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The Berks County America 250PA Bells Across PA bell created by artist Benjamin E. Hoffman was unveiled at FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\nFor nearly two months, it sat inside an art classroom at Kutztown High School.<\/p>\n
Bit by bit Benjamin Hoffman painted it, as his students watched with excitement. Slowly but surely, it started to come together.<\/p>\n
An eight-pointed star \u2014 a symbol of protection and good luck \u2014 appeared on the 3-foot-by-3-foot work. So too did a Maltese Cross, a six-pointed rosette, a keystone and phrase \u201cEveryone Goes Home\u201d written in Pennsylvania Dutch.<\/p>\n
Each aspect was a tribute, a symbol of Pennsylvania and Berks County. Added together, they were a celebration of a community, of a region, of a state with a deep and impactful history.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also quite a spectacular birthday present.<\/p>\n
On Thursday afternoon, Hoffman officially unveiled his custom-designed bell sculpture during a ceremony at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Reading Fightin\u2019 Phils. The work is part of the Bells Across PA initiative, a statewide public art series commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. in 2026.<\/p>\n
Leo Malsky, director of operations for the America250PA, said as part of the celebration of America\u2019s 250th birthday next year, and in a nod to the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, bells are being placed across each of the state\u2019s 67 counties leading up to the semiquincentennial year.<\/p>\n
He said each fiberglass bell is being brought to life by local artists in partnership with community organizations, helping to tell the story of Pennsylvania\u2019s people, places and contributions to the American journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese fiberglass bells may not ring, but they are far from silent,\u201d he said. \u201cEach one tells a story about community, creativity and pride.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Berks bell was sponsored by FirstEnergy and will be displayed at the stadium through the anniversary celebration.<\/p>\n
John Hawkins, president of FirstEnergy Pennsylvania, said he was happy the company could lend its support to the Bells Across PA initiative.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t just a bell, it\u2019s a symbol of freedom, unity and the enduring spirit of Pennsylvania,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s fitting that we unveil this bell at FirstEnergy Stadium where so many people enjoy America\u2019s favorite pastime.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hawkins said Hoffman created a beautiful bell that will serve as a lasting reminder of who we are, who we have been and where we are going.<\/p>\n
The Berks County America 250PA Bells Across PA bell created by artist Benjamin E. Hoffman was unveiled at FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n
State Sen. Judy Schwank extended her gratitude to FirstEnergy for its sponsorship of the bell and the Fightin\u2019 Phils for hosting it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis support helps elevate artists across Pennsylvania and ensures that Benjamin\u2019s work can be shared with residents throughout Berks County,\u201d she said. \u201cArt has a remarkable way of bringing people together. No matter our backgrounds or experiences, we can all appreciate a powerful piece of art and find meaning in it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schwank said the bells not only honor our shared history, but they showcase the creativity, diversity and spirit of the communities that make up Pennsylvania. And she encouraged people to seek out the bells in other communities across the commonwealth to see what their local artists have contributed to the initiative.<\/p>\n
Berks County Commissioner Christian Leinbach said that while the ceremony Thursday was about unveiling the bell, the larger meaning of the 250th anniversary is a time to celebrate the aspirations of our Founding Fathers when they set out to create a democracy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is still an aspirational idea today,\u201d said Leinbach, who also serves as chairman of the America250PA Berks Committee. \u201cWe need to stop looking at each other based on race, religion and all the different categories that many of us try to slice us up into and recognize that what unites us is that we are all human beings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leinbach said we have a responsibility to press forward for that aspirational goal that all human beings in America deserve the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.<\/p>\n
Hoffman said being part of the initiative was a tremendous opportunity for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love public art and making art accessible,\u201d he said, adding that almost 10 years ago to the day he unveiled a bear he created for Boyertown.<\/p>\n
Hoffman said he shared the experience with his students, inviting them to watch as he worked on it in the studio.<\/p>\n
\u201cI painted this in the classroom alongside my students,\u201d he said. \u201cThey had a blast seeing it evolve over the last couple weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoffman, who applied to participate in the program, said the concept for the Berks bell was anchored in the traditions of German folk art, featuring symbols often found on hex signs and quilts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe design is indicative of Berks County,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For nearly two months, it sat inside an art classroom at Kutztown High School. Bit by bit Benjamin…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":40853,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[349,182,139,28,69,71,70,706],"class_list":{"0":"post-40852","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-philadelphia","8":"tag-berks-county","9":"tag-local-news","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-pennsylvania","12":"tag-philadelphia","13":"tag-philadelphia-headlines","14":"tag-philadelphia-news","15":"tag-top-stories-reg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40852"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40852\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}