Mark Your Calendar For Pottstown ArtsWalk – A Free Event – Saturday, January 7, 2017!

POTTSTOWN, PA  –  “We have always recognized and embraced what the arts and collaboration can do for a community”, said Erika Hornburg-Cooper, ArtFusion19464. Join us for a day of discovery on Saturday, January 7, 2017. Arts and culture organizations, local businesses and restaurants are teaming up to bring you an amazing day of fun, food and entertainment. “The Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority (PDIDA) is excited to be a part in this venture. It has been very exciting to see our downtown community pull together with our arts and cultural organizations to create this amazing event,” states Sheila Dugan, PDIDA.

Viewing the art in a kind of “pub crawl” format adds to the fun and energetic quality of this event. Family-friendly activities are scheduled from 2 to 4 pm and from 4 to 8 pm more great activities designed for adults. Nearly 20 downtown business will be open to showcase original artwork displays and live musical entertainment.

 

“It all starts with the arts!” said Lauren Pierson-Swanson, Steel River Playhouse. “To know Pottstown is to love it. The people behind the businesses and attractions on and around High Street are smart, driven and dedicated to this beautiful historic town. Art has always been a catalyst in the rejuvenation of American communities and is the focus of Pottstown ArtsWalk.”

While this event is free, we ask that you pre-register for your free ticket. Each is valid for one person to join the Pottstown ArtsWalk on Saturday, January 7, 2017, and you can order as many as you need. Visit www.artfusion19464.org/artwalk.

Get a taste for all the activities, food and arts presentations. Here is a list of venues and artists joining us Saturday, January 7th to showcase Pottstown and all that the our community has to offer:

@107, 107 E. High St. and Advantage Insurance – music by Cordilla Arcay and Matt Asti and original artwork display from John Quinn; light refreshments; wine tasting

ArtFusion 19464, 254 E. High St. – local artists’ collections, an interactive art experience, and soup bowl glazing fundraiser

Ballroom on High, 310 E. High St. – free dance lesson and live band dance with Temple Avenue; refreshments

Beverly’s Pastry Shop, 322 E. High St. – discounts on sweet treats

Connections on High, 238 E. High St. – custom portrait making and local artists’ displays; hot holiday beverages

Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches, 137 E. High St.– Pottstown HS Culinary Arts students will be making/serving complimentary hors d’oeuvres; discounts on food/meal during the ArtsWalk

High Street Music, 135 E. High St. – original artwork display by Pottstown HS students and the Craig Clemens Jazz Trio

iCreate Cafe, 130 King St. – discounts on food/meal during the ArtsWalk

Juan Carlos Fine Mexican Cuisine, 235 E. High St. – discounts on food/meal during the ArtsWalk

Lily’s Grill, 115 E. High St. – discounts on food/meal during the ArtsWalk

MCCC North Hall Gallery, 16 E. High St. – staged reading of A Bright Room Called Day by Tony Kushner

Memory Madness Photo Studio, 16 N. York St. – open house

MOSIAC Community Land Trust, 10 S. Hanover St. – painting Schuylkill River rocks for placement in gardens around town

Potts & Penn Family Diner, 80 E. High St. – discounts on food/meal during the ArtsWalk

Smith Family Plaza, 100 E. High St. – view sculptures by Eric Berg

Steel River Playhouse, 245 E. High St. – hand-made theatrical costume display by Ally Boughter; artwork by Thomas Poplawski

The Carousel at Pottstown, 30 W. King St. – meet artists of the all-volunteer organization and hear presentations on the project’s history

The Hill School Center for the Performing Arts, 780 Beech St. – paper lantern art activity and backstage tours

Weitzenkorn’s, 145 E. High St. – view works by our families fifth generation, light refreshments

To get the latest update on locations and activities, visit artfusion19464.org or www.steelriver.org. Don’t forget to pre-register for Pottstown ArtsWalk! Visit www.artfusion19464.org/artwalk.

Pottstown ArtsWalk is brought to you in partnership through ArtFusion19464, Steel River Playhouse, @107, Proudly Pottstown and Advantage Insurance Group.

P.S. A great ending to a great day with lots of laughs! The N Crowd Improv Group from Philly will be at Steel River Playhouse for an 8 pm show! Tickets available at www.steelriver.org

Fifth Annual Summer Fundraiser for Artfusion

Pottstown, PA – Looking for something fun to do in August? Make plans to join ArtFusion 19464 for their fifth annual summer beef and beer fundraiser on Saturday, August 8 from 6-9pm. This year’s event will again be held at the ArtFusion facility at 254 E. High St.

Advance tickets are $20, if purchased before July 25. Tickets purchased after this date are $25. If the event has not sold out, tickets will be available at the door. Tickets can be bought online at http://www.artfusion19464.org, in person at ArtFusion, or over the phone by calling 610-326-2506. Guests can choose a beef entrée, or a vegetarian sandwich option.

