EMBERS: The Final Years Of Bethlehem Steel Art by Michael Shemeley

About this event

The National Museum is proud to present a powerful selection of work by artist Michael Shemeley, one of the final visual chroniclers permitted to document the iconic Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s Bethlehem Plant during its concluding decades. Granted unprecedented access to the active site, Shemeley worked from a vantage point unlike any other: an 11th-floor studio inside the SGO Building, perched directly on the edge of the sprawling industrial complex. Additionally, he was allowed to have unique experiences throughout the plant into different operations and shops. From this powerful perspective, he fully immersed himself in the visceral world of heavy industry. Shemeley did not merely observe the plant; he absorbed its heavy rhythms. His artwork captures the blinding sights, deafening sounds, and raw emotional gravity of the steel industry. Every piece in this exhibition serves as a sensory time capsule, translating the sheer scale and soulful energy of a bygone American industrial era into striking visual narratives. On view: October 10th and 11th during Steel Weekend November 7th at the Annual Gala November 11th during Veterans’ Day By appointment (contact info@nmih.org for inquiries)

Description from nmih.org