Horsham ceramicist Roberto Lugo is telling the history of the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown in a new piece of art, writes Earl Hopkins for The Philadelphia Inquirer.  

Before the art museum became home to thousands of sculptures and paintings in 1988, it served the county as a jail. 

The original prison was designed by Quakers, inspired by the Eastern State Penitentiary, and contained 40 windowless cells.  

Nicknamed Pine Street Hotel, the prison remained functional from 1884 to 1985 before it was replaced by the Bucks County Correctional Facility. It’s believed that the site was formerly a Native American settlement.  

The history of the building caught Lugo’s attention, and he decided to create a new project titled “Permanence: We Were Here.” 

The project takes inspiration from the Pine Street Express, a magazine produced by incarcerated individuals at the prison. 

His new 4-foot-tall ancient Greek-inspired amphora will include elements from the magazine’s covers and depictions of the historic buildings.  

“So much of our history is told from certain lenses and perspectives that don’t really tell everybody’s full truth,” said Lugo. “For me, this commission is really profound because it’s telling a truth, without trying to convince anybody of anything particular. I’m working more as an anthropologist would.” 

Read more about ceramicist Roberto Lugo and his new piece inspired by Doylestown’s Michener Art Museum in The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

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