Three Free Summer Art Programs Offered At ArtFusion 19464

Pottstown, PA –  The mission of non-profit ArtFusion 19464 is to make the arts accessible to everyone in the greater Pottstown community.  As part of their ongoing efforts to live that mission, ArtFusion will be offering three free art programs this summer for children ages 7-12.

Two of these fun and engaging programs are sponsored by the Greater Pottstown Foundation.  Kids Art Academy is a general arts exploration class, where students explore two- and three-dimensional arts. Students in Clay Academy delve into all aspects of creating with clay.  Participants will work on handbuilding and also have a chance to work on a pottery wheel.

Local young artists will also have a chance to expand their drawing skills while learning about a new language.  Drawing with Hebrew Letters, sponsored by Sager and Sager and The Jewish Women’s League of Congregation Mercy and Truth, will introduce students to drawing using a creative language of letters and shapes.  This free program is open to artists of all faiths.  No prior drawing experience or knowledge of the language is required, just a desire to learn and create. Students will create with ink, paper and color, learning to express with their hands what their imaginations see.

Applications can be picked up at ArtFusion’s 254 E. High St. location or downloaded from their website at artfusion19464.org/classes/scholarshipsprograms/.  Applications are due by May 31. While preference is given to those students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, all students are strongly encouraged to apply.

ArtFusion 19464 is a 501(c)3 non-profit community art center.  The school offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages.  The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence.  ArtFusion’s gallery hosts rotating shows featuring local artists.  The gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items.  The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm.  The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.

Art Draws Pennsylvania’s First Lady To Reading

High heels dug into the soft ground under the afternoon sun as Pennsylvania first lady Susan Corbett treaded with caution in a grassy lot off Beech Street in Reading.

On a building across from Opportunity House’s Second Street Learning Center, a multi-story mural, featuring painted plants and mosaic-tiled butterflies, gleamed in the sunlight.

“It’s absolutely stunning,” Gov. Tom Corbett’s wife said of the community mural, one of dozens installed in and around Reading in recent years.

Fresh from a morning press conference at a charter school for the arts in Bethlehem, Susan Corbett stopped in Reading to tour the learning center and view examples of the city’s community art.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=465178

ArtFusion 19464 Seeking Donations Of Military Uniforms For Exhibit

Pottstown, PA –  ArtFusion is in need of old military uniforms for an upcoming educational art exhibit. The uniforms will be used in an amazing interactive art project with local veterans.  They are able to use any size, condition or clothing item you may have (pants, shirts, etc.).  We are specifically looking for Vietnam era uniforms but will accept all types from any era.  Uniforms can be dropped off at their 254 E. High St. location during regular business hours: Tuesday through Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm

ArtFusion 19464 is a 501(c)3 non-profit community art center located at 254 E. High St. in downtown Pottstown.  The school offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages.  The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence.  ArtFusion’s gallery hosts rotating shows featuring local artists.  The gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items.  The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm.  The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.

Downtown Lancaster’s Ware Center Alive With Activity

That beehive of activity known as The Ware Center is open for business once again.

After taking a winter break, the Millersville University facility at 42 N. Prince St. will host more than 65 events between late this month and the end of May.

A number of series will be ongoing throughout the school year.  Among the themes are poetry, jazz, opera, theater, dance, art, film, lectures and a Family Fun Fest for children and parents.  ”This year is pretty crowded,” notes Harvey Owen, center director.  ”There is something here or at the Winter Center (Millersville University’s other major performing arts center, which is on campus) almost every night.”

Local performers and a wide array of national and international acts are on the schedule.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/806238_Downtown-Ware-Center-alive-with-activity.html#ixzz2Ikf76ANM

Art Lives At GoggleWorks; Artists To Live At GoggleWorks II

A 1947 topographic map of the Reading, Pennsylvania area. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Entertainment Square at Second and Washington streets is about to get another boost, this one aimed at combination apartment/studios for professional artists.

Retailer Albert R. Boscov this week said his nonprofit Our City Reading is ready to start on a $4.5 million renovation of a still-unused portion of the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts on the square’s northeast corner.

That five-story building, also called GoggleWorks II, is connected to the main building by overhead walkways.

