The Art of Living in a Work of Art - Landis Place on King

How Landis Place on King Brings the City Inside

Pablo Picasso, one the most impactful and versatile artists of the 20th century, is credited with crafting a short and sweet explanation of why art matters:

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

One does not need to be an artist to need art. It is woven into the fabric of our humanity. We are all stimulated and shaped by our sensory experiences. Those who produce visual art forms, as well as those who champion them, are simply acknowledging this basic human need and are attempting to arrest our attention—just long enough, perhaps— to help us all acknowledge it, too.

Researchers and medical professionals consistently point to the wholistic health benefits enjoyed by those who interact with the creative arts in any way, whether by creating it or simply looking at it. It is widely known to promote mental function and emotional well-being.

In Downtown Lancaster, we have the incredible privilege of being neighbors with numerous exceptional artists and their works, as well as avid proponents of their vitality. City-dwellers and visitors who seek out a “soul-cleansing” encounter with artwork need only to stop by Queen Street and wander through the Lancaster Art Vault, or simply ease on down Prince Street’s Gallery Row.

Countless hidden gems can be found throughout the city as well, and some discoveries are more surprising than others. As detailed in the new book The Art Collection at Landis Place on King, the residential building at 239 W. King Street is one such unlikely treasure trove.

Landis Communities had a vision to design their own masterpiece: a vibrant, urban, 55+ living apartment building that celebrates the unique beauty, diversity, and history of Lancaster City through the stunning works of art adorning its walls.

A vision for Landis Place on King was to bring the city into the building through the work of local artists and artists that represent the multi-cultural communities of persons connected to the neighborhood.

This mission is being accomplished in countless unexpected ways each day.

To reside at Landis Place on King (LPK) is to be part of a living work of art. The rhythms of daily life move naturally across a backdrop of beauty and inspiration. Upon entering the building on the ground floor, a depiction of the Statue of Liberty by Barbara Whipple, aptly called Shelter, sets the groundwork for LPK’s atmosphere of welcome, respite, and belonging.

Each floor of the residence has an invitation of its own. The carefully curated collection of works— ranging from paintings to tapestries to photographs and more— entices residents, and their guests, to glance peripherally, pause reflectively, or linger lengthily, whenever and wherever they choose.

The Art Collection at Landis Place on King exists toshine a spotlight on the local and international artists and their remarkable works that can be found at LPK. In doing so, it inescapably reveals the brilliance and innovation of the building’s design and intent.

This residential building is essentially an art gallery with first-rate living accommodations and all the amenities! It celebrates the city in which it stands and the people, from all walks of life and backgrounds, who call Lancaster home. The inspired team of Elizabeth Soto, Lee Lovett and Deb Laws-Landis engaged artists and assembled the stunning collection. With dignity and flair, it offers seniors the freedom to age in place: gracefully, actively, and meaningfully.

As Freiman Stoltzfus, one of the featured native Lancaster artists in the collection and the owner of the Freiman Stoltzfus Gallery, beautifully states, “Art is the most profound expression of the human spirit. We all share it in many ways; sometimes joyous and vivid, at times melancholy and reflective. Art, like life, is unstoppable.”