The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of Philadelphia. For the semiquincentennial celebrations, there will be replicas displayed across Philadelphia and around the state.

Through the "Bells Across PA" project, replica Liberty Bells will call all 67 counties in Pennsylvania home. The purpose is to celebrate each community they're in. Local artists are stepping up to help.

"It's the first time I've ever painted on anything like this," artist Bob Dix said.

When we spoke with the Northeast Philadelphia native, he was sitting in a Logan warehouse. Folding tables were set up across the room, and on top of each one was a fiberglass bell.

"I'm working on the industry section now, because I grew up a block away from the Delaware," Dix said.

Dix has lived all over the city, but the bell he was painting will call Glen Foerd home.

"I'm doing everything from Lenape leaders to people that have lived in Glen Foerd to native wildlife in the area, because where Glen Foerd is positioned is the dividing line between Philadelphia and Bucks County," Dix said.

For even more authenticity, Dix is incorporating the Delaware River into his project – literally mixing water from the river with his paints.

Dix said using Delaware River water as a medium puts "some sort of spirit of that area" into the design.

Symone Salib was hard at work when we visited the workspace in December.  

"I'm a muralist, usually things are a rectangle, not a cylinder," Salib said with a laugh. "I know it's for the [semiquincentennial], but for me, I really feel like it's about celebrating what's happening now in the communities that we live in."

The Philadelphia transplant is working on two bells for the project. One of them, titled "The Golden Block," depicts El Centro de Oro in the city's Fairhill neighborhood.

"When I was asked to do the Fifth and Lehigh bell, I was really excited. I'm someone who's Cuban. A lot of people who are like Latine live up there," Salib said. "When people see this, I want them to feel a sense of pride for their neighborhood. I want them to pull out little pieces that remind them of their everyday lives."

Dix and Salib are among the 16 artists tasked with transforming these sculptures into a Liberty Bell that reflects the space, community or neighborhood it'll be installed in.

"It absolutely is a love letter to Philadelphia, and it's through the lens of artists," said Jane Golden, executive director of the Mural Arts Philadelphia program.

But the artists aren't doing this project alone.

"These are the business corridors that we serve, the business corridors that we patronize, we take our buses, we feed our kids at these stores," Matthew George with Germantown United CDC said.

Each community in Philadelphia, where these 22 bells live, has a say in what their Liberty Bell should stand for, according to America250PA. George is one of the neighbors who is a part of the process.

"We had input on about 10 to 12 artists and neighbors and stakeholders that came in the room to really sit down with the artists and with the team and really think about what's actually going on this bell," George said.

America250PA tells CBS News Philadelphia that more than 100 of the 3-foot-wide by 3-foot-tall fiberglass bells will be on display across the commonwealth. There is at least one in each of the 67 counties.

"When folks see these bells, we hope that they are truly a public invitation to start those conversations, to learn about some of those stories," Cassandra Coleman, executive director of America250PA, said.

Coleman adds that more than 75 bells are already installed. Philadelphia organizers note the bells in the city will all be on display by the end of March.

By the end of January, Visit Pennsylvania and the America250PA website will feature a map of every single bell's location.

"There's gonna be a Bells Across Pennsylvania Trail, and again, really encouraging folks to go find the bells," Coleman said. "There might just be some prizes for them if they do."

America250PA, Coleman notes, started eight years ago. The organization will be hosting several events throughout the state all year, including a Commonwealth Concert Series, educational opportunities and scholarships for Pennsylvania high school seniors.