Wednesday, November 4 - Today, as The Capitol Theatre celebrates its 100th anniversary, the Port Chester venue has marked its centennial year with a growing collection of original artwork created by local cartoonist and educator Phil Lohmeyer. Earlier this year, Lohmeyer created two black-and-white ink illustrations celebrating the historic venue, including an exterior theater scene and an interior concert scene capturing the energy of a live performance. The drawings grew out of a freestyle illustration style Lohmeyer developed earlier in his career, filling scenes with dozens of small characters, visual jokes, and details to discover.
The project expanded this fall when The Capitol Theatre invited Lohmeyer to bring his artwork into the streetscape with a seasonal mural across three of its front windows. Painted directly onto the glass, the mural transitions from autumn into winter through squirrels, music, leaves, snow, and more. “The Cap has so much personality and history, giving me endless material to draw from,” Lohmeyer said. “I love seeing people stop, look closely, and find different details!” Stefanie May of The Capitol Theatre said, “Phil was the perfect artist for this project. He understood The Cap’s aesthetic, personality, and spirit, and brought all of that to life. We’re excited to have connected with Phil, and this has been such a fun collaboration. We look forward to working together on many more projects for years to come.”
Lohmeyer is the creator of “The Comic Tree,” a cartooning and comic-making brand through which he teaches children how to develop original characters and stories through art. He is also a Middle School MYP Design teacher at Whitby School in Greenwich, CT, and regularly brings cartooning programs to schools, libraries, and community programs throughout Fairfield and Westchester counties. Lohmeyer will lead cartooning workshops at The Rye Arts Center in December, introducing young artists to character design and visual storytelling. The Capitol Theatre project brings Lohmeyer’s cartooning into a public setting, connecting visual art with the venue’s music, history and surrounding community. For more about The Comic Tree, visit www.thecomictree.com, and for more on The Capitol Theatre, visit www.thecapitoltheatre.com.
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Phil Lohmeyer of Cos Cob, CT works on the seasonal window mural outside The Capitol Theatre in fall 2026, with the historic venue’s marquee visible nearby. The mural grew out of a larger series of artwork Lohmeyer began creating during The Capitol Theatre’s 100th anniversary year
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Phil Lohmeyer’s original pencil sketches map out the three Capitol Theatre window panels before painting began. The concepts move from an autumn scene with music and falling leaves, through a transitional center panel featuring The Cap marquee, and into a winter scene with musicians, snow and a sledding squirrel
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Working on the exterior glass of The Capitol Theatre, Phil Lohmeyer first lays down a white underpainting beneath the characters and major elements before adding color and outlines. The base coat helps the mural stay bright and visible on transparent glass. Lohmeyer is creator of “The Comic Tree” brand, and a Design teacher at Whitby School in Greenwich, CT
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One of two original black-and-white illustrations created by Phil Lohmeyer for The Capitol Theatre during its 100th anniversary year depicts the Port Chester venue from the street, filling the scene with concertgoers, the marquee and small visual details for viewers to discover. The companion piece focuses on the inside of the theatre, during a live performance
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The center panel places The Capitol Theatre marquee at the heart of the mural as the scene shifts from autumn to winter. Squirrels are a recurring part of The Cap’s visual identity, and several appear throughout Phil Lohmeyer’s work for the venue. One squirrel is hidden above the marquee beneath the overhang, which encourages viewers to stop and look closely.
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ABOUT THE CAPITOL THEATRE
Designed by celebrated architect Thomas Lamb in 1926 and listed in The National Register of Historic Places, The Capitol Theatre is located 30 miles from NYC, accessible via I-95 and the Port Chester Metro-North train station. The 2,000-capacity theater, known as “the original rock palace,” showcased legends such as Traffic, the Grateful Dead, Black Sabbath, Chuck Berry, David Bowie, Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, and The Rolling Stones. Jerry Garcia called it one of his two favorite venues in the USA. In 2012, The Capitol Theatre underwent a major renovation under the guidance of music entrepreneur Peter Shapiro. Since then, it has hosted major performers including Bob Dylan, Phil Lesh, Ringo Starr, Joan Baez, Skrillex, Bonnie Raitt, Snoop Dogg, Kacey Musgraves, The Strokes, Tom Petty, Cyndi Lauper, and Willie Nelson, as well as comedians like Kevin Hart and Amy Schumer. The New York Times raves: “A rock theater that looks and sounds as good as The Capitol is something to celebrate." The Capitol Theatre also hosts private and corporate events from benefit concerts, film shoots and Bar Mitzvahs to one of a kind weddings and celebrations.
THE CAPITOL THEATRE ON THE WEB
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