Staying on Beat: New foundation honors friend while helping children explore music

February 26, 2026 | by Colin McGuire

Illustration by Aron Rook

All drummers have a shorthand. Time signatures. Tempos. Attack. Groove. “On the one.”

Walk into a room filled with anyone who can carry a beat, and you’ll hear those words float through the air with ease. It’s a fraternity that substitutes the chaos of “Rush Week” with the prowess of a paradiddle.

That’s why, when losing one of its own, the drumming community is affected in ways that expand beyond a set of sticks.

Enter Ben Smith, a local drummer who suddenly passed away in March 2025 at the young age of 39. His passing sent shockwaves through the local drumming community—not only was he a revered drummer by his peers, but he was also an inspiring human being.

“After he passed away, we all got together and decided we wanted to do something for him,” his friend and fellow drummer, Steve Kurtz, said. “And we decided, ‘What better way to honor him than to encourage people to drum and share a love of music?’”

Almost instantly, the Downbeat Foundation was born. To honor Smith, Kurtz led the charge to create a nonprofit that provides drum lessons and instruments to children who couldn’t otherwise afford them throughout the Harrisburg area. Students in grades four through 12 are eligible for the program, and those interested can apply on the foundation’s website.

Partnering with Kurtz, who serves as the chair of the board of directors, and his crew is Dale’s Drum Shop, which provides the lessons for the children enrolled in the program. Downbeat funds drum lessons, drum kits for those who need one to practice at home, and transportation to and from the lessons, should transportation be needed.

“All we want to do is reduce the monetary burden on families for kids who want to play drums,” Kurtz noted. “If there’s a barrier for students, we want to take care of it. We feel we are in a ripe area for students who are underserved, but music can be such a great creative outlet. We’re glad to have a substantial impact on families in such a short amount of time.”

The goal for the first year of the foundation is to raise $100,000. So far, after only four months in existence, the nonprofit has raised about $50,000 for its cause. Five students are currently enrolled in the program, which speaks to the greatest unforeseen hurdle that Kurtz has encountered thus far: exposure.

“When we said, ‘OK, let’s do this,’ I thought one of the biggest issues would be raising funds,” Kurtz explained. “But the thing I underestimated the most is outreach. Spreading awareness has been more of a challenge than any of us thought it would be. I thought it’d be easy from a student standpoint and hard when it came to business infrastructure, but it’s been the opposite.”

Downbeat’s financial security can be thanked, in part, by its most famous fundraiser, May Jam. Set for May 16 at Royal Winery outside of Harrisburg, the music festival will be headlined by Emily’s Toybox and also will feature the Syn D’Cats, which includes Ben’s uncle, Matt, who is a former member of Poison, on guitar.

The festival dates back decades to when, in the early 2000s, Ben was part of a group that organized the original incarnation of the event. It only felt proper to bring it back in Ben’s name, Kurtz said, while also using it as a vehicle to spread the word about the foundation.

Still, even as the nonprofit continues to grow, its success has been somewhat bittersweet, considering how losing Ben was at the center of its formation. Even so, Kurtz was quick to point out that he can’t help but think of how thrilled Ben would be to know how the legacy of his life continues to help bring more music into people’s lives.

“Ben was one of the most humble people you can meet,” Kurtz reflected. “He’d give anybody the shirt off his back, and I think he’d just be overwhelmed at the fact that we’re even doing this. He was always incredibly happy, giving back to others.”

“I can see him smiling,” Kurtz added, without missing a beat. “Everything about this just screams, ‘Ben.’”

For more information on the Downbeat Foundation, visit www.thedownbeatfoundation.org.

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Safe Spaces, Familiar Faces: For queer and trans people of color, this LGBT Center program fosters social engagement and community

February 26, 2026 | by Alexandra Jones

From left: Cyè Jacobs, Mav Atis-Valentine, Meridian and Zaire

When Mav Atis-Valentine showed up for their first QTPOC Collective meetup, they weren’t sure what to expect—they didn’t know anyone there.

But after moving to Harrisburg a few years ago from Bellefonte, they decided to start “getting out there” and finding community with other queer people of color in the area.

“It was scary,” they said. “But that was the first step in creating some connection in my life.”

“One thing about community that’s important is showing up,” they added.

A few months later, at another collective meetup, they stood beside fellow members at the Susquehanna Art Museum, admiring the bright, bold hues on display at an exhibition by Alteronce Gumby.

“It’s definitely giving me an opportunity to do more things in Harrisburg. Make more connections,” Atis-Valentine said.

“Stuff like this,” they added, gesturing to the museum, “getting me out of the house in the middle of a random day? Easy. I’ve never been here before. It’s nice, right?”

Community Connection

The organizer behind the QTPOC’s museum meetup is Cyè Jacobs, QTPOC coordinator at the LGBT Center.

“I have a huge passion for inclusive spaces and providing that essential environment for safety, belonging, healing and empowerment for folks—for the most marginalized people in the LGBT community,” Jacobs explained. “When I’m able to socialize with people, especially with people who are in my age range, I’ve noticed that some people are just looking to be seen and embraced.”

