New Show Features Best In Show Winners At ArtFusion

Self Portrait 2016 by Gwendolyn Lanier

Pottstown, PA – The Chosen Two, a new show at ArtFusion 19464, opened on September 17 and will run through October 1.  This show will feature artwork from the winners of a Best in Show contest from ArtFusion’s 2016 Winter Member Show. Visitors to the show voted for their favorite artists, and the two artists who received the most votes won their own show. Artists Joe Hoover and Gwendolyn Lanier will present an amazing collection of 3D and 2D artwork. Gwendolyn and Joe invite the community to a meet the artists reception on Friday, September 23 from 6-8pm. The reception is free and open to the public. RSVPs to 610-326-2506 or info@artfusion19464.org are appreciated.

With a strong interest in art since childhood, it was natural that, after retiring from teaching school and choral conducting, Joe Hoover would choose painting as a

Above and Below by Joe Hoover

hobby. Shortly thereafter, memberships with member of the Pottstown Area Artists’ Guild (PAAG), Berks Art Alliance (BAA), and Chester County Art Association (CCAA) changed this casual hobby into a year-round commitment to group, solo and juried shows. Joe’s initial focus was on floral subjects in transparent watercolor. More recently his is exploring more varied media and subject matter. Among recent honors were Excellence Awards in two CCAA Watermedia Shows, a Best in show at a PAAG Membership show, and a Purchase Award and Honorable Mention in BAA Regional Juried Shows. For Joe, perhaps the biggest honor of all is simply exhibiting in the company of an ever expanding group of fine artists. Joe has been a Working Artist Member at ArtFusion for over 10 years.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Gwendolyn Lanier began making art in 2000 at the Essex Art Center in Lawrence, Massachusetts. In 2009 Gwendolyn received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Studio Arts degree at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston MA.  Her primary focus as an undergraduate was Ceramics Figurative Sculpture. In 2012 she received her Post Baccalaureate in Graduate Studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia PA, where her exploration of drawing led her to her current body of work.

Gwendolyn’s art has been featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Lawrence Eagle Tribune, and at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts during the 2008 NCECA Confluence Conference. She has shown her work at the Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, Katherine Weems Gallery in Boston, and other galleries across the East Coast. Gwendolyn is currently a Working Artist Member and instructor at ArtFusion.

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.

MCCC Awards Student Artists At TriCounty High School Art Exhibition‏

Photograph: Students from area high schools participated in Montgomery County Community College’s TriCounty High School Art Exhibition, and 19 students received Awards of Excellence for their artwork. Photograph by Diane VanDyke.

Pottstown, PA —More than 115 visitors attended the “Meet the Artists” reception and awards ceremony for the Third Annual TriCounty High School art show on Feb. 17 at Montgomery County Community College’s Fine Arts Gallery, North Hall, 16 High Street, Pottstown.

During the awards presentation, 19 students received certificates in recognition of their artwork, along with gifts of sketch pads and pencils. MCCC’s art faculty served as judges of the show, which included 160 entries from area high schools.

The following students received Awards of Excellence:

Methacton High School: Isabel Cabrena, “Nature,” acrylic; Emily Cortellessa, “Dionysus,” chalk pastel; and Sarah Koshy, “Chirophobia,” charcoal.

Owen J. Roberts High School:  Zachary Foreman, “Broken,” charcoal; and Nicole MacMullin, “Kacey,” charcoal.

Perkiomen Valley High School:  Isabel Guzman, “Long Term,” oil/water soluble; and Samuel Yu, “Kawaii,” ball point pen.

Plymouth Whitemarsh High School: Jackie Lorenzon, “Cubist Face,” digital photo; and Gianna Perrone, “Frosty Falls,” digital photo.

Spring-Ford High School:  Abigail Grinstead, “Gadgets/Utensils,” charcoal; and Sabrina Pistona, “Gadget/Bicycle,” colored pencil on charcoal paper.

The Hill School:  Toby Johnson, “Chief,” digital art; Aron Gyoo Lee, “Panda Heaven,” pastel; Marina Mendez, “Leopard,” digital arts; and Cathy Wang, “Grandma,” photography.

Upper Merion Area High School: MJ Aggabao, “7-Up,” colored pencil; Nicole Dunleavy, “Sprinkles,” photography; Yaseen Elarbi, “Droplets,” photography; and Abby Volpe, “Distaste,” charcoal.