It will get 20 to 25 so-called live-work spaces, ranging in size from 1,200 to 2,800 square feet, with roughly a third of each to be living space in the interiors, and two-thirds to be studio space next to the big windows of what had been a safety equipment factory.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=433907

The Secret Studio Returns To ArtFusion 19464 For A Third Year

POTTSTOWN, PA – Looking for a way to make holiday gift shopping easier for your children?  Then be sure to check out VanGogh’s Secret Studio, a fun opportunity for kids 12 and under to shop for special gifts for family and friends.  The studio is fully stocked with goodies for everyone on their lists, from relatives to teachers and coaches.

All items are handcrafted and range in price from $1 to $5.  The Workshop will be open Saturday, December 15 from 10am to 3pm and Sunday, December 16 from 12-3pm at the ArtFusion building, 254 E. High St.

ArtFusion recommends children come with a list and a budget.  Parents can download a simple form from the ArtFusion website: www.artfusion19464.org.  The ArtFusion elves will help the children select gifts and stay within their budget.  Shoppers will even get their gifts wrapped for free! Parents must remain in the gallery while their children shop.  The Studio is a fundraiser for the non-profit ArtFusion 19464.

ArtFusion 19464 is a 501(c)3 non-profit community art center located at 254 E. High St. in downtown Pottstown.  The school offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages.  The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence.  ArtFusion’s gallery hosts rotating shows featuring local artists.  The gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items.  The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm.  The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.

Effort To Restore Reading City Park Sculpture Takes Flight

Editor’s note:  Two thumbs up for Godiva Chocolatier, former mayor Tom McMahon, Yesid Gomez and Wilfer Buitrago for their efforts to help beautify the City of Reading.

The pursuit to restore one of Reading’s most unique sculptures is gaining momentum through private donations and the efforts of two artists.

GoggleWorks artists Yesid Gomez and Wilfer Buitrago have obtained the first financial contributions for the dove sculpture in Reading’s City Park, a project that could cost up to $40,000.

“I read the article about the artists working on the dove in the summer,” said Justin Burford, a human resource assistant at Godiva Chocolatier in Exeter Township.  That triggered discussions with Godiva coworkers and the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts about fundraising for the project.

“We thought this would be perfect unifying point for our Cultural Awareness Day,” Burford said of Godiva workers.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=432483

Live Jazz Event In Downtown Pottstown

ArtFusion 19464 in association whit Cheapniteout Productions presents Jazz Nite on Saturday, December 1 from 7-10pm.  Featuring the High Street Swing Company (Louis Rieger, Larry Marshall, Ben Bullock, Brian Langdon, Ben Britton) for an evening of JAZZ @ an unbelievable cost, just $5.00.  LIVE JAZZ in an Arts and Crafts Environment with free refreshments, door prize and BYOB.

Art Fusion 19464 Annual Holiday Art Show

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Pottstown, PA– Take a peek into The Secret Life of Trees, ArtFusion 19464’s annual holiday show opened November 10 and will be on display in their main gallery through January 5, 2013. The challenge of this show was to interpret the theme of “the secret life of trees.” 38 local artists responded with an amazing breadth of work, from oils and watercolors to recycled sculpture and ceramics. One piece will be awarded a $100 best in show prize, sponsored by Fulton Bank, Pottstown branch. Other show sponsors are: Window Sponsor Dolan & Mayerson, P.C.; NCG, Inc.; Wolf, Baldwin & Associates; and Keller Williams Realty Group.

Participating artists include: Alita Abruzzese, Denise Bennett, Roselyn Cadoff, Mary Chisak, Arline Christ, Richardson Comly, Phillip Compton, Danielle D’Aries, Peter Ehlinger, Cassie Eshelman, Teresa McWilliams Farina, Lisa Foster, Gail Fronheiser, Bob Hakun, Susan Klinger, Mary Kosar, Virginia Gaudiello, Joe Hoover, Millie Lea, Judy Lupas, Ellen Marcus, Charles McCann, Donna Meyers, Geoffrey Meyers, Cari Myford, Harriette Nadler, Beverly Nuzzo, Carol Ross Noyes, Gwendolyn Parrish, Joni Peters, Jackie Pierson, Sue Ploppert, Barbara Rambo, David Ruser, Jodie Scharadin, Dora Siemel, Connie Worth, and Arleen Yeager.

