Eastwood residents to unveil street piano in Saturday event

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Eastwood residents are planning to unveil the first street piano in Syracuse.

A street piano is a piano placed in a public area that encourages passersby to stop and play.

A small event to celebrate the unveiling of the piano will be held outside the Palace Theatre on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Event guests are asked to wear a mask and social distance. Coffee and small snacks will be available for purchase.

British artist Luke Jerram in 2008 created the concept of installing multiple street pianos across a city as an art installation.

David Haas, Eastwood resident and local organizer, first saw the concept in Detroit and sought to bring the idea to Syracuse and organized an effort with the help of volunteers, per a news release that Haas issued Friday.

Haas is also director of Sarah’s Guest House, a Syracuse nonprofit providing lodging for patients and families traveling to Syracuse for medical care.

The Lutz family of the Karl Lutz Monument Co. at 2718 James St. in Syracuse donated a piano. Dan Bingham, an Eastwood artist, volunteered to paint the piano.

Steve Skinner, a local business owner, stored the piano during the project and will ultimately house the piano in the Palace Theatre, where it will be wheeled out and placed under the marquee on “appropriate days.”

The piano won’t normally be out for public availability until the pandemic comes to an end, Haas noted in the release.