The exhibition opened Feb. 17 and will continue through March 4. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m., and Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Closed weekends.

The next exhibit, the 11^th Annual Art Students’ Exhibition and Competition, opens on April 6 and runs through April 29 and features the artwork of MCCC students. The community is invited to the opening reception and award ceremony on Wednesday, April 13, 5-7 p.m. For more information about the exhibition, contact Gallery Director Holly Cairns at 215-619-7349 or hcairns@mc3.edu.

Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DestinationArts for information about upcoming performances and art exhibitions.

Local Artists Vie For Best In Show‏

wms-16-christ.jpg Arizona Desert by Arline Christ

wms16-shelton The City Life by Joseph C. Shelton

wms-16-zeiset Love by Sandy Zeiset

– The Working Artists Members of ArtFusion 19464 are competing for an incredible Best in Show award. The two artists who receive the most Best in Show votes will win their own show in the ArtFusion gallery in the fall of 2016. The contest is taking place during the annual Winter Member Show, an always wonderful collection of different styles and mediums, created by artists living in the greater Pottstown community.

Visitors to the gallery are asked to choose their favorite artist and make a donation in support of that artist winning Best in Show. Each $1 donation counts as one vote. Supporters can vote as many times as they like, for as many artists as they like. For those who can’t come to the show in person, online voting is available at the ArtFusion website, artfusion19464.org. Online voting ends on March 3. Visitors can also in person at ArtFusion up until 7pm on March 4, which the night of the reception and award ceremony. All proceeds from this fundraiser help support the non-profit community art center.

The reception will be held Friday, March 4 from 6-8pm in ArtFusion’s main gallery. Light refreshments will be served and the reception is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by calling 610-326-2506.

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. 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.

New Exhibit Features Best In Show Winners At ArtFusion

Attached: mconceptions.jpg. logo image for the show
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Pottstown, PA – ArtFusion’s latest show MythConceptions will open on November 7 and run through November 21.  This show will feature artwork from the winners of the Best in Show contest from ArtFusion’s 2015 Winter Member Show. Visitors to the show voted for their favorite artists and the two artists who received the most votes won their own show. Artists Dora Siemel and Gwendolyn Lanier-Gardner will present an amazing collection of 3D and 2D artwork. Gwendolyn and Dora invite the community to a meet the artists reception on Friday, November 13 from 6-8pm.

Dora Siemel was born in Matto Grosso, Brazil. In addition to being a sculptor, she is a poet, a computer consultant, a martial artist and a yoga instructor.  Dora has had her own studio in Green Lane, Pennsylvania since 1992. Her sculpture medium is clay. The colors come from any combination of glazes, oxides, paints and waxes. Dora says, “When it feels appropriate, I incorporate found objects into my sculptures. These can be metal, fiber, bone or anything else that seems to fit with the rest of the sculpture.”

Her work has been included in various juried shows including the Pottstown Area Artists Guild’s “Art on the Hill” show, the Lansdale Festival of the Arts, the Norristown Art League, the Meadowood Art Show, the Woodmere Art Museum Show, the Phillips Mill Art Show, the New Hope Art League Show, the Bucks Byers Fever Show, the Bucks County Sculpture Show, the FODC Show and the GoggleWorks Annual Show. Her pieces have won numerous local prizes, including three “Best of Show” awards.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Gwendolyn Lanier- Gardner began making art in 2000 at the Essex Art Center in Lawrence, Massachusetts. In 2009 Gwendolyn received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Studio Arts degree at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston MA.  Her primary focus as an undergraduate was Ceramics Figurative Sculpture. In 2012 she received her Post Baccalaureate in Graduate Studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia PA, where her exploration of drawing led her to her current body of work.

Gwendolyn’s art has been featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Lawrence Eagle Tribune, and at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts during the 2008 NCECA Confluence Conference. She has shown her work at the Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, Katherine Weems Gallery in Boston, and other galleries across the East Coast. Gwendolyn is currently a Working Artist Member and instructor at ArtFusion.

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.

Montgomery County Community College To Host Chester County Art Association’s Invitational ‘Members Show’

Yellow Roof by Sherry McVickar

Floral by Monique Kendikian-Sarlessian

Black Cows by Heather Davis

Red by Favi Dubo

Pottstown, PA— Montgomery County Community College is pleased to host Chester County Art Association’s (CCAA) Invitational “Members Show” at its Fine Arts Gallery, North Hall, 16 High Street, Pottstown from Wednesday, Sept. 16, through Friday, Oct. 16.

