The final artistic components have been applied to the highly anticipated Masten Park mural called “Ray of Light”. The glass mosaics created by McElf GlassWorks now grace the Masten Avenue entranceway to the park. The mosaics were created in tandem with a mural painted by artist Augustina Droze. The public work of art was commissioned to honor the life of of Jerald (Dee Dee) Goldsmith, the mother of seven who was found murdered in Masten Park last October.
Ever since this work of art started, I have found myself taking my dog to Masten Park to get some exercise. It’s a great park that has a ton of potential. First of all, it’s located directly across from the Masten Avenue Armory and just down from City Honors School. Second, it’s got a ton of amenities that include a splash pad, a playground, a pool, a jogging track, changing rooms, four basketball courts, and a softball diamond. Thirdly, it bounds the Johnnie B. Wiley Amateur Athletic Sports Pavilion.
The park has needs though. As much as it initially appears to be in pretty good shape, there are some easy fixes that should be conducted right away. Some of the park benches are broken, which is a sign of neglect. I didn’t see any bike racks, which is unfortunate. Also, there is a super dated and faded mural that could use a redo.
The Ray of Light Mural is a great first step towards adding life and vibrancy to this park. Getting to this park from Elmwood/Allentown area is easy breezy. Each time that I have paid a visit in recent weeks, I have found the grounds relatively unfrequented. There’s so much potential, which unfortunately took a tragedy to realize. Last evening my wife accompanied me on my regular jaunt to the park. After playing around with our dog for a while she exclaimed that there was something very special about the park, and wanted to come back again the next time I was planning an outing. She loved the mural, the elevated park setting, and a gated area (on three sides) towards the back of the park where our dog could run freely without having to worry about cars.
A park is what you make of it. In the case of Masten Park, there is limitless potential to continue on with these initial artistic efforts that have already provided one family with a newfound affinity for a relatively unfamiliar public park setting.