The Train of Wonders // New Art Piano in Coalville

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The artistic wife and wife team, Sally & Jes Neilson-Berg, are completely enthralled with trains. The duo explained that “having the opportunity to create a Steampunk version using a piano was sheer joy!” The piece called The Train of Wonders, and was completely made from found objects. “What’s particularly fun to notice is what those random parts are that make up the train. For example, the large smokestack is part of a cardboard tube used to pour cement pillars, its silver base is part of a megaphone, and the nose of the train is actually an industrial lamp head!”

As part of the Art Pianos for All Program’s intentions to make the art interactive by having the piano still playable for the public, Sally & Jes also added a few more elements to further engage adults and children alike. “If you go to the conductor’s box, there’s a lever that can be pumped, a small wheel at the top that can be rotated, and a key that can be turned in a lock. On the front of the train, its largest wheel can be spun and there is a switch lead box above the keys where knobs can be turned to manipulate the numbers.”

Sally and Jes enjoyed tying local history to the public art piece. “Historically, the train has been absolutely fundamental to the development of the United States. It was the center of moving commerce across the country, economic expansion, and providing low cost transportation. In particular, the Summit County Railway, completed between Coalville & Echo, moved valuable Coalville coal to the Park City mines.”

The immersive art piece was made possible through the partnership between the Summit County Public Art Advisory Board and the Art Pianos for All Program. This piano will be permanently located at the brand new Ledges Event Center within the Summit County Fairgrounds in Coalville, UT. It coincided with the recent traveling exhibit on loan from the Utah Division of Arts & Museums Through Toil & Labor: the forgotten history of Utah’s Chinese railroad workers, which showcased the significant involvement of the Chinese workforce who helped make the Transcontinental Railroad such a huge success.

To see more of these ladies' fine art, visit sallyneilsonart.com.

Photo credit: Mark Maziarz

Visual ArtsJocelyn ScudderSeptember 26, 2018Ledges Event Center