A “Meet the Artists” reception is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 5-7 p.m. Both the exhibit and the reception are free and open to the community and are sponsored by Alice Legge Penza.

This exhibit features an array of artwork in a variety of media of more than 20 participating members, including:  Annette Alessi, Favi Dubo, Heather Davis, Karen Delaney, Jim Fitzgerald, Marcia Gasser, Joseph Hoover, Hugo Hsu, Rhoda Kahler, Monique Kendikian-Sarlessian, Emily Manko, Jeremy McGirl, George McMonigle, Sherry McVickar, Kathy Miller, Roe Murray, Wendy Scheirer, Don Shoffner, John Suplee, Eileen Tolan and Denise Vitollo. McVickar is the curator of the exhibit.

“The CCAA Members Invitational show at Montgomery County Community College includes a curated selection of CCAA artists. Within the show, visitors will witness tremendous artistic talent and focus, while viewing a range of materials and subject matter. The Chester County Art Association is proud to have these artists represent our organization, and we thank the Montgomery County Community College for this wonderful opportunity in their unique and beautiful venue,” said Karen Delaney, executive director of the CCAA.

CCAA’s roots extend back to 1931 when it was founded by several prominent artists and community leaders, including illustrators William Palmer Lear and N.C. Wyeth, and art critic Christian Brinton, according to CCAA’s website. The group met weekly in private homes to sketch and plan exhibits, and for several years, they held their exhibits at West Chester University.

In the early 1950s, area resident Mary E. Page Allinson donated an acre of land in West Chester, where CCAA’s present art center was built in 1953. With donations from resident WW “Chick” Laird and bequests from Stewart Huston and Alison Farmer Wescott, CCAA added four acres, a second gallery and several studios by 1974.

Since its founding, CCAA’s mission “is to be a source of inspiration, creativity, and community by connecting artists, students, patrons and the wider community to and through art.”  CCAA hosts several art-focused community programs, including summer day camps, classes for adults and children and scholarships for deserving youth, and it has a satellite location known as the Exton Square Studio. For more information about CCAA, visit http://www.chestercountyarts.org/.

MCCC’s gallery hours are Mon.-Thurs., 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m. and Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For more information about the exhibit or the gallery, contact MCCC Galleries Director Holly Cairns at 215-619-7349 or hcairns@mc3.edu.

For the more information about upcoming exhibits and activities, like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DestinationArts, and visit our website at http://mc3.edu/arts/fine-arts.

Help support the arts and art education programs at Montgomery County Community College by becoming a Friend of the Galleries. Donations are tax deductible. For more information, contact the College Foundation at 215-641-6530.

Boyer Gallery To Host First Exhibit Of 2015

POTTSTOWN, PA – The Hill School’s first art exhibit of 2015, Barbara Zucker’s Shadows and Reflections, will open in Boyer Gallery on Friday, January 9 and run through Friday, February 20. The exhibit’s opening reception will take place on January 9 at 7 p.m. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Weekend hours are by appointment only.

Ms. Zucker’s lengthy career spans five decades. After graduating from Ursinus College in 1966, Ms. Zucker studied fine art at Arcadia University and L’Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy before earning her M. Ed. from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art in 1971. Ms. Zucker apprenticed with painter Richard Callner from 1972-75, and has had work featured in exhibitions since 1975. The Shadows and Reflections exhibit will be Ms. Zucker’s third appearance at The Hill School; her work also was featured in 1999 and in 2004. Her paintings are in the permanent collections of The Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College, The Reading Public Museum, Woodmere Art Museum, Rosemont College, and numerous other public, corporate, and private collections.

In addition to her studio work, Ms. Zucker has many years of experience in teaching art and gallery management, especially at local venues. She taught painting and drawing at Ursinus College from 1982 to 1999. Later she served as Gallery Director at ViewPoint LLC Arts and Events House in Lederach, Pa. and currently coordinates the Gallery at the Community Music School in Trappe. Ms. Zucker is President emerita of Philadelphia/Tri-State Artists Equity, and is a member of The Philadelphia Water Color Society and The National League of American Pen Women.