The community is invited to the official opening reception for this show on Friday, December 7 from 5-8pm. This fun event is ArtFusion’s annual holiday party. Refreshments will be served. That evening is also the perfect chance to start your holiday shopping. Although this event is free, ArtFusion does ask that you RSVP to 610-326-2506

Artist Leigh Ritasse will be creating caricatures during the party as a fundraiser for ArtFusion.  A black and white head and shoulders image is only $20. That evening ArtFusion will also be collecting donations of canned goods for a food drive run by the Pottstown Keystone Chapter 565 of Vietnam Veterans. This food will go to local veterans and their families for the holidays. They are asking for non-perishable items like instant potatoes and stuffing, cranberry sauce, cornbread mix, etc.

ArtFusion 19464 is a 501(c)3 non-profit community art center. The school offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages. The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence. ArtFusion’s gallery hosts rotating shows featuring local artists. The gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm. The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.

GoggleWorks Open-Air Studio Livens Up 400 Block Of Penn

The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts brought the arts downtown Wednesday with painters, potters, sculptors and more.

Eighteen artists came to the center’s first open-air studio in the 400 block of Penn Street.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=420121

Catasauqua Mural Offers Views Of Local History

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lehigh County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To Prakash Thakrar, the wall of one of his buildings isn’t brick and mortar — it’s a canvas.

And now that a new community development project turned his stack of brick into an acrylic tribute to the town where he does business, Thakrar is hopeful other local shop owners will join in with renderings of their own.

Allentown muralist Matt Halm recently put the finishing touches on a Welcome to Catasauqua sign — but one that treats people entering the borough from Pine Street to various views of the town’s history.

It’s part of a $12,000 mural Catasauqua added to a wall at 115-117 Pine Street.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/catasauqua/mc-catasauqua-mural-20120920,0,2641134.story

Pottstown Gallery On High Becomes Art Fusion 19464

Editor’s note:  Congratulations to our friends at Art Fusion 19464.  Arts revitalization is a key piece of Pottstown’s ability to reinvent itself and transform the borough into a once again thriving community!

POTTSTOWN, PA — As of this week, the Gallery on High is no more.

But don’t worry. You’re not going to miss any of the art exhibits, sales of local artists’ works or art classes offered there.

That’s because the nonprofit that offers appealing exhibits as well as engaging programming through its educational arm, the Gallery School of Pottstown, still exists at 254 E. High St. It just has a new name — Art Fusion 19464 — to go with a renewed and more acutely focused mission.

The name signifies the coming together — the fusion, if you will — of the gallery and educational portions of the organization, which launched in Pottstown in 2005, according to Erika Hornburg-Cooper, executive director and co-founder of Art Fusion 19464.

“We are evolving … again,” said Hornburg-Cooper. “We have so many arts and cultural amenities in Pottstown. This new name positions us as a destination.”

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20120908/FINANCE01/120909575/pottstown-gallery-on-high-becomes-art-fusion-19464&pager=full_story

New Gallery Opening On First Friday In Downtown Lancaster

Northumberland County couple hang shingle on Water Street

They were only supposed to be visiting for the day.

In early June, Jody and Cheryl Fallon came to Lancaster to see a friend’s art exhibit on Gallery Row.

The Fallons, married artists who live about two hours north of Lancaster, walked around town and wound up in a gallery on Water Street.

They noticed the space next door was vacant and learned it was for rent. They looked at each other, Jody Fallon recalled, and an idea formed.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/696570_New-gallery-opening-First-Friday.html#ixzz227PgVsv7

Chester County Painter And Sculptor Tom Bostelle Has Works Featured In West Chester University Show

MOSAIC Gallery Art Show Opens July 4th In Pottstown

Primary Colors_by_Sharon_Merkel

Pottstown, Pa - Are you an art enthusiast who is interested in supporting local artists?  Do you want to take part in Pottstown’s growing arts scene while helping to boost the local economy?  Then come and check out Pottstown’s very own MOSAIC Gallery.

Opening this 4^th of July, MOSAIC presents Nurturing Hope, a show featuring area artists Sharon Merkel and Sharon McGinley.  You may know MOSAIC Community Land  Trust for bringing Pottstown its first community garden at 423 Chestnut Street, but MOSAIC also utilizes its office space at 10 S. Hanover Street as an art gallery.  This show highlights the beauty in nature and in urban spaces, much like a community garden.

