New Mural Installations At Philadelphia Premium Outlets Celebrate Montgomery County's Iconic Landmarks And Family Fun

The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board (VFTCB) has announced two new mural installations at the region's premier outlet shopping destination, Philadelphia Premium Outlets, located in Limerick, PA.

The first mural, located by the Brooks Brothers entrance, focuses on Montgomery County's most iconic landmarks: Valley Forge National Historical Park, Bryn Athyn Cathedral, and the nearby Philadelphia skyline. The second mural, located at the Michael Kors entrance, focuses on the county's many family-friendly attractions: Elmwood Park Zoo, Arts Montco, youth sports, and more.

"We are excited to partner with Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board and to feature local artists throughout the center," notes Philadelphia Premium Outlets Director of Marketing & Business Development, Gerilyn Davis. "Both murals are absolutely amazing, stunning and vibrant! Shoppers are having fun taking selfies at the murals and have expressed pride in seeing all of the featured iconic local landmarks."

The installations feature artist Carrie Kingsbury, owner of Promiseland Murals and Pottstown resident. Born in Suffolk County, New York, Kingsbury started receiving scholarships to art camps and classes at a young age. She began painting commissioned work in high school, and went on to attend Bismark (ND) State College and Kutstown (PA) University, earnin gdegrees in Graphic Design and Fine Arts. While she has worked in many different arts-related fields, she dedicated her career to mural painting in 1999, when she started Promiseland Murals, LLC. She has taken on many impressive projects over the years, such as St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, CHOP at King of Prussia, the Malvern train bridge, and even had her work featured in the television show Extreme Home Makeover (Berks edition). Her studio is located in Stowe, PA, and has expanded her business to include portait commissions, teaching workshops, children's book illustrations, book cover art, and designing up-cycled jewelry. View her mural projects at www.promiselandart.com.

Find her show history below:

• Solo show, Annex 24 Gallery, Lancaster, PA; July 14, 2017
• Joint show at Hamburg Gallery; October 26, 2019
• Group show, Miller Art Center, Pottstown, PA; March 31, 2019
• Juried Show, Bethlehem Contemporary Art Gallery; January 22, 2019
• Mural Arts show, Philadelphia, PA; January 31, 2018
• Juried group show, Borelli's Chestnut Hill Gallery; January 17, 2019
• Selected for the Healing Power of Art mural project, Reading, PA; July 1, 2019

Kingsbury approached the creation of each mural differently. During planning, she presented a digital mockup of the landmark design, and a watercolor rendering of the family design. Once the final details were decided she got to work creating both pieces. For the family mural, she first painted the geometric background design directly onto the wall, before using the parachute cloth technique to add the children and animals. She included several interactive elements to the design, allowing for great photo opportunities for outlet visitors. For the landmark mural, she painted it entirely in her studio using parachute cloth technique, before installing it on the wall at the outlets. High quality paint from California designed specifically for murals was used, as it has a very high lightfastness rating. A two-part anti-graffiti UV protectant clearcoat was applied once both murals were finished.

"It was a challenge to complete two large building facades with a deadline of Mother's Day, but the old adage is true, if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it! It's been a great honor and privilege to work to create murals that celebrate all that the Montco area has to offer, and I hope to work for these organizations in the future," said Carrie Kingsbury, owner of Promiseland Murals.

The wall is part of the Tourism and Convention Board's ongoing Arts Montcoinitiative, which highlights the county's more than 200 arts and entertainment venues, attractions, and galleries. The arts and culture sector represents $100 million in positive economic impact for Montgomery County, not to mention hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs.

"We are thrilled to partner with the Philadelphia Premium Outlets, the region's top outlet shopping destination, to celebrate the incredible local artists who call Montgomery County home," notes Valley Forge Tourism's Associate Vice President of Communications Rachel Riley. "This installation is a celebration of our county-wide Arts Montco brand, and a wonderful way to provide exposure for this incredible artist with the outlet center's high foot traffic."

The new mural installation is one of four art walls located in Montgomery County, and the second located at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets. The King of Prussia Mall currently features artist Jeantrix on Level 1 of The Court, and the Centre Theater in Norristown features multiple Black artists as part of the Charles Blockson Exhibition that is currently on display.

The installation is free and open to the public. For more information on Arts Montco, visit www.artsmontco.com.

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