Bethlehem Affordable Artist Housing Nearly Ready For Occupancy

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

Lofted ceilings. A rooftop deck. Bird’s-eye views of the former Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces.

An on-site art gallery. Personal studio space. Central air conditioning, walk-in closets and modern kitchen and bathroom facilities.

While it sounds like they could be, these are not features of a new high-end apartment complex in Bethlehem. In fact, these amenities are part of a new 46-unit affordable apartment complex set to open on Bethlehem’s South Side in October.

“We have people come on tours because they can’t believe this is affordable housing,” said Jolene Weaver, corporate marketing manager for Housing Development Corp. MidAtlantic, the apartments’ developer.

Read more: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2014/08/bethlehem_affordable_artist_ho.html

Fourth Annual Summer Fundraiser For Artfusion

Pottstown, PA – ArtFusion 19464 will host their fourth annual summer beef and beer fundraiser on Saturday, August 9 from 6-9 pm. This year’s event will be held at the ArtFusion facility at 254 E. High St.

Tickets are $20 purchased in advance. If any are still available, tickets at the door will be $25. Tickets can be bought online at http://artfusion19464.org/event/2014-beef-and-beer/, in person at ArtFusion, or over the phone by calling 610-326-2506. Guests can choose the beef entrée, or a vegetarian sandwich option.

Victory Brewing Company has once again generously donated their amazing beer for this event. Ice House will be making the hot beef sandwiches and Montesano Bros. will again be creating their amazing side salads and veggie sandwiches. 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, try their luck at a 50/50 raffle and bid on silent auction items.  Proceeds benefit ArtFusion 19464’s upcoming fall educational exhibit Rainbow Crow and Other Stories. This show will feature artwork inspired by Native American stories.

The non-profit community art center will once again be offering free field trips to local schools in conjunction with this show.  Please email info@artfusion19464.org for more information on scheduling a field trip. The Rainbow Crow field trip program is generously sponsored by the Foundation for Pottstown Education.

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.

‘Visions’ Exhibition To Open May 12 At Montgomery County Community College’s Fine Arts Gallery In Pottstown

Jim Hendricks: Stone sculpture by Jim Hendricks, Pottstown.

Phil Smith: Metal sculpture by Phil Smith, Norristown.

Julie Longacre: “Rows into Winter” by Julie Longacre, Barto.

Sonya Moyer: Photography by Sonya Moyer, Earl Township.

Pottstown, Pa.—The “Visions” Art Exhibition featuring the works of four artists— Phil Smith of Schwenksville, Jim Hendricks of Pottstown, Julie Longacre of Barto, and Sonya Moyer of Earl Township—opens Monday, May 12, at Montgomery County Community College’s Fine Arts Gallery, North Hall, 16 High Street, Pottstown, and runs through Friday, June 6. A “Meet the Artists” reception will be held on Sunday, June 1, 1-3 p.m. Both the exhibition and reception are free and open to the public, and Longacre’s Dairy will serve homemade-style ice cream at the reception.

“Entitled ‘Visions’ this exhibition reflects how each of us, with our own separate working styles and mediums, has been united by the common idea of strong personal visual expressions,” says Phil Smith.

As a metal sculptor, Smith likes to create sculptures as visual recordings of his life and how his life has been involved with these things. His sculptures incorporate weathered, used objects, such as old tools, machine parts and discarded metal objects. “The sculptures are nearly all the assembly of the brazed and welded metal parts coming together to express an idea based on my perception(s) of life,” he notes in his artist statement.

Smith, now retired, taught Fine Arts in the Norristown Area High School for 33.5 years, and his sculptures have appeared in numerous local galleries and exhibitions. He earned a bachelor’s degree and Master of Science degree in Education from Millersville University and a second master’s degree in education from Marywood College in Scranton.  Additionally, he has taken courses at Temple University/Tyler School of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, as well as other area arts centers, and has an associate’s degree in Art from Montgomery County Community College.

Stone/wood sculptor Jim Hendricks is a former student of Smith’s at Norristown Area High School in 1978-1980. The two sculptors have maintained their friendship throughout the years and are looking forward to exhibiting their work together at the gallery.

Hendricks has always been inspired by the human form and his work is influenced by a range of work from the German expressionists to Aztec and Mayan carving and from the American realists of the Works Progress Administration to the Medieval and Gothic carvers, according to his artist statement. “I believe that by exaggerating, enlarging, stretching and distorting the forms of the human figure, I can express powerful emotions and ideas to the viewer through the sculpture,” he says.