Like a garden nestled into a congested city block, the spiritual paintings of Sharon McGinley contrast with the graphic urban photos of Sharon Merkel to embody the hope and vitality of an urban garden.

In her artist’s statement, photographer Sharon Merkel says of her work, “The images explore the place where man and nature meet.  I am fascinated with this intersection, the place where each affects the other.”  Her photos of urban buildings and barns often feature intersections with a brilliant sky or a lone tree.

Sharon McGinley’s paintings include bright colors, whimsy, and nature on a biblical or essential level.  “I explore the inner-connectedness of all things, the impermanence of earthly life and the joys and sorrows we experience on our journeys,” she says.

MOSAIC receives a standard 30% commission on all art sales, so a purchase not only supports these local artists, but also the community garden, arts, and affordable housing mission of MOSAIC Community Land Trust.

This show is being curated by MOSAIC summer interns Amanda Hoffman and Blake Wrigley, who spent their early years in Pottstown and graduated from Boyertown High School.  Blake is a recent graduate of Messiah College and Amanda is a senior art major there.

Nurturing Hope will run from July 4 – July 28.  All are welcome to an opening reception on Friday, July 6 from 7-9pm; food and drinks are sponsored by Lointer HOME.  The MOSAIC gallery, located at 10 S. Hanover Street in Pottstown, will be open from 10am -1 pm on July 4^th during the Pottstown Homecoming Parade.  (Rain date is July 5^th.) Regular gallery hours are Thursday – Saturday from 4 – 7 pm.

Chaos_by_Sharon_Merkel

McGinley_1

Sharon McGinley – 2

National Art Tour Comes to Pottstown

Pottstown, PA – The Gallery School of Pottstown and Gallery on High will be kicking-off a rebranding campaign this fall with an amazing art exhibit.  This show has been traveling throughout the south and was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show in February 2011.  Threads of a Story: Continued will open September 7, 2012 at the Gallery.  Threads features the work of artist Charlotta Janssen, who was inspired by mug shots of famous–and non famous–people arrested during the civil rights movement in the 50s and 60s.

Threads evolved as a way to visually thank participants of the civil rights movement for their work and dedication that made the moment possible.  Janssen specifically honors Bus Boycotters from 1956 and Freedom Riders from 1961.  The artist’s goals are to transport the viewer back to this moment in time, to create a living history and bring awareness to a collective consciousness where segregation seemed normal and fighting it was a daunting task.  To realize these goals, Janssen re-imagines the mug shots of her subjects using oil, acrylic, rust and collage.  Mug shots are normally portraits of shame, but in those belonging to the Bus Boycotters and Freedom Riders, she sees their heroism, determination and courage.

The exhibit at the Gallery will feature eight brand new portraits in this incredible series, including new portraits of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks.  Also on display will be giclee prints of 15 of her portraits from the original series.  The show will open with a private reception on September 7.  The show will be open to the public from September 8 through October 20, 2012 during normal Gallery hours.  Educational field trips for local school and groups can also be arranged.  Pieces from the original series can also seen beginning July 6 at the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for this show.  Interested businesses should email info@galleryonhigh.com or call 610-326-2506 for more information.

Charlotta Janssen was born in Maine to German parents living in America under the Marshall plan.  In 1973, her family moved to Iran, which they fled during the revolution in 1979.  Janssen studied painting at the University of Arts in Berlin from 1986-1989, dropping out to travel the world as a street musician and performance artist.  To make sense of all of these experiences, she returned to painting in 1991 with a clear voice that was no longer searching but finding.  She
currently lives and paints augmented portraiture in Brooklyn, NY.

The Gallery School of Pottstown is a 501c3 non-profit community art school and gallery.  The School offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages.  The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence.  The Gallery on High hosts rotating shows featuring local artists.  The Gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items.  The Gallery on High is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-4:30pm and
Saturday 10am-3pm.  The Gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.

Poetry Paths Mural Outside Lancaster’s El Centro Hispano Reflects Fabric Of Community

What had been a large, blank wall outside the Spanish American Civic Association’s El Centro Hispano has become a reflection of the community.

