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Casino bets on local artisans

PENNSYLVANIA –- As reported by the Wilkes-Barre News: "Significant creations by local artisans add to the appreciation of local history and heritage designed into the new Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs casino, which opened Thursday.

"When visitors enter the newest building in Northeastern Pennsylvania, their eyes are drawn to a symbol of one of the region's oldest industries, coal mining. A sculpture celebrating the demanding labor required to extract coal from the earth and process it into the fuel of America's Industrial Revolution stands just inside the casino's main entrance.

"Stretching 20 feet tall, '(the sculpture) looks like it's releasing energy from the earth,' said Conrad Baut, one of its creators at the family-owned Baut Studios in Swoyersville.

"…Known mostly for its work in stained glass, the studio has branched out into other products and services, mostly for the ecclesiastical community. Some of its work is in the Vatican's collections.

"…Four creations by Bear Creek master woodworker Eric Keil also receive prominent display inside the casino. Laminated from cherry, Keil crafted 64 'twisted sculptures 10 feet high' that are clustered in groups of 16 around columns at the two main entrances to the gaming floor…"

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