A native of Norristown, Hendricks graduated from the University of the Arts in 1984 and helped to fabricate sculptures for the Treehouse exhibit at the Philadelphia Zoo. He then worked as a studio assistant on government-commissioned monuments in Washington, D.C. He currently has a studio in Pottstown.

Like Smith and Hendricks, artists and sisters Julie Longacre and Sonya Moyer look forward to sharing gallery space at the Fine Arts Center, too.

Julia Longacre, a Berks County native, earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas.  She first exhibited her local landscape paintings in 1971 at the Boyertown Historical Society, launching her successful career in fine art. Throughout her career, Longacre has held numerous solo exhibitions locally, regionally and as far as Nova Scotia, Canada, and garnered many awards and accolades.

Proficient in any medium, from watercolor, oil or acrylic, Longacre is well-known for her landscapes and buildings of the rural countryside of southeastern Pennsylvania. Her love of painting and joy of writing has been an integral part of Berks County community for the last 40-plus years.

Artist/photographer Moyer lives in an 1838 restored stone farmhouse, where she enjoys capturing the bucolic landscape and “workings” of the farm through her camera lens. She credits her sister for encouraging her to exhibit her photographs and to truly “see” and appreciate the world around her.

“I try to capture the joy and wonder, the quietness and beauty of nature, a small frame of perfection in an imperfect world. So many times, these little scenes are just fleeting moments and are gone before you fully appreciate them. Sometimes it just takes my breath away, that I am lucky enough to see and experience these moments and I want to share it with others so that they, too, can see, feel, enjoy and reflect on them,” says Moyer.

The gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m. and Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

For more information about the exhibition, contact Montgomery County Community College Galleries Director Holly Cairns at 215-619-7349 or hcairns@mc3.edu. 

For information and photographs of exhibitions and participating artists, friend us on Facebook/DestinationArts.

Trashy Art Returns To ArtFusion

ReSourced3.jpg butterfly sculpture by Juanita Gaspari, made from recycled wire and handpainted paper

POTTSTOWN, PA – The latest show at ArtFusion helps prove true the old adage that “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” Titled ReSourced, the show will be an amazing display of creative reuse. Local artists have created work from recycled, upcycled and salvaged items. Visitors to ArtFusion will be delighted by the wide range of pieces on display, from functional clothing to gorgeous free-standing sculptures.

Each visitor will also have a chance to contribute to a fun public art project. Throughout the show, which runs from March 21 through May 3, visitors will have a chance to add to a large scale, recycled weaving project. The weaving will be created from plastic bags, paper, VCR tapes, and more. The piece can be seen as it grows in the front window of the ArtFusion gallery.

Participating artists are: Alita Abruzzzese, Lisbeth Bucci, Robyn Burckhardt, Tom Carroll, Arline Christ, Maggie Creshkoff, James M. Enders, Juanita A. Gaspari, Robert Hakun, Heidi Hammel, Joe Hoover, Millie Lea, Dora Siemel, Carla Schaeffer, Teresa Shields, Donna Steck-McMahon, and Julie Tonnessen.

There will be an opening reception for ReSourced on Friday, March 21 from 6-8pm. All receptions are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. A $100 Best in Show prize, sponsored by the NARI-BIE Green Team, will be presented at 6:30pm.

In conjunction with this show, ArtFusion is offering free field trips to local schools. Over 550 children have currently signed up for a fun, interactive experience. Students will learn about and discuss recycling, why it is important to the future of our planet, and how artists create with objects other people throw away. Each student will also create their own unique piece of recycled art. This show will help teach local children the importance of caring for our planet and will inspire them to look at the world–and how people create art–in a whole new way.

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.

National Penn Bank Supports The Arts In Pottstown

POTTSTOWN, PA – National Penn Bank recently presented ArtFusion with a $2,150 donation. The donation will help fund afterschool programs at the non-profit community art center. ArtFusion’s EITC-funded programs give children an opportunity to explore the arts, to express themselves in a new way and to learn that, while they may not be the best athlete, or get straight As in the classroom, they have a talent for creating.

The donation was made through the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit program (EITC).

