Cranberry officer is photo artist
CRANBERRY TWP — Sgt. Bill Ahlgren is like any other police officer when it comes to the daily stresses that come along with police work, but his outlet from that stress is different from that of his colleagues.
Ahlgren, 47, of Cranberry Township is an artist and recently sold one of his photographs through the Cranberry Artists Network. He also won third-place in a recent competition sponsored by the network.
His primary medium is photography that he prints on metal, although he also pursues woodworking and playing the trumpet with bands.
Ahlgren, who supervises the patrol division of the Cranberry Township Police Department and also does patrols in schools, has been with the force since 1999.
The officer, who is married with two children, knows he’ll never make much money from his artwork. However, Ahlgren will be the first to say that money is the last reason he pursues his hobby.
“It’s just something I grew up with, with my mom always taking pictures and buying me a camera early on,” he said. “I’ve always been involved in photography, but I never thought of displaying my work before. It was always just for personal enjoyment. But now the Cranberry Artists Network has opened up some new possibilities.”
Showcasing his artwork through the network is something that wasn’t possible more than a year ago since the CAN recently celebrated its one-year anniversary.
Ahlgren, who also serves in Cranberry’s volunteer fire company, only submitted his work after prodding from Haine Elementary School art teacher Noele Reynolds, who is the president of the network.
It was all by chance, Ahlgren said. He was patrolling Haine Elementary one day when he decided to stop in at Reynold’s art class. He visited the classroom more often, which led to a friendship with the teacher.
“He was patrolling our building, and I kind of hustled him, for lack of a better word, to submit his work,” Reynolds said. “So he did, and he won third place and sold his work at the same competition. For a first-time entry, that is extremely impressive.”
Reynolds said Ahlgren’s work stands out because of how he prints his photographs. The pictures and the metal print combine to make a stunning piece of artwork, Reynolds said.
“He’s got a great eye for doing an unusual format, where he mounts the pictures on metal,” she said. “That aspect of his work drew a lot of comments at the show. It’s so atypical in comparison to classical photography. It provides an interesting twist.”
Reynolds said she also talked to the police officer about why he pursues art as a hobby. His answer has stuck with her, she said.
“He said art is a great escape from the pressures of his job,” Reynolds said. “A lot of his colleagues play or watch sports, and he’s one of the few with a true artistic outlet. I think his art helps him achieve some inner peace.”
District Judge Dave Kovach, who was in the Cranberry police force for more than 30 years, worked alongside Ahlgren and hired him almost 10 years ago for a special task.
Photography isn’t Ahlgren’s only hobby, something Kovach knows after hiring Ahlgren and his barbershop quartet to serenade Kovach’s wife on their 30th wedding anniversary.
Ahlgren didn’t have to go far for the event. Like Ahlgren, Kovach’s wife works in the Cranberry Township Municipal Center. He simply walked down the hall and the group sang in her office.
“He has a lot of talents with photography, singing,” Kovach said. “He’s even a volunteer firefighter. He’s not only a good police officer, but he has a lot of talent outside of police work. It makes me kind of jealous.”
Ahlgren said he plans on submitting more work to the Cranberry Artists Network for its next show in October.
