Where’s George? The Mystery Behind the Missing Art at the Courthouse

A few weeks ago, regulars at Schuylkill County Commissioners meetings noticed something missing.

We all wondered, “Where’s George?”

No, not that George.

On a wall for years was an art print featuring George Washington. No one can remember if it was the Founding Father crossing the Schuylkill or him at Valley Forge.

One thing was certain … George was gone.

And we were all curious … where did George go?

Had someone removed the print because it was getting cleaned? No, you don’t really need to get prints cleaned or restored.

Was George so upset by the presence of that silly caution tape that he up and rolled from the Commissioners Board Room?

Perhaps. But no, that’s not what happened.

We’ve since learned the Washington print was actually the personal property of former Commissioner George Halcovage. And he apparently removed it prior to his departure from office.

Now, after we all consume the irony of him removing that personal property from the Courthouse and the debacle over his returning County property earlier this week, let’s explore the real pressing issue here … What should be done with the gaping hole on the wall in the Board Room?

Artwork Needed for Schuylkill County Commissioners Board Room

Last week, we made some suggestions as to how to fill the gap on the wall where George (Washington) once hung.

Commissioner Gary Hess laughed at our suggestion of replacing the Washington print with one of Trump crossing the Swamp.

So, that’s probably not going to fly.

We thought maybe the classic A Bold Bluff painting by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge from the Dogs Playing Poker series?

Commissioner Larry Padora even chimed in, jokingly suggesting the Yuengling print that features dogs.

No, no. None of those will work.

So, we thought … how about some artwork made famous by Seinfeld. Any time life presents a situation, it’s always a safe bet to reference Seinfeld. And it’s got plenty of art references.

Like, how about Kramer?

Or maybe The Timeless Art of Seduction?

If none of those work, maybe one of those 3D art posters that were so popular in the 90s. Weird, wild stuff.

But Seriously, Folks …

Unfortunately, none of these will work inside the Commissioners Board Room.

But we definitely do have the perfect solution and we hope it’s one that Hess, Padora, and Commissioner Boots Hetherington can come together and agree upon … go local!

The Commissioners absolutely should reach out to the local art community to fill the void on the walls of their Board Room. Technically, our Board Room.

So, our plea to the Commissioners is this, and it’s a simple, no-brainer:

Contact the local artist communities – like the Walk-In Art Center in Schuylkill Haven, the Tamaqua Arts Center, the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts in Pottsville, and any other similar organization that exists in Schuylkill County – and figure out how to fill that gap on the wall, and other empty spaces on the walls inside the Board Room and the entire Courthouse with the work of local artists.

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