In Harrisburg, there’s a sprawling, brick building that often seems both close by and very far away.
The Governor’s Residence sits in a highly visible location, at the corner of N. Front and Maclay streets, right on the Susquehanna River, but it’s a building that area residents, historically, have rarely entered.
The Wolf administration is using the arts to try to change that.
This month, for instance, the residence will close out an exhibit featuring the work of the Pennsylvania Arts Experience, a group of artists from central and eastern PA.
That exhibit debuted during Gallery Walk last year, and thousands of people have seen it since during regularly scheduled public tours, as well as during special hours over the holidays. Last summer, the residence also featured “Second Sunday” events, with a program of special events from June through September.
“The first lady is interested in making the public area of the residence more of an exhibition space,” said Andrea Mead, chief of staff to Frances Wolf.
It makes sense that Wolf would want to increase access to the residence in this way. She is an accomplished oil painter who holds three arts-related degrees, including a bachelor’s degree in studio art and the history of art from Franklin & Marshall College and a master’s degree in the history of art from Bryn Mawr College.
She actually co-curated the recent exhibit at the residence, though did not include her own work. She selected the PA Arts Experience for her first exhibit because she likes the “diversity and depth of the experience in this group,” Mead said.
That exhibit features 70 pieces by Pennsylvania artists who work along three river valley “trails” in southeastern PA: the Lower Susquehanna, Brandywine/Schuylkill and the Lower Delaware.
Co-curator Rob Evans, a Wrightsville-based artist and founding artistic director of the group, said he put out a call to members of the organization and received a strong response, partly due to prominent location where the works would be displayed. Most members enthusiastically submitted a piece, he said.
“The challenge, once we got them all to the residence, was figuring out how to get everything in there,” Evans said with a laugh.
Evans and Wolf picked pieces to fill key spots and then found a home for each of the works. The exhibit at the residence fit perfectly with the mission of the PA Arts Experience, Evans said.
“We want to try to make this region and state an internationally recognized arts destination,” he said.
The exhibit will be open to the public once more, during 3rd in the Burg on Feb. 19. For those who miss it, the Pennsylvania Arts Experience Gallery, located in York, will debut a new exhibit featuring members of the Rudy Collective on Friday, Feb. 5.
As for the residence, March will bring a new exhibit that will be open to the public throughout the spring and summer. Mead said that Wolf worked with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts to create the upcoming textile-themed show.
The Governor’s Residence is open for free public tours with reservations available on select dates and times during the months of April, May, June, September and October. This year, the residence again will be open each second Sunday from June to September, when visitors are welcome to attend a series of free summer events without a reservation.
There are other select times and events throughout the year when the residence is open to the public. Mead added that, with Frances Wolf’s goal in mind, the residence is also exploring opening its doors regularly during 3rd in the Burg.
“The first lady and governor are looking for more opportunities to open the residence to the public,” Mead said.
The Governor’s Residence will be open during 3rd in the Burg, Feb. 19, for the final public viewing of the Pennsylvania Arts Experience group exhibit. The residence is located at N. Front and Maclay streets, Harrisburg.
For more information about tours and other events at the Governor’s Residence, visit www.residence.pa.gov.
