Lehigh Valley photographer Steven Landis returns to Bethlehem with a powerful new exhibition, “Bethlehem Steel: Rusting Relic,” on view at the Bethlehem Town Hall Rotunda Gallery from January 7 through February 13, 2026. Presented by the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission (bfac-lv.org), the show revisits the industrial remains of the city’s most iconic landmark through a lens that blends architecture, history, and emotion.
- An opening reception will be held Sunday, January 11, from 2 to 4 PM, with an artist talk at 3 PM.
- The Rotunda Gallery is located at 10 E. Church Street, Bethlehem, PA.
- Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 4 PM.
In his own words, Landis recalls the experience of exploring the abandoned Bethlehem Steel site in 2006, a chance few photographers have had. “It was an amazing experience being able to explore the site,” he says. “One of the unique things about some of the photography I took was having the rare opportunity to climb many of the structures.”
Those elevated and ground-level perspectives offered contrasting views: sometimes expansive and bird-like, other times close and human. He often used the site’s own elements, like window frames, to naturally frame his images. The result, he says, was “industrial but very picturesque and pleasing to the eye.”
Landis describes an atmosphere heavy with history and reverence:
“There was a very strong feeling when I was working there, the history, the dedication, everyone who gave their lives to protect the U.S. and the world. So much world history was written within those walls.”
Nearly two decades later, the exhibition allows him to reconnect with those moments and share them publicly for the first time in a comprehensive way. “It’s something I’ve been trying to do for 20 years,” he adds. “Now I finally have the opportunity.”
“Bethlehem Steel: Rusting Relic” invites viewers to see beauty in decay, to consider the weight of legacy in rust, and to feel the enduring spirit of a place that helped shape the world.
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