EITC is a Pennsylvania program that provides tax credits to eligible businesses contributing an Educational Improvement Organization. Tax credits would be equal to 75% of a contribution up to a maximum of $400,000 per taxable year. This credit can be increased to 90% of the contribution, if a business agrees to provide same amount for two consecutive tax years. A business must apply for this program and then make a contribution to an organization that has also been approved.

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.

Check presentation. From left to right: Thomas Spann, National Penn Sunnybrook and Downtown Pottstown Branch Manager, Frank Strunk, National Penn Central Region Commercial Lender, Norah Cannon, ArtFusion Gallery Manager, Erika Hornburg-Cooper, ArtFusion Executive Director, Julie Tonnessen, ArtFusion Assistant Director, Carl Altman ArtFusion instructor and Kristen VonHohen, ArtFusion Pottery Studio Director.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Gallery Manager Revels In Lancaster City’s Arts Renaissance

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

If it is done right, you don’t think about anything but the art when you walk into a gallery.

No thoughts about the work behind it all: how the art got there, the way it was hung, how it was promoted or what happened to the artwork that used to be up on the wall.

At Red Raven Art Co., that’s all the job of Lee Lovett, who has managed the gallery at 138 N. Prince St. since October 2006, just five months after it opened.

“I do everything from contacting artists, sending out contracts and hanging the gallery each month with a new show to designing the postcards and ads, managing and uploading our website, and finally handling all the accounting and bookkeeping,” she says.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/942607_IN-THE-SPOTLIGHT–Gallery-manager-revels-in-Lancaster-city-s-arts-renaissance.html#ixzz2q1y1eeVP

Local Artist Featured In ArtFusion Solo Exhibit

Pottstown, PA –A Tribute to My Youth: The Artwork of Richardson Comly will run in ArtFusion’s main gallery from November 12 through November 30. Richardson is a local Pottstown artist and University of the Arts graduate with a BFA in animation. He mainly creates in acrylic paints but has also experimented with oil and watercolors. Richardson also likes to craft some of his own frames, and works with his stepdad, who is a carpenter by hobby, in creating them.

This show will feature original artwork that he created for the Weyerbacher Brewing Company select beer labels, classic pieces from his personal collection as well as all new artwork created just for his ArtFusion show. Richardson describes his artistic process: “My art is an expression of my subconscious. Almost every step of my creative process is left to ideas arriving by chance. I’ll do research on the painting’s subject and even sometimes create multiple thumbnails and sketches. These aren’t necessarily ideas that I will use for the painting, but more an exercise for my brain. Some artists sketch out their ideas, do their research, and reference their subject before starting a painting. I do it during. I become comfortable with what I am painting as I paint from background to foreground.”

ArtFusion will host an opening reception for this show on November 15 from 7-9pm. This free event is open to the public. Musicians Josh Jones (Univox) and Brandon Morsberger will be performing live.  Weyerbacher Brewing Company will host a beer pouring, and the Sunflower Truck Stop food truck will be parked in front of the ArtFusion building, open for business. Sunflower Truck Stop is a mobile cafe operated by Shorty’s Sunflower Cafe, a local Pottstown institution. Complimentary wine and light refreshment will be served in the gallery. The artist will also be on hand to answer questions about his work. RSVPs to 610-326-2506 are appreciated.

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.

Bethlehem Zoners Reject South Side Artist Colony

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

A nonprofit developer said this week’s zoning denial would not stop its multi-million-dollar plan to bring low-rent housing and a convert a vacant church into an art gallery in south Bethlehem.

Housing Development Corp. Midatlantic of Lancaster will go back to the drawing board to determine how to address the parking issues associated with the $11 million project, President Michael Carper said.

“We closed on the properties. We own them. We’re not going away and will make it work,” he said.

Plans included converting the vacant St. Stanislaus Church on Hayes Street into an art gallery accompanied with building 28 new, low-rent townhouses, loft apartments and 26 parking spaces on the property.

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/mc-bethlehem-zoners-art-gallery-20120927,0,2601905.story

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

MOSAIC Community Land Trust To Hold Artist Reception This Saturday In Pottstown‏

Pottstown, Pa. – Local photographer Sharon K. Merkel will be on hand at MOSAIC Gallery, 10 S. Hanover Street in Pottstown, this Saturday, July 21 from 6-8 pm.  All are welcome to attend this free reception.

