Harrisburg Gallery Walk, Sunday, Sept. 10, is just seven weeks away.
The Art Association of Harrisburg’s 35th edition promises to be the best one yet as the cohesive theme centers on what “Art Is…” With twenty venues, including one that spans a mile in either direction, the possibilities for art are endless. A sneak peek behind the scenes points to celebrations of all sorts, especially anniversaries a-plenty. For now, let’s get a glimpse of the little shops around the corner, which will also participate in this 3rd in the Burg Friday.
Nyianga Store
Brand new to Gallery Walk this year is a one-of-a-kind boutique where one enters the exotic land of Cameroon, a country rich with cultural treasures. It is represented in all its glory at Nyianga Store, presided over by its owner, Chantal Nga Elondou. The clothing of her native land, colorful and bright, can outfit the entire family. Lightweight and perfect for three seasons wearing, the patterns lend themselves to international travel recognized worldwide. Jewelry and leather goods accessorize the wardrobe in a resplendent style. Chantal shared, the store represents a stage “where fashion meets nature.” In addition, artisanal beauty products are ever present. You can stop by the boutique, at 1423 N. 3rd St., on 3rd in The Burg until 8 p.m.
Midtown Scholar Bookstore
When one starts to go down in a sea of books, you want David Kern, Midtown Scholar Bookstore’s bibliophile expert-in-residence to set the ship aright. David is the lighthouse of the book world, shining light on the precious cargo of rare books and fine prints at 1302 N. 3rd St. He is the light at the end of the tunnel regarding all things book related. Midtown Scholar has recently partnered with a new merchandiser, Carpe Librum, to create cards, T-shirts, totes, bookmarks and buttons. The new cache may arrive in time for Gallery Walk to kick off the fall season. Midtown Scholar expanded almost a year ago with the addition of George’s Collectibles. The adjacent building houses over 10,000 items including maps, prints, lithographs and ephemera. The building dates to 1901, once home to George’s Apothecary.
Nyeusi Gallery
Just up the street from Midtown Scholar is Nyeusi Gallery, located at 1224 N. 3rd St., the only Harrisburg art gallery dedicated to Black art. It encompasses African art and art of the Caribbean through paintings, sculptures and more. Steve Barber is the art director at Nyeusi, and there is no one more qualified, as Steve has been an artist for most of his life. His buoyant paintings speak to his upbeat personality. They reflect a philosophy to gallery visitors of positivity and inspiration. Educating the public on Black art is one of Steve’s special missions. Nyeusi provides a bold statement of beauty unbound in creating a space for many local Black artists who are showcased through guest appearances at the gallery.
On Verbeke Street, near the Broad Street Market, the ever-changing window displays at Vivi on Verbeke draw in visitors. Vivian Sterste and Jackson Boyd are the gallery’s proprietors. Vivi is a potter of renown and her partner in life and business is photographer par excellence, Jackson Jeb Boyd. Both artists are award winners, together ruling the roost for 3rd in The Burg until 11 p.m. The gallery is a throwback to art havens of the ’70s. Think Haight Asbury District in San Francisco. When you visit them, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. When customers adorn their homes with pottery, paintings and photos, it encourages the best advertising, through word of mouth. Vivi on Verbeke is a gallery where hanging out is a regular activity of the day with patrons becoming longtime friends.
Vivi on Verbeke
Harrisburg’s best-kept secret may well be Ted and Linda Walke’s Gallery@Second, found at 608 N. 2nd St., specializing in alternative art. The brownstone building blends in with others in the neighborhood disguising what lies inside. The gallery displays pieces by Ted, a lowbrow art specialist, running wild with surrealist fare of his own making. In pen and ink etched in great detail, he abandons any semblance of realistic portraiture, allowing a fervent imagination to kick in, creating “characters” wild and woolly.
Gallery @ Second
Joining Ted for Gallery Walk is fellow surrealist, Krissy Whiski, a legend herself. The two artists carry reputations worthy of gunslingers for hire, brushes and pens blazing wherever they go. Krissy creates with childlike wonder, imagining rainbows, sunny skies and clouds of white. You can catch Gallery@Second on most 3rd in The Burg nights. July’s featured artists include Chad Whitaker, and his soft sculptures, and Keegan “Atomic” Beinhower, who creates futuristic renderings in metal and cast-off parts. To sum up Gallery@Second, it fills a special niche for art lovers of a certain itch who like their art surreal with otherworldly characters.
See you in September for The Burg’s special art issue for more on Gallery Walk.
The Art in a Garden
Twelve years in the making sounds like a Hollywood blockbuster or the epic book to end all books. In this instance that’s the time it took to cultivate a garden of sumptuous significance. Those born with the proverbial green thumb may have that special talent or fall in love with the therapy of digging in the dirt. For master gardener, Sunah Orwan, it is a little bit of both. Korean-born, she has always loved flowers and plants as far back as she can remember. “Taking something from seed and nurturing it through the natural process, growing a small bud into a flower, is nothing short of miraculous. The recipe is simply, sun, water, soil and love,” she said. Hers is a labor of love that is contagious among her neighbors and friends as Sunah is always willing to lend a hand to those seeking guidance and generously gives her favorite plants to others. Celebrating 40 years together as a couple, Sunah and her husband, Jerry, allocated a major portion of their property for her to create a garden like none other. Visiting this special sanctuary of flowers and plants, the visual impression is a lasting one, a testament of the beatific flower gardens of Japan. Bountiful bouquets span the seasons with irises, calla lilies, heliotrope, nasturtiums and cone flowers, adding to Sunah’s sea of serenity. Gardening is what gets her up in the morning and gently calms her at night as she surveys her kingdom of flora and fauna surrounding their home. Jerry admires her dedication to the art form as it is a major part of their lives.
The symphony played in a garden is ever present with the melody provided by the flowers, each adding their special notes. The plants supply variety with sharps and flats, the bee is the conductor alighting to and fro from flower to plant and back again. One must listen closely with all the senses as perfect harmony is achieved through the silence of nature… working together as one, just like the good gardener decreed.
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
