Art And The Environment Featured In New Educational Exhibit At ArtFusion 19464

resourced-hakun.jpg artwork by Bob Hakun

POTTSTOWN, PA – ArtFusion 19464 is proud to announce the opening of the latest in their series of educational exhibits. As part of their effort to live their mission of making the arts accessible to everyone in their community, ArtFusion 19464 curates a special exhibit each year with an educational focus. They choose topics they believe they can teach about through art. Past topics have included the civil rights movement, the Vietnam war, and women’s history. This year the focus will be on art and the environment with a show called Reclaim. Art featured in this show will be created from recycled, upcycled and salvaged items. The artists have been challenged to reclaim the definition of art, to show that creativity and imagination can expand a view of art as only paint and canvas. Reclaim will run in the main gallery from October 8 through November 19.

During every educational exhibit, ArtFusion 19464 offers free field trips to local schools. Each field trip is tailored to the age of the students and is a fun, interactive learning experience.  Students who visit during Reclaim will learn important facts about the environment, recycling and the newest inventions in the fight to tame this country’s trash. They will also have an opportunity to create a piece of recycled art themselves. In keeping with the theme, students will engage in a discussion about environmental issues and how individual and group actions affect the health and well-being of the planet. Teachers and group leaders interested in scheduling a field trip can call 610-326-2506 or emailinfo@artfusion19464.org.

resourced-siemel.jpg artwork by Dora Siemel,

ArtFusion 19464 invites the public to a private, catered opening reception for Reclaim on Friday, October 7 from 6-8pm. Sponsored by Advantage Insurance, the event features a catered menu created by @107. Individual tickets are $20, interested community members can help an ArtFusion 19464 student to attend this event for free with a $30 student sponsorship ticket. All proceeds help fund the free field trip program.

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.

Tuesday Nights Backyard Gardening Series At Althouse Aboretum

A lecture series presented by Master Gardeners and other experts in their field.
Please preregister here

Native Plants for Every Garden

JUNE 9th        7:00 pm           Donation: $5
Learn how you can add beauty and reduce maintenance  while at the same time improving the ecosystem of your own backyard by using native plants in your landscape with Marc Randell, Master Gardener.  You can preregister here

Certified Wildlife Habitats

JUNE 16^th   7:00 pm           Donation: $5
Certified Wildlife Habitats are a program run by the National Wildlife Federation to provide recognition for any property that provides food, water, shelter, nesting spaces and sustainable gardening practices that support wildlife. Whether you have a small yard, a balcony or acres of land, this program will help you attract beautiful wildlife to your property and reduce storm water in the process.  You can preregister here
~ Rachel Rosenfeld, Master Gardener

Garden Tips & Tricks, a Show & Tell

JUNE 23^rd   7:00 pm          Donation: $5

Find fresh ideas to use in  your garden this summer. Learn about items in your home or yard that can be re-purposed or recycled in  ways you may not have thought of. Get the down and dirty with Kathy Klein, Master Gardener  You can preregister here

Garden in Place and Bring Nature Home

JUNE 30^th   7:00 pm          Donation: $5
To garden in place and bring nature home not only beautifies your environment, feeds birds and wildlife and makes maintenance easier, but it also shows a personal commitment to preserving our natural world.  Preserving our natural world in this way supports life not only in your backyard but on the planet as well. Putting this concept into practice may be easier than you think, with greater rewards than you imagine. Learn more with Leslie Bass, Master Grardener.  You can preregister here

The First-Ever Urban Earthship Is Being Built In West Philly

There’s a vacant lot at 675 N. 41st Street in West Philadelphia that’s about to become something Philadelphia has never seen before–an Earthship.

When Thomas L. Miller, the owner of a vacant lot in West Philadelphia, heard a woman on the radio talking about her plan to build an “Earthship” in August of 2013, he was quick to call the radio station and donate his lot to her. The woman was Rashida Ali-Campbell, founder of Yeadon-based nonprofit LoveLovingLove, Inc.

The Earthship, which is in development now at 675 N. 41st Street, will act as a Philadelphia branch for LoveLovingLove, Inc, whose mission is to heal impoverished communities with holistic health education. It also hosts programs like Operation Olive Branch, an annual award that recognizes local law enforcement districts with the lowest complaint rates. In its new Earthship office, the organization will hold healthy-living workshops for those coping with diabetes and high blood pressure.

“We want to bring holistic health information and activities to the community through workshops, holding free events on the land, and having workshops for people to learn how to build an Earthship themselves,” Ali-Campbell said, “So that other people who have the desire to build can grab up some of these 40,000 vacant lots and turn them into something beautiful and sustainable.”

Read more:

http://earthship.com/blogs/2015/01/first-ever-urban-earthship-built-west-philly/