Jacobs said the Black, Harrisburg-born-and-raised artist’s exhibit was a perfect field trip for the group—whose other bi-weekly meetups have taken the form of writing workshops, game nights, movie nights (centering Black, queer films), holiday dinners and clothing swaps. About 10 to 12 people regularly attend.

When she began her role at the center in April 2025, she revived its QTPOC program from pandemic-era dormancy.

With a twist.

While the 2018-founded program originally served as an advisory and resource program for queer and trans people of color aged 25 to 45, Jacobs felt it was important to focus more on providing a space for its community members to connect.

“Sometimes, being a queer and a trans person can be a very lonely and an isolating experience,” explained Jacobs. “That’s why I have taken the more social route.”

When people feel more at home socially, Jacobs said, she and her coworkers noticed they feel more comfortable exploring the center’s resources and advisory offerings. According to Jacobs, some people come into the center who are homeless, lacking immediate family in the area or rebuilding their lives.

As a result of creating a social focus for the collective, she’s observed “a really striking change” on the work that the center is able to do on the advisory and resource side as well.

In addition to running QTPOC Collective meetups, another part of Jacobs’ job involves listening to community members and helping them find needed resources—anything from work, to housing, to HIV testing, to therapy.

“They feel more comfortable asking for help. They feel more comfortable even looking at ways where they can volunteer with the center,” she said.

A Black lesbian who was born and raised in Harrisburg, Jacobs has had firsthand experience with wanting to connect with other queer people of color in her area.

“I learned a lot about my identity at a very young age, but I was met with some barriers and a lot of complicated feelings and relationships about religion,” Jacobs said.

Still, she said, “My mom really encouraged me to not only live a good life but live an honest life. Truth was a huge thing in my house.”

Cyè Jacobs

Bringing Talent Home

Many of Jacobs’ progressive ideas about designing meetups for the collective come from her time studying at Temple University in Philadelphia.

While in the city, she helped found a progressive, creative collective. Called “Bad Apple Commune,” the group provided support and resources and fostered safe artistic spaces for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) individuals.

Working with creatives of color, many of them musicians and artists, taught her the importance of community, chosen family and working with others. But her time in Philadelphia was interrupted. She moved home abruptly to care for her sick grandmother.

“I knew that I was uprooting my life, and I was desperate to still have a connection to queer community,” she said. “Because it was a lot different when I was in Philly. I had built a solid community there with other queer and trans people of color.”

Then, she thought: Just because I’m moving back home doesn’t mean that has to stop.

She started to imagine how she could create similar experiences in her hometown and realized bringing such work here could give her a chance to make an impact.

“I thought that it would be very special to do that where I’m from,” she noted.

“I do want to make a difference, even if it’s incredibly small, because I think that Harrisburg has always had so much potential, and it’s such a culturally rich city and it’s a very Black city,” she added.

As a result, she was very grateful to be connected with the LGBT Center and brought on as a contracted QTPOC coordinator part-time, as she works to finish her college degree.

While Jacobs has done community organizing and mutual-aid work since she was 18—connecting people to housing, groceries and clothing—this marks her first time working for a nonprofit.

“All the work that I did in the past was grassroots,” she said.

Meridian and Zaire

Small City, Big Impact

Overall, Jacobs views her job as a chance to show up for herself and queer and trans people in Harrisburg.

With her title, she said, she’s been able to learn more about “her people”—and notes that another huge benefit of offering social spaces through collective meetups is that they provide a “sober” meeting space, which can be hard to find in the LGBTQ community.

“Sober spaces are very important,” Jacobs noted, emphasizing that gay bars and clubs have their place, too.

QTPOC members Zaire and Meridian, who asked to be identified only by first names, agreed.

“When you don’t want to go to those places, having a third space like this is very important,” Zaire said.

They both appreciate the group as a social environment outside of home and work for queer and trans people of color in Harrisburg to connect.

“Connecting with people that are actually near to you definitely builds that connection that ‘we exist’ and ‘we’re here,’” Zaire said. “It kind of eliminates the idea of isolation, especially in a smaller city.”

Meridian nodded. “In small cities,” they added, “these spaces are important.”

The LGBT Center of Central PA is located at 1323 N. Front St., Harrisburg. For more information, or to support or donate visit www.centralpalgbtcenter.org.

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Scouting Outing: Whitaker Center offers one-stop workshops for Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts

February 26, 2026 | by Ashley Andyshak Hayes

Scenes from Scout Sundays

On select Sundays, Meghan Weible often brings her Girl Scouts to Whitaker Center in downtown Harrisburg.

Weible, of Biglerville, is a troop leader, and she takes the girls, including her own three daughters, to Scout Sundays, which, she said, is a vital resource for local troops.

Scout Sundays are designed for different ages and skill levels, with well-designed programs offered at a reasonable price. Young people enrolled in a Girl Scout or Cub Scout troop can earn badges in a variety of skills and experiences, from art to outdoors to leadership.

“Some of the STEM badges are really in-depth, and it’s really difficult to hit all of the requirements that are necessary,” Weible said. “It’s not a specialty that we have at a troop level. So, it’s really nice to go to Whitaker Center, where they have all of the resources there.”

