Photo courtesy of Will Masters.
Greg Lewis Reese has worked at the steel plant in Steelton for 50 years.
So, when approached to participate in an art installation about the town, its history and its people, he readily said, “yes.”
“For me, on a personal basis, it was a great reflection on the diversity of people in Steelton and the diversity of people in the steel mill itself,” he said. “There are various generations, before me, with me, after me.”
The exhibit, entitled, “Cocoon Steelton: The Migrations of Many,” is on display through late May at the Susquehanna Art Museum in Harrisburg. It’s the brainchild of Kate Browne, a York County native and international performance installation artist.
“This is a way to put the past, present and future together in one place at one time,” Browne said. “It’s a connection to missing links in history by allowing the history of a place to emerge into the light and elucidate our understanding.”
Specifically, “Cocoon” is a 10-by-26-foot illuminated structure built from local maple saplings, with tags hanging on the interior that note the participants’ towns and countries of origin. Walking through the interior, visitors hear audio recorded during interviews with participants. It gives the feeling of walking through a space and overhearing bits and pieces of various conversations.
The walls surrounding the cocoon structure create a panorama of life-sized photos of those who took part in the interviews and were or are still employees or family members of employees who came to the area to work at the steel mill. The installation premiered in Steelton last August and was later moved to SAM for a longer exhibit period.
Browne, who now lives in New York, chose Steelton as the location for the seventh “Cocoon” in her series of art focused on the sites of forced and voluntary migrations, the struggles with traumatic histories, and the narratives that arise.
The original concept of a cocoon came from the idea of the cocoon or chrysalis in nature, a “safe place” for moths and butterflies as they transform from caterpillars. The sculptural cocoon created by Browne represents people moving forward during their migration or immigration toward a better and more sustainable life.
Joy, Sadness
Browne has been working on the Steelton project since 2019, beginning with research on the town and the mill.
While researching, she realized that this history worked well with her understanding of migrations. Steelton and the factory exist because of each other, with people coming from Europe and the southern United States to create a community that became a very American place. She traced these migrations back to Civil War times.
“Steelton is full of a detailed history of these migrations to the town in the search of steady employment,” she said.
Browne interviewed Steelton residents, union and town officials, and mill employees, ranging from 20 to 90 years old. She also partnered with United Steelworkers Union 1688 to contact past and present workers at the steel mill. They opened their doors to Browne’s work and supplied her with interview and photographic space.
“The Borough of Steelton and the Women of Steel must also be given thanks in assisting me with the original project,” she said.
Browne contacted local historian Barbara Barksdale, a Steelton resident, at the onset of the project, asking for assistance in locating current and former mill workers willing to tell their stories.
“To hear from the interviewee directly of their thoughts, passions, joy, sadness and what it meant to their families was eye-opening,” Barksdale said. “It gave sight to how the town was formed as well as the individual communities within the large community.”
The interviews focused on the reality of living in a small steel town with a single-industry economy where jobs have shrunk considerably since the 1950s, Browne said.
“Today, the situation is far from over as the steel mill has recently changed hands again,” she said. “It is important to document how the history of the single economy, local union, generations of families, tell their stories and make decisions about their future.”
Bonnie Mae Carrow, director of exhibitions at SAM, said that it’s an honor exhibiting this art installation that was created for the history of Steelton and the steel mills. She added that having the artist and her crew assist with the installation created a perfect blend of collaboration and understanding of the project and the nuances of the stories told by over 70 participants.
Reese, the steelworker, similarly voiced his admiration for the five-year-long project that has culminated in the installation now at SAM.
“Kate did a great job in bringing this all together,” Reese said.
“Cocoon Steelton: The Migrations of Many” runs through May 19 at the Susquehanna Art Museum, 1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.susqueannaartmuseum.org. For more information on artist Kate Browne and her “Cocoon” series, visit www.bykatebrowne.com.
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