If you’ve visited the Dillsburg Area Public Library over the past few weeks, you’ve probably noticed the beautiful, brightly painted piano that’s been welcoming visitors near our entrance. It has been such a joy to see so many of you stop to play a tune, share a laugh, or just admire the artwork. We wanted to take a moment to share the wonderful story behind this special project.
This all began back in the spring, thanks to the vision of a pair of very talented local teens, Christopher Rizzo and Alyssa Zahurak. The two, seniors at Northern High School, secured the generous donation of an old piano from the Kocon family. Chris and Alyssa hoped to transform the donation into a unique piece of public art for our community to enjoy. They poured their hearts and energy into the challenging work of preparing, repairing, and artistically painting the piano. We asked them to tell us a bit about their experience.
So, Chris, where did the idea for a painted piano come from?
I remember seeing public pianos when I was young and thinking how cool they were whenever my family was in a city. As I’ve been slowly learning piano the past couple years, I’ve found myself thinking of them more and more and picturing how cool it would be to have one in various spots my family visits. After realizing that free pianos are a somewhat common occurrence (assuming you can transport them), it seemed obvious to get one and make it look nice for Dillsburg.
Describe the project! After getting permission from the library, the project began by finding a free piano in the area. We ended up choosing one which, completely coincidentally, was being offered by the family of one of our friends, which we loaded up and brought to my house. From there, we completely sanded it down and covered it with two layers of gesso.
After it dried, we sketched out the design, using the tree from the children’s area as inspiration. Once the outlines were done, we began the two-month long process of painting it. Eventually we moved it one last time to the library, placing down pavers and moving it to its current spot underneath the awning.
Did the project go as envisioned? Did any unexpected challenges arise? The biggest surprise was just how time-consuming painting was! We expected it to take a while, but we ended up going over everything several times (especially the yellow). We found ourselves at the end of many days of painting with only a small section complete. In the end, though, it was definitely worth the effort, and we both had a lot of fun while working on it together. We’re extremely proud of what we managed to create.
What do you hope for or expect as an outcome or community benefit? We wanted to create an opportunity for people to be creative and have fun in their daily life, so the biggest thing that we hope for is that people enjoy tapping out a few songs, trying a new instrument, or maybe going further and deciding to learn how to play it. We want people to be able to easily express themselves through art and music.
Do you have any future plans involving art or music? The two of us have no firm future plans, but the library has several art and music programs if anyone is interested. We would LOVE to see Dillsburg get even more creative and fun, and we think that there’s a lot of room for more community projects like this.
Imagining Baltimore Street lined with murals or little free libraries feels like a future our town can have. We encourage anyone who has an idea or ambition to reach out to others and create something special!
Anything else to add?
We also want to extend a huge thank you to Elijah Wert, Zack Semke, and Ron Saunders for their help with transporting the piano. Their assistance was a huge part of making this a reality.
Thank you to Chris and Alyssa!
From everyone at the Dillsburg Area Public Library, a big thank you to Chris and Alyssa. This beautiful instrument is for all of us. Whether you’re a seasoned musician or just want to plunk out a few notes, we invite you to come and enjoy the music. We hope this little piece of public art inspires many moments of joy and creativity in our community.
The plan is for the piano to remain outside the library until the Dillsburg Farmers Fair in October. The Farmers Fair runs October 13-18, 2025.
The Process of Creating An Art Project
The process of securing, painting, and installing a public art project can be involved. Follow along during the process with Christopher Rizzo and Alyssa Zahurak.
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The blank canvas before its transformation into a public art piece.
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After preparing the surface, outlines were drawn onto the piano surface.
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Painting has started and over halfway finished.
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The in progress piano project attracted interest from many.
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The project moves along.
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Getting ready to transport the finished project to the library.
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Preparing the installation site at the library. The piano is protected by the overhang of the building.
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Chris Rizzo (Left) and Alyssa Zahurak with the finish project
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Chris Rizzo (Left) and Alyssa Zahurak with the finish project
Visit the library (and piano!)
Dillsburg Area Public Library
204 Mumper Lane
Dillsburg, PA 17019
717-432-5613
Hours:
M-Th 10am-8pm
F-Sa 10am-3pm*
We’re on social media! Take a video or picture of yourself playing the piano and @tag us. We’re @DillsburgAreaPublicLibrary on Facebook and @Dillsburg_Library on Instagram. (@YorkCountyLibraries would also love to share your joy!)
Sa hours after Labor Day: 10am-5pm