Victory Brewing Company has once again generously donated their amazing beer for this event. The Butcher and the BBQ will be making the hot beef sandwiches and Montesano Bros. will again be creating their amazing side salads and veggie sandwiches. The Community Gardens in Pottstown will be donating a fresh garden salad for everyone to enjoy. There will be soda and water in addition to Victory beer and homemade desserts to finish off the meal.

Along with enjoying great food and great beer, guests will have the chance to win fun door prizes and try their luck at a 50/50 raffle. Guests could win a $50 Wegman’s gift card, a gift basket from local soapmaker Scentual Gardens, a gift card from Connections coffee shop, goodies from Milkman Cake Shoppe, a “Shop Local” gift basket donated by Dolan Law Group, a basket of cheer donated by the ArtFusion Board of Directors and featuring a selection of red and white wines, and their choice of original artwork. Each guest will receive one door prize chance free with their paid ticket. Additional tickets will be one sale throughout the night. Proceeds benefit ArtFusion 19464’s upcoming fall educational exhibit Her Story. This show will feature artwork inspired by women’s history.

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.

ArtFusion Show Highlights 5 Local Artists

“Modern Woman” by Bob Hakun

“It Happened One Evening” by Jeanne Petrosky and Dennis Guzenski

untitled piece by Dora Siemel

untitled piece by Kristen VonHohen

Pottstown, PA – ArtFusion 19464’s latest show titled “5” is a showcase for five talented local artists: Kristen VonHohen, Bob Hakun, Dora Siemel, Jeanne Petrosky and Dennis Guzenski. Each artist creates unique three-dimensional art pieces in different mediums from clay and glass to handmade paper and rusted metal. The show opens November 4 and runs through November 15.

ArtFusion will host a reception on Friday November 7 from 6-8pm where guests can meet and talk with each of the artists. Light refreshments will be served, and the event is free and open to the public. RSVPs to 610-326-2506 are appreciated.

Kristen VonHohen is a local artist residing in Gilbertsville.  Her passion in ceramics was formed in Boyertown High School’s art program in the early 2000s.  She went on to attend University of the Arts in Philadelphia, earning a BFA in Ceramics.  Kristen focuses on hand built structures and enjoys experimenting with forms and shape.  In this show Kristen’s latest work incorporate fusible glass in the finished pieces, creatively combining two completely different elements to create new works of art.

Dora Siemel’s sculpture medium is clay. She has her own studio in Green Lane, Pennsylvania. All her pieces are hand built and fired to between cone 4 and cone 6.  The colors come from any combination of glazes, oxides, paints and waxes. Since each piece is made individually, no two are exactly alike. She does, however, make “families” that have the same general characteristics.  Some of her pieces incorporate “found” objects and others marry her love of fiber and crochet with her clay sculptures

Bob Hakun says of his work:  “I collect old discarded common items: some natural, some man-made. I look for old pieces that show the graphic effects of aging: the beauty and harshness of the breaking-down over time of all things into what they came from. I look for pieces that are burnt, broken, rusty, crushed, bent, stained and cracked (and sometimes smell bad). Sometimes the final art piece will seem to tell a story or convey a message about something, but it will not be clear as to what that message really is. It is open to interpretation by the viewer.”

Jeanne Petrosky has always loved creating. She studied painting, drawing, sculpture, etching, graphic arts, and pottery. In 1987, Jeanne met a woman at a party who made paper. Having always loved paper and fiber, the first thing out of her mouth was “I’d like to try that.” The connection to making paper was immediate.

Dennis Guzenski has always loved drawing. Dennis’ fine art career evolved from the world of decorative arts. He came to painting by way of many different careers including painting the exteriors of Victorian homes.  His growing interest in learning many new decorative painting and designer wall finishes eventually turned into a business.

Jeanne and Dennis met in 2002, beginning a journey of partnership, and collaborations in the studio. The fine art of Jeanne Petrosky and Dennis Guzenski is now a completely collaborative effort. Their bold approach to papermaking has won them numerous awards. They are published in multiple books, and their work can be seen at the country’s most acclaimed shows. At first glance, Jeanne and Dennis’s art is color. Upon a closer look the viewer starts appreciating the nuances, the subtlety and the expansiveness in the simplicity, seeing the interplay of color and texture within the form.

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.

A Must See Video About A Rental Unit In Pottstown – Contains Adult Language

Art Fusion 19464 Jazz Night Sells Out!

 

Jazz Nite II is tonight! Remember to use the rear entrance and arrive 15 minutes before the show begins.  This event is SOLD OUT.

No tickets will be available at the door.

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