ArtFusion Partners With Community Music School

POTTSTOWN, PA – ArtFusion 19464 is excited to begin a collaboration with the Community Music School in Trappe (www.cmsmusic.org). Since 1991, Community Music School has proudly served the region by providing music education and performance experiences for people of all ages, abilities and economic circumstances. CMS has a long-standing tradition of enhancing their musical performances with the visual arts.

Starting in the fall of 2015, ArtFusion will begin curating art exhibits in the CMS facility. ArtFusion is excited about this opportunity to bring their artists to a wider audience and spread the word about their mission. The first show was a student faculty show that ran during September. The second show, opening October 10, features the art of Richardson Comly. The show’s reception will be held in conjunction with CMS’s first Little Night Music concert series of 2015. Guests can view the art and enjoy refreshments from 6:30-7:30pm. Tickets are still available for the concert, which starts immediately following the reception. For ticket information, please call CMS at 610-489-3676.

The two organizations are also working on creating educational opportunities, both at the CMS facility and at ArtFusion in Pottstown. New for fall 2015 is a music and art program for preschoolers and homeschoolers. The class will be held at CMS in the fall and will be held at ArtFusion the following spring. The class for preschoolers runs 9:30am-11am each Monday for 6 weeks and begins November 2. The other class is geared towards elementary age students who are being homeschooled. That class begins November 3. Class runs from 2-4:30pm every Tuesday for 6 weeks. For complete class descriptions, please visit artfusion19464.org/classes.

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.

Community Music School is a non-profit 501c(3) organization where music education is at the core of our programming. Since 1991 CMS has proudly served the region by providing music education and performance experiences for people of all ages, abilities and background. The school’s main campus at 775 W. Main Street in Trappe holds 20 teaching studios and a 200-seat performance hall. New this year, the school is proud to offer lessons at its first satellite location at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Pottstown. With more than 500 students participating in our music programs each week, Community Music School has become the region’s premiere resource for the highest quality music education.

Expanded Archaeological Adventure On Tap For MCCC Students At The Speaker’s House

Photos by Alana J. Mauger
Field School 1: Montgomery County Community College student Cydney Rader, Skippack, shows an artifact that was found during 2014’s Archaeology Field School at The Speaker’s House in Trappe.

Trappe, Pa.—This summer, students don’t need to travel far to gain world-class archaeological field experience. In fact, students who participate in the Archaeology Field School at The Speaker’s House in Trappe, Pa. can earn up to six college credits through a unique partnership with Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) while they get hands-on experience at an active archaeology site.

In its seventh year, the Archaeology Field School is comprised of two intensive three-week sessions led by archaeologist Dr. Lydia Garver at The Speaker’s House, which was the home of Frederick Muhlenberg, first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and first signer of the Bill of Rights.

The program runs Tuesdays-Saturdays from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The first session is held May 26-June 13, and the second session runs from June 16-July 3. No previous experience is necessary, and the program is open to anyone age 15 or over.  The Field School is ideal for students who are interested in studying anthropology, history or museum studies, as well for students who enjoy working and learning outdoors. To learn more, visit http://www/speakershouse.org/fieldschool or contact Lisa Minardi at info@speakershouse.org.

Participants will receive training in excavation techniques, record keeping, artifact identification, processing, cataloging, and classification. This summer, excavation in the first session will focus on a large pit feature filled with 19th-century kitchen artifacts and the remnants of an 18th-century smokehouse, along with another small outbuilding. During the second session, students will complete closing excavation tasks and learn to curate, analyze and research artifacts found during the first session. Field trips and guest lectures will also be offered.

Photos by Alana J. Mauger
Field School 2: Archaeology Field School students Chuck Cannon (left), Harleysville, and Brad James, Towamencin, excavate the area around an outbuilding wall last summer.

Students can earn three college credits per three-week session for their participation in the Field School by enrolling through MCCC. To enroll as a guest student, visit mc3.edu/admissions, select course selection and registration, then follow the instructions for guest students. Current MCCC students and alumni should register through Web Advisor by logging into the MyMC3 Portal. The course titles are Archaeology Field School I (ANT 120) and Archaeology Field School II (ANT 121).

Enrollment is limited to 20 participants per session, and preference will be given to students taking the course for credit through MCCC. Students will pay standard MCCC tuition and fees. Tuition information is available at http://www.mc3.edu/admissions. All participants will receive a complimentary 2015 student membership in The Speaker’s House.

Built in 1763 by German immigrant John Schrack, The Speaker’s House was owned by the Muhlenberg family from 1781-1803. Other notable owners include Charles Albrecht, a piano maker; Dr. Lewis Royer, physician and legislator; and Ursinus College, which used the house as a dormitory from 1924-1944. The property is also the location of a general store, built in 1782 by Frederick Muhlenberg, and is one of the few archaeological sites in the region that yields information on commercial as well as domestic activities.

Archaeological Adventure On Tap For MCCC Students At The Speaker’s House

PHOTO: Field School students dig at The Speaker’s House in 2013. Photo courtesy of The Speaker’s House

Trappe, PA — Students who participate in the Archaeology Field School at The Speaker’s House in Trappe, Pa. this summer can earn college credits for their work, thanks to a new partnership with Montgomery County Community College.

In its sixth year, the Archaeology Field School is an intensive three-week program led by archaeologist Dr. Lydia Garver at The Speaker’s House, which was the home of Frederick Muhlenberg, first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and first signer of the Bill of Rights. The program runs Tuesdays-Saturdays from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. from June 10–28. No previous experience is necessary, and the program is open to anyone age 15 or over.  To learn more, visit www.speakershouse.org/archaeology  or contact Lisa Minardi at info@speakershouse.org.

Participants will receive training in excavation techniques, record keeping, artifact identification, processing, cataloging, and classification. The Field School will focus on the area surrounding the original kitchen wing, built in the 1760s, including the foundation of the bake oven.  As part of their work, students will conduct shovel tests in an area where an authentic Pennsylvania German kitchen garden is planned. Optional field trips and guest lectures will also be offered.

For the first time, students can earn three college credits for their participation in the Field School by enrolling through MCCC. To enroll as a guest student, visit mc3.edu/admissions, select course selection and registration, then follow the instructions for guest students. Current MCCC students and alumni should register through Web Advisor by logging into the MyMC3 Portal. The course title is Archaeology Field School (ANT 120, section AW).

Enrollment is limited to 20 participants, and preference will be given to students taking the course for credit through MCCC. Students will pay standard MCCC tuition and fees plus an addition $75 supply fee. Tuition information is available at mc3.edu/admissions. All participants will receive a complimentary one-year student membership in The Speaker’s House.

An optional add-on week will run June 30-July 5. Activities will focus on artifact preservation, such as cleaning, washing, sorting, labeling, cataloging, and preparation for storage.  Participants will also have the opportunity to learn about historic preservation and assist with various hands-on restoration projects at The Speaker’s House.

Built in 1763 by German immigrant John Schrack, The Speaker’s House was owned by the Muhlenberg family from 1781-1803. Other notable owners include Charles Albrecht, a piano maker; Dr. Lewis Royer, physician and legislator; and Ursinus College, which used the house as a dormitory from 1924-1944. The property is also the location of a general store, built in 1782 by Frederick Muhlenberg, and is one of the few archaeological sites in the region that yields information on commercial as well as domestic activities.