Summary: Mark Milliron, a resident of Penn Township, has been creating art for over 50 years. His front yard is adorned with 28 concrete sculptures, capturing the attention of drivers on Sleepy Hollow Road. Milliron’s passion for sculpture developed naturally, as he found the two-dimensional canvas limiting and gravitated towards three-dimensional expression. Inspired other artists and guided the principles of sculpture design, Milliron aims to create harmonious pieces that blend different shapes, lines, and angles. His work has become a local attraction and a testament to the impact that artists like him can make in their community.
Renowned for his expertise, the late art professor Josefa Filkosky left behind a lasting legacy in the field of sculpture and taught at Seton Hill University for over four decades. Her brightly-colored pipe sculptures can be found across various locations like the Seton Hill Arts Center and the entrance to the university campus. Filkosky took pride in challenging her students while providing personalized attention to help them meet their artistic goals.
For Milliron, art has always been an outlet, something to indulge in beyond his professional occupation. After focusing on wooden sculptures for two decades, he transitioned to working with concrete. While wooden sculptures would take him up to a year to complete due to their intricate carving and sanding requirements, concrete sculptures are easier to shape and mold, enabling him to finish them within six to eight weeks.
Having no favorite sculpture in his collection, Milliron constantly generates new ideas and hopes to explore abstract designs in the future. He admires artists who master the art of exaggeration, a technique that distorts familiar subjects to create dramatic and extraordinary pieces.
Local artists like Milliron play a crucial role in their communities. Their creations have the power to beautify public spaces and inspire others. Organizations like the You Are Here gallery in Jeannette further contribute to the community offering studio and exhibition spaces to local artists while engaging in outreach activities such as building benches for businesses. Their efforts demonstrate how art can enhance the overall appeal of a town or city.