Ms. Merkel’s work is on view now at the gallery along with the paintings of Sharon McGinley in MOSAIC’s latest show, Nurturing Hope.  The show highlights the beauty in nature and in urban spaces, much like a community garden.  MOSAIC Community Land Trust, which runs the gallery, built Pottstown’s first community garden at 423 Chestnut Street this past spring.  Gardeners are now realizing the fruits of their labor at the garden site.

In the artist’s statement on her website, Ms. Merkel says, “My photographic work looks at my world with a very direct approach.  Photography is the art of exclusion – knowing what to include and what to leave out to create the correct balance and narrative.”  Her photos of urban buildings and barns often feature intersections with a brilliant sky or a lone tree.  Several prints of industrial buildings in Pottstown are included and for sale at MOSAIC Gallery.

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 through July 28. The MOSAIC gallery is located at 10 S. Hanover Street in Pottstown. Regular gallery hours are Thursday-Saturday from 4-7 pm. MOSAIC’s website is www.mosaiccommunitylandtrust.org.  Sharon Merkel’s website is www.skmerkel.com.

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

Art Exhibit And Reception At Mosaic Community Land Trust – Pottstown

We would like to invite you to come join us at the MOSAIC Community Land Trust gallery located at 10 South Hanover Street, Pottstown, Pennsylvania for a reception event. Exhibiting artists Raun Kercher and Let Ritvalsky’s opening reception is open to the public on November 12th at 7PM to 9PM. 

We are also celebrating the volunteers who have contributed to preparing Pottstown’s First Community Gardens! We’ve much to celebrate so please join us!

Raun Kercher

“Raun Kercher’s artwork covers a history of American music from the genres of both American Blues and Jazz. The artwork tells a history while capturing emotions expressed in music.”  www.raunkercher.com

Let Ritvalsky “My art, regardless of the medium I’m using, is simply an end result of whatever happiness runs from my brain through my hands to my tools each day that I work. This talent brings great energy to my life and I am honored to have it. My art isn’t about making a statement, unless that statement is to bring a smile to someone when they see my work.” The Mosaic Community Land Trust Gallery is located at 10 South Hanover Street across the street from the Brick House. For more information on MOSAIC Community Land Trust, please visit and subscribe to the blog here or become a friend on Facebook. Pottstown is on the brink of revitalization so you can follow the development of the gardens and other events by getting connected. MOSAIC Community Land Trust Email:  PottstownCLT@gmail.com Internet:  www.mosaiccommunitylandtrust.org

The Gallery School of Pottstown & Gallery on High – A Pottstown Jewel

Image via Wikipedia

Pottstown is most fortunate to have an art school and art gallery on our main street.  The Gallery School of Pottstown & Gallery on High, located at 254 E. High Street, is a non-profit organization that includes a gallery featuring local/national/international art as well as an art school. 

The school’s main mission is to provide a solid educational foundation to youth and adults.  This school operates regardless of income levels as there are scholarships and tuition assistance available.  Classes are small and taught by professional artists to make sure students receive as much personal attention as possible.  The Gallery also has an after-school program, special programs during the school year and summer programs.

There are two galleries which showcase exhibits.  The upstairs gallery features a more permanent exhibit by member artists.  The downstairs gallery hosts theme exhibits and member exhibits which change often.  Styles and mediums vary.  Exhibits are open to the public and free of charge.

The Gallery on High’s Community and Education Partners are Creative Health Services, Inc., Pottstown School District and Brookside Montessori.

One way Pottstown will go about revitalization is to involve the arts.  Establishing and supporting an arts community will make Pottstown a destination that draws visitors from outside the borough into Pottstown to attend events.  The spin-off from hosting events is the additional spending that occurs in local bars, restaurants and shops.  The Gallery on High compliments the TriPAC Performing Arts Center, the Pottstown Symphony and other existing arts/cultural organizations in Pottstown.  The ability to attract and retain artists as residents, by providing assistance programs and housing/studio space, will fuel Pottstown’s efforts to become a destination.

We urge you to check out the website and take advantage of this unique downtown Pottstown resource.

For more information on the Gallery School of Pottstown/The Gallery on High:

Voice – (610) 326-2506

Email – info@galleryonhigh.com

Website – http://www.galleryonhigh.com/index.html

Gallery School Membership & Donations: http://www.galleryonhigh.com/memberships.html