Pictured on a new mural, the installation of which was completed last week, are depictions of 28 people.  Some of them work inside the center that serves Lancaster city’s Hispanic community.  Some of them helped establish SACA, and some helped establish the city’s Hispanic community six decades ago.

“It’s a record,” Carlos Graupera, SACA executive director, said of the 30-foot tall mural. “It’s a way to respect what happened in this community.”

Graupera, whose image is at the far end of the painted fabric mural, said the depictions include people who came to Lancaster from Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.  It also includes many who were born in Lancaster of immigrant parents.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/666429_SACA-remembrance.html#ixzz1xV3mSNld

Free Summer Program Application Deadline Is June 8

The Gallery School of Pottstown is excited to offer three free summer programs for students ages 8-12.  Kids Art Academy is a general arts exploration class, where students will explore two and three-dimensional arts.  Students in Clay Academy will delve into all aspects of creating with clay, including using a pottery wheel.  The third class, Asian Arts, will take students on a journey through the art traditions of many Asian countries.
 
Art Academy and Clay academy begin in June, while Asian Arts starts in July.  Applications must be received by June 8, 2012 for all three programs.  Applications can be found online at http://www.galleryonhigh.com/programs.html,
or in person at the school at 254 E. High St.
 
All three programs are funded by the Greater Pottstown Foundation and are free for the students, with the exception of a small registration fee.  While preference is given to those students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, students who do not qualify are also encouraged to apply.  Questions can be emailed to info@galleryonhigh.com, or asked over the phone at 610-326-2506.
 
The Gallery School of Pottstown is a 501c3 non-profit community art school and gallery.  The School offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages.  The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence.  The Gallery on High hosts rotating shows featuring local artists.  The Gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items.  The Gallery on High is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am – 4:30pm and Saturday 10am – 3pm.  The Gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.

Lancaster’s Spring ArtWalk Will Be Hands-On

During next weekend’s ArtWalk in downtown Lancaster, you won’t just be looking at the art — you’ll be a part of it.

Community-made paintings will be one byproduct of the hands-on, interactive events offered by several galleries and studios around town Saturday and Sunday.

For example, you can step into the paint-flecked shoes of Jackson Pollock, helping to create one of several paintings on the second floor of Tellus360/Gallery360, 24 E. King St., from noon to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday.

 

Annie Schwartz, of Tellus360, said 11 stretched canvases of various sizes will be placed on the floor, and visitors can take turns dripping various colors of donated house paint onto the canvases, experiencing Pollock’s technique.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/636260_Lancaster-s-spring-ArtWalk-will-be-hands-on.html#ixzz1tXIHrEQH

Dora Siemel Wins Best in Show Honors At Gallery On High’s “Re-Creative” Art Show

Pottstown, PA  -  Local Artist Wins Best In Show

Artist Dora Siemel received Best in Show honors for her piece, Buy More Stuff!, at a reception at the Gallery on High, Saturday, April 14.  Dora and 19 other local artists participated in Re-Creative, a recycled art show.  Entries in this show had to be created from recycled, upcycled or salvaged materials.

The $100 prize was sponsored by the National Association of Remodelers-Building Industries Exchange (NARI-BIE) Green Team.  Green Team member Christine Elliott awarded the prize.  The Green Team judges had the following to say about the winning entry:

Buy New Stuff!. . . stood out to the judges as a lively piece of art, steeped in the nostalgia of quality American manufacturing, while poking fun at our current culture which thrives on poorly made goods and constant consumerism.  While strong social messages are observed within this piece, it also stands alone as an artistic historic tribute.  The artful arrangement of materials from consumer products is delightful and the reclaimed nature of the materials strictly followed the theme of the show.  The reverse form inherent in the newspaper type elements used added an intriguing, reflective symbolism to this piece.  The piece takes us on a journey into our past, as it prods us to seriously consider our future.

Re-Creative runs through April 21.  Guests can view the exhibit during regular gallery hours: Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 4:30pm and Saturday 10am to 3pm.  The Gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.

The Gallery School of Pottstown is a 501c3 non-profit community art school and gallery.  The School offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages.  The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence.  The Gallery on High hosts rotating shows featuring local artists.  The Gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items.

The Gallery School of Pottstown

@Gallery on High

254 E. High Street

Pottstown, PA  19464

610-326-2506

www.galleryonhigh.org