Celebrate America250 with special edition merch by artist Katie Trainer

LebTown has partnered with Lebanon artist Katie Trainer on special edition merch just in time for America250.

The artwork features eight of the most iconic sites in Lebanon County, some dating all the way back to 1742 – long before there was a Lebanon County, or even a United States!

This partnership began through a conversation with Trainer this winter at Timeless Cafe. Trainer loves Lebanon County, just like we do, and together we wanted to help other people feel the same special connection to our beautiful and historic Lebanon Valley.

Trainer said that she wanted to include iconic structures from different directions of the county, but admits that Lebanon city has the most representation. “The city needs more love than the rest of the county,” she said.

Her favorite scene in the painting depicts a site from the Swatara Creek – we’re not going to identify it by name so as to not spoil the quiz below.

“This is one of my favorite things to do and I take my kayak to work with me almost every day and hit up water somewhere after work,” said Trainer. “The Swatty in Lebanon County is just bursting with native animals and amazing history.”

Trainer said that the the base of the painting was done approximately 10 years ago when she began doing art in a more formal setting. 

“I made a whole bunch of what I called ‘Theoretical Science Meets Art,’ which was a merging of nature with sacred geometry and mathematical principles such as the Fibonacci Ratio,” she said.

The LebCo 250 painting began with the base of one of those paintings in her basement.

“I repurposed and layered and repainted until I got the imagery aligned the way I wanted to see it,” said Trainer. “I wanted the stiff structures of the buildings to have a feeling of motion and flexibility – I guess you could say to mimic the fluidity of my favorite thing, our local waterways.”

Trainer typically blends various scenes on her collage-styled murals with shrubbery and plants and trees in this format as well.

“There is nothing more important than supporting and showcasing the value of having clean local waterways and nature,” she said.

Quiz time

Can you identify all eight sites in the painting? Try our quiz below.

And now, the merch

We’ve got a variety of affordably-priced items perfect to commemorate this historic anniversary of America’s founding with an attractive local flair.

Find more great merch selections on LebTown’s online store.

Read more

Need to brush up on your history about any of these sites? Find our previous coverage below. Also, check out Trainer’s photos from Sunday’s ceremony at Salem Lutheran!