Karl Stirner

Karl Stirner (November 14, 1923 – February 18, 2016) was a German-born American sculptor known internationally for his metalwork. His work has been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, the James A. Michener Art Museum, the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey, the Delaware Art Museum, and other locations. Stirner also participated in exhibitions in Taiwan, Hungary, and Italy.

Early life and education Stirner was born in Bad Wildbad, Germany in 1923 during the Weimar Republic to Pauline (née Gunn) and Karl Stirner. He was the youngest of five children. His family immigrated to the United States in 1927, where they settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

As a child, Stirner considered himself an enthusiastic naturalist:

As a child I had—and still have—a great love of nature. Every frog, bird, insect—any living creature—was of extraordinary interest. Minerals, crystals of quartz and garnet, shells called me. I loved it all, and engaged in a constant quest for every facet of the natural world.

From sixth to eighth grades, between 1934 and 1936, Stirner attended Dobbins Vocational School. In 1941, Stirner enrolled in the Drexel Institute of Art in Philadelphia to study mechanical engineering. However, Stirner dropped out after only six months, not lasting a full year at this school. Stirner then worked as an industrial designer before entering the military. Stirner served in the Army, where he was deployed to the Philippines and New Guinea from 1943 to 1946 during World War II.

Career Stirner's interest in metalworking stemmed from his father, who was a fine jeweler. After returning from the military, Stirner opened an experimental machine shop in the present-day Germantown section of Philadelphia in 1946, where he designed precision mechanical devices. Some of his prototypes included a capsule loading machine for pharmacists and a fishing reel.

He then married Heather Harland in 1962 and had three children: Heather (born 1962), Noelle (born 1967), and Jonas (born 1970). His son, Jonas Stirner, became a sculptor. In 2010, Karl Stirner married Gay Elwell (1958-2012). She died only two years later at the age of 54.

Karl Stirner also enjoyed traveling to various places around the world to study and display his art. He traveled to Mexico between 1969 and 1971 to study pre-Columbian art. He also spent time from 1971 until his death traveling to Guatemala, Mexico, Italy, France, England, and Turkey.

Art Metalwork Stirner was a self-taught artist whose main focus was metalwork. He produced metal sculptures and engravings with metal, typically iron and steel, from Bethlehem Steel, shipwrecks, and junkyards. In his work, Stirner would bend, shape, and weld the metal into various forms in order to test the various ways he could manipulate it for his art. Karl Stirner's career with steel sculpture began in 1928, after Catalan sculptor and painter, Julio González taught him welding. The arts trail contains works by Karl Stirner and other local and international artists, including Willie Cole, David Kimball Anderson, and Patricia Meyerowitz. It has been stated that the philosophy of the Arts Trail includes environmental sustainability as well as public stewardship of an urban "green infrastructure." Currently, Jim Toia, an artist and Lafayette College professor, is lead administrator of the trail.

The ribbon cutting ceremony was held on November 3, 2011.

The trail now includes the "Young Masters Wall" which exhibits the paintings of area youth on a rotating basis.

Artwork The trail has fifteen sculptures that were chosen by the Board of Governance of the Karl Stirner Arts Trail, a nonprofit organization that includes members of Lafayette College, art experts, and city officials. The first sculpture on the trail is Stirner's red steel arch. The arch represents not only Stirner's style, but also his contribution to the art scene of Easton.

The other seven sculptures include three pieces of Willie Cole's Grace Gate, Jack & Jill and The Jungle; Loren Madsen's Nobori; David Kimball Andersen's Nitrogen & Hydrogen; Patricia Weyerowiz's Easton Ellipse; Paul Deery's Water Way. Also, at the end of the trail there is an ongoing community project between the youth of Easton schools and organizations called "The Young Master's Wall". This wall features paintings directly on a rock wall.

In 2017, the city added sculptures by Steve Tobin.

Possible Realities Two Possible Realities Two is the result of a call for environmentally-focused entries in 2015. Each year over twenty-five local artists and public vote for the ideas that they consider the best. The artwork that receives the most votes will become a "reality". The winning artist will receive a stipend of 4,000 dollars to produce and install their work.

Water Way by Paul Deery was chosen in 2015 as the first piece of Possible Realities Two artwork. It is a stone-line trail that follows the Bushkill Creek. The artist intended for people to feel the flow of water while they walk along the path. The installation of Water Way was executed from July 11 to August 15, 2015.