BOOK
BENCHES
Penns Valley Herbal History Past and Present
Artists: Karl Leitzel and Abby Minor
Location: Old Gregg School, 106 School Street #209, Spring Mills, PA 16875
The front of the bench depicts the generalized regional habitats and some of the medicinal plants to be found in each habitat, with brief descriptions of medicinal qualities. The back depicts monarch butterflies and pollinator bees on Echinacea flowers. The design allows viewers to enjoy the beauty of and also to learn about aspects of important medicinal plants and to connect to aspects of the area’s geology, geography, topography, flora, fauna and local culture.
This bench respects the interest Karl and Abby have in the relationship between them as human beings and the flora of our region from a medicinal perspective. They were interested in the opportunity to create public art and gratified to see the gorgeous final project installed in the Food Centres Garden in Spring Mills.
About the Artists:
Karl Leitzel Karl Leitzel grew up in the Penns Valley area of eastern Centre County where he still lives. He has been a professional artist and sign painter most of his life and is currently the managing partner and a resident artist at the Green Drake Gallery and Arts Center in Millheim, PA.
Abby Minor Abby Minor is a life-long resident of Central Pennsylvania’s ridge-and-valley region. She is an alumna of The Rensing Center’s Artist in Residence Program, a graduate of the MFA program in Creative Writing at Penn State, and a maker of poems, paintings and quilts. Since 2012 she has directed Being Heard, a creative writing program that honors the voices and imaginations of Centre County’s Elders.