Carlisle artist’s full, part-time gigs promote downtown business through window displays

His subject: Wonder Woman.

It’s been a little over a year since George started painting the Carlisle Theatre’s windows, brushing on previews of the films shown within.

If passersby don’t recognize his name scribbled at the bottom of those renderings, perhaps they’d connect it to his days in radio, sandwiched into Market Cross Pub & Brewery’s menu, or stationed beside the title “Assistant Main Street Manager” at Downtown Carlisle Association.

Despite the various ways he might be recognized downtown, it’s an occurrence to which he’s not entirely sure he’ll ever be entirely accustomed.

College and career

Carlisle born and raised, George graduated from Carlisle High School in 2002. From there, he ventured to Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in Lancaster where he earned a degree in illustration with a minor in animation in 2006.

“Right when I graduated … that’s when the economy took a little bit of a tumble, and I actually stumbled upon a gig working part-time in radio,” George said.

That “gig” transformed into a 15-year career in the radio business.

He started off at Citadel Broadcasting, which was later purchased by Cumulus Media, making his on-air radio debut as “Phil The Thrill” on 105.7 The X.

After about seven or eight years, an about-face brought him into country radio.

George began working with Red 102.3 both as the promotions director and on air, for another seven or eight years.

“It was a fun gig, but it’s long hours, too, so it takes its toll,” he said. “I have two young kids at home, so I needed more time at home.”

Around May 2022, George signed off the radio and assumed his assistant Main Street manager’s title with the Downtown Carlisle Association, an organization designed to support the borough’s businesses.

Now, George lives just outside Carlisle, though he still spends the majority of his time there.

Heart for art

After focusing almost solely on radio for about 15 years, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that pushed George back into art.

“I’m type 1 diabetic, so I was immune compromised,” he said. “So I actually was at home for a while, and I decided, ‘You know what, I’m going to paint my favorite places in downtown Carlisle.’”

George began selling prints of the storefronts on Etsy, donating the money he earned to local businesses during the shutdown.

Storefronts in his repertoire include staples like the Hamilton and Hook and Flask Still Works, as well as businesses that are now closed, like Wardeckers and Scalles.

George’s first window paintings came through his work with the DCA during the “Peep” show, a springtime initiative to showcase borough businesses.

He put out an offer to paint shop and restaurant windows for the event and found himself with about 10 businesses to decorate, including the Carlisle Theatre.

After the show, he began coating the theater’s windows with movie posters to help advertise upcoming events.

“I enjoy it,” George said. “I love watching movies and everything, so doing classic movie window paintings like ‘E.T.’ and ‘Jaws’ and stuff like that is pretty cool.”

Promoting local business

In early 2021, George became tired after so much painting.

Still desiring to share the stories of local businesses during the pandemic, he teamed up with Cody Myers, a former radio coworker, and Market Cross Pub & Brewery Owner Ashleigh Goss to start a podcast.

Down to Small Business Podcast featured a different business every month in Carlisle and the surrounding area.

Available on most podcast sources, Goss eventually switched out with Molly Pitcher Brewing Company Manager Cassie Fourlas before the podcast ended last year.

George said his involvement with Down to Small Business Podcast wasn’t what prompted him to take on his Downtown Carlisle Association role.

However, as a Carlisle native, local business is important to him.

“I remember when I was graduating from high school … and there wasn’t a lot to do in the downtown,” George said. “It wasn’t like it is now. We have the craft breweries. We have so many awesome specialty shops.”

While the DCA has a board of directors, he mostly works with Main Street Manager Stacey Gould on the organization’s initiatives, from special sales to community events.

“Our main goal is to promote the downtown, and we want our downtown merchants to succeed and do well,” George said.

The association is responsible for Carlisle’s Ice Art Fest each year, the Ford and Corvette parades, Harvest of the Arts, Hotchee New Year and more.

Don’t let the pickle, hot dog, gingerbread man or George’s other assorted costumes fool you.

Despite a career in radio and a job that frequently places him in Carlisle’s spotlight, George describes himself as shy.

“Believe it or not, I kind of keep to myself unless you really know me, then I kind of open my … shell,” he said. “I can be very quiet a lot of times. So I know people think like, ‘Oh, you’re on the radio, you’re really outgoing and all that kind of stuff, but that’s not always the case.”

To George the best part of wearing so many Carlisle-themed hats is getting to know the community and its people.

“You really get to know these business owners and everything around town, and you develop relationships with them, and that makes you want to make sure they succeed even more,” he said.

George wouldn’t disclose his downtown go-tos – “I can’t play favorites” – but as of about 2021 he does have a sandwich named after him at Market Cross Pub.

The “Phil the Thrill” consists of smoked salmon on rye bread with cream cheese, a hard-boiled egg, slicked cucumber and dill drizzle. It was George’s usual, before it bore his name.

“I don’t know if, it was through me doing paintings that the pub decided to name that after me,” he said. “I’m not sure how it became that.”

For the record, North Hanover Grill also has a sandwich called the Phil, however while George enjoys that feature too, he doesn’t believe its name is associated with him.

To him Carlisle is like something in a Hallmark movie or “The Gilmore Girls.”

“People refer to that a lot of times here, and I think that’s pretty cool, that we have that here,” George said. “So [I] just want to continue that.”