Photography & Artwork:

I’m an artist based in Annapolis, originally from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Growing up in Bethlehem Township, I learned about the legacy of Bethlehem Steel. I lived in the city as the factories were shutting down and later attended Lehigh University. I heard stories from the men who had worked there and came to understand the profound cultural and economic impact the steel industry had—not just locally, but far beyond the hill-to-hill bridge and the Lehigh Valley.

Are the generations that came after the factory’s closure like the trees and rust growing on the stacks? We couldn’t exist without the foundation they provided. We couldn’t thrive if they hadn’t been there first. And the stacks wouldn’t be as compelling without the growth and change surrounding them. Bethlehem has only grown stronger with time.

No matter where I go, I’ll always carry a piece of the stacks with me.