Josephine Alexander
Sept. 10 marks the 35th edition of Gallery Walk, the one-day event scheduled for the first Sunday after Labor Day, set aside to tour art galleries, museums, restaurants and shops that designate space to the art of the community, our beloved Harrisburg. It is a day to celebrate the beauty of life through art. This special anniversary, symbolic of longevity and success, is a special tribute to the visionary who originated the concept.
The year was 1988, and CEO Carrie Wissler-Thomas of the Art Association of Harrisburg (AAH), in tandem with a list of who’s who art makers and shakers in the city, came together to present an all-inclusive gallery walk. Looking back to that year, individual exhibits from the Penn State Downtown Center, Temple University and the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank, all located in Strawberry Square, threw their support to this collective art symposium. Independent galleries included Gallerie 110, Tangerine Gallery and Metro Arts, as well as the nonprofit Dōshi Gallery. On that day, flags waved outside the participating galleries with the downtown streets teeming with gallery-goers, brochures in hand, venturing from site to site. The day was a tremendous success and became an annual event.
This year promises even more excitement, as Gallery Walk isn’t the only anniversary. Midtown Scholar Bookstore turns 20, featuring the new George’s Collectibles, an adjacent building housing all sorts of antiques, rare prints and ephemera. Just a half-block down Verbeke, you’ll find Harrisburg art couple, Vivi Sterste, potter with elan, and Jeb Boyd, poet/photographer, welcoming guests to the 10th anniversary of their gallery, Vivi on Verbeke. Completing the 3rd and Verbeke triangle is Nyeusi Gallery, celebrating their second anniversary on Gallery Walk Sunday. The anniversaries are even more reason to get out and party, honoring these gems that beautify our homes and businesses with exceptional art, prints, pottery, photographs and more.
Art & History
Make your way to the AAH for the inside scoop on this year’s theme, “Art Is,” as presented by its members. Subjective studies swirl seductively, pulling the viewer into the members’ many moods of meaning. Smelling salts are offered for those who swoon under September’s spell. After you’re revived, spin around on the gallery floor to Hemlock Hollow’s mellifluous strains. Then go out the door on Front Street and turn left to 219 S. Front to the rich repository at the Historical Society of Dauphin County. Check off all the “A’s” that Christine Turner, its director, has in store: artifacts, artwork and architecture.
Up the street in the other direction, drop in at the newly renovated McCormick Riverfront Library and view the art on display while you marvel at the extensive restorations. Close by, you will find one of the Seven Lively Artists, Jonathan Frazier, showing his oil paintings at the Riverfront Gallery of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Zion Lutheran Church not only offers tours but the oil and acrylic paintings of John McNulty, who has exhibited with those magnificent seven. While there, catch the stencil prints of Japanese artist Sadao Watanabe.
One church leads to another over on Chestnut Street, with Salem United Church of Christ housing Roxanne Dombrosky’s Muddy Rox Pottery, organically influenced utilitarian vessels. Tours of the historic church will be in sync with stained glass art from Diane Hoffer. Nearby, CASA’s “Mixed Media Showcase” highlights the best from its students. Speaking of high school artists, more will show at Old City Hall Apartments as part of the “Artistic Expressions” group.
St. Michael’s Lutheran Church is excited to showcase the fine art of Yachiyo Beck. Her watercolor and oil paintings are internationally revered for their beauty. Do “Pass Go” and travel to 612 N. Front St for a visit with Contrena Baltimore, president of the oldest civic institution in our city, the Civic Club. Be sure not to “Overlook” the art at the mansion throughout this historic building.
Creative Gems
Now’s a good time to slow down the pace and catch your breath in the great outdoors. A “Capitol” idea forms at its steps at noon and 2 p.m. for Sprocket Mural Works tours of the Midtown mural corridor while, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., the tour heads to downtown’s mural scene. The best part is it’s just $15 per, with no speeding tickets given as each tour takes place at 1 mph. The State Museum of Pennsylvania offers free admission for Gallery Walk and mounts its 56th edition of “Art of the State.”
When it comes to local history, Historic Harrisburg Association’s David Morrison is a treasure trove of tales from the past and a wealth of knowledge regarding the rich and varied visual vignettes captured in photographic archives. Nearby, the Susquehanna Art Museum is the only dedicated art museum in the area and houses ever changing exhibits on its spacious two floors. If you have never visited, Gallery Walk provides the perfect opportunity. Catch “Transformative Craft” through Oct. 15 and vote for your favorite creation. Just doors away, at 1423 N. 3rd, is a gem of a boutique, the Nyianga Store. Owner Chantal Nga Elondou hails from Cameroon, bringing the best of her homeland. Clothing, rich and vibrant, an array of leather goods, jewelry, beauty products and art fill the interior with cultural treasures.
Another niche art gallery providing an alternative approach for art can be found at Gallery@2nd at 608 N. 2nd St. Proprietor and lowbrow artist, Ted Walke, and comrade in brush, Krissy Whiski, have a floor dedicated for each of their works. Under gallery Art Director Steve Barber, Nyeusi is a vital source for works that fall under the umbrella of Black art. It is the last word on African and Caribbean art, artifacts and books. Ending your day at Millworks has its advantages in viewing the featured artists on the lobby walls. Art Director Tara Chickey revealed that Paul Gallo, Elaine Elledge, Rebecca Adey, Linda Benton McCloskey and April Henbest will display their latest collections, and many of the Millworks’ studio residents will greet patrons and art lovers. Afterwards, stay for the second annual impromptu after-party at the restaurant and bar.
“Art Is”
Art is personal and universal rolled into one. Art is uplifting and buoyant. Art is moving and thought provoking. Art is an image that speaks to the soul, and art is something solely for you. Art is a thought put into action and the very act may give satisfaction to the artist and the audience from their own point of view. Art is meaningful or easily dismissed, art is beautiful like a lover just kissed, art is temporal or eternal, art is the language spoken around the globe. Art is a joyous slice or a feast for the senses. Art is transcendent for race, color and creed, leaving us speechless on bended knee.
The 35th annual Gallery Walk takes place on Sept. 10 at locations throughout downtown and Midtown Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.artassocofhbg.com.
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