribbing – used to shore up the roofs of underground mines. The material, he believes, makes the work more significant to this region.

He is not too concerned by the possibility that his labor of love may not remain near the busy intersection for long.

“It could just stay there as long as anyone wants it to stay there,” he said. “It was done in the spirit of giving and ... is not a permanent structure in any way.”

Ed pointed out that a flower does not last forever.

“It’s not like there’s a right way or a wrong way to enjoy a piece of art,” he said.

The artist just hopes that as long as it remains standing, passers-by will take notice.

“There is great beauty in the world all around us,” Ed said, “but some people don’t see it.”