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields are emphasized in the scouting curriculum, and local Girl Scout and Cub Scout troops can explore and earn a variety of badges in STEM fields through Scout Sundays.

This specialized series of hands-on workshops is offered from October through May, developed using guiding principles and badge requirements from the national scouting organizations.

Scout Sundays has been a part of Whitaker Center’s offerings for years, but the current leaders are “breathing new life” into the program post-pandemic, said Aris Hudson, director of marketing and communications for the center.

“Our mission is to create spaces in our communities by offering educational, creative and cultural experiences that turn moments into memories—and that’s exactly what happens during these programs,” she said.

The hands-on workshops cover a wide variety of STEM fields, including robotics, forensics, coding, engineering and scientific principles and experiments. Educator Katie Brittingham leads the Scout Sundays workshops, along with occasional guest speakers and presenters.

Participants can attend individually or as a full troop and can take advantage of discounted admission to Whitaker Center’s other exhibits before or after the workshops.

“Our team of educators are brilliant. They have their own specialties and their own lanes, and the scout leaders are also so engaged,” Hudson said. “This program has outlasted many others here, even through organizational changes and instructors, and it is still popular. I think it will be here for a long time, and I think it is at the very heart of what we do.”

Whitaker Center’s programs are unique in central Pennsylvania, Weible said. The closest location offering similar programs for scouts is in Baltimore, and those offerings are more expensive and do not include the physical badges, she said.

“The kids absolutely love the hands-on part of it,” she said. “As a parent and as a scout leader, there are a lot of win-wins. The staff is amazing, absolutely amazing. It’s not just the resources, not just the cost, it’s the staff.”

To Weible, Whitaker Center is “a hidden gem.”

“We like to say that Whitaker Center is where discovery happens, and with Scout Sundays, we’re proving that discovery doesn’t require traveling to a distant science museum or waiting for a special field trip,” Hudson said. “It’s happening right here, every month, in the heart of downtown Harrisburg, open to every scout who’s ready to explore, create and grow.”

Scout Sundays workshops are offered on Sunday afternoons from October through May at Whitaker Center in Harrisburg. For a full schedule or to register, visit whitakercenter.org/learn-with-us/scouts or email [email protected].

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Poetry Buzz: A Columbia couple builds art, community through the power of verse

February 26, 2026 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Poetry reading event

For Glinda Johnson-Medland, poetry is more than just words.

For her, it’s a chance for everyone to “breathe” in today’s harried world.

“Any art is healing,” said Johnson-Medland, executive director of word hive: a space for poets.

Johnson-Medland, of Columbia, founded word hive five years ago with a noted mission that includes “increasing the use of poetry for self expression.” Her husband Tom serves as chairman of the nonprofit organization’s board.

Word hive’s listed values include “innovation, creativity, advocacy, access for all, respect, artistic excellence, ongoing education, collaborative presence, social awareness and deep social listening,” according to its website.

The group’s activities include monthly virtual poetry sessions during which participants conduct readings and discussions. In January, the program initiated a three-part series featuring “Keystone Poets” now on tour with readings from their current anthology, “Keystone Poetry: Contemporary Poets on Pennsylvania.”

“We love what we do,” said Johnson-Medland, who added that 27 people attended the January event. “It’s a very positive session.”

The series’ final session, featuring poets Marjorie Maddox, Allison Adair, Valerie Fox and Judith Sornberger, takes place online on March 21. Following that, a virtual presentation by poet Meg Eden Kuyatt is scheduled for April 18.

Word hive also conducts an in-person summer series each year at the Clock and Watch Museum in Columbia.

“Our goal is to get it out there,” Johnson-Medland said. “Some of our people have never read their poetry out loud. I just love it when I see people’s light bulbs go off.”

Janine Dubik, of Wyoming County, said that she’s been attending word hive’s monthly poetry readings and poetry workshops for four years. Now retired from a writing and editing career, Dubik said that she started writing poetry about 10 years ago and has been published in various journals and literary magazines.

“I first met Tom and Glinda at poetry retreats,” Dubik said. “They are amazing poets and amazing people.”

Tom and Glinda Johnson-Medland are both published poets and writers, with Glinda nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize honoring excellence in poetry, short fiction and essays published in small presses. Tom Johnson-Medland also creates visual art for sale on his website.

By day, Tom works as a hospice marketing coordinator, while Glinda is an independent “mostly retired” social worker.

The couple also creates art collages and conducts poetry workshops in Perry County. Then there’s the poetry posted each year on Red Rose Transit Authority buses.

In 2024, the Johnson-Medlands launched “Poetry in Transit” in partnership with the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House at Franklin & Marshall College and Vector Media. The program posts about 20 short poems, submitted to word hive, on RRTA buses for the duration of each year. This year’s poetry theme is Lancaster County.

Glinda Johnson-Medland said that the biggest challenge in running word hive’s outreach is “awakening poetry to people as an art form.”

“A lot of people look only at the visual as an art form,” she said. “Tom and I both really love poetry and wordsmithing.”

For more information on word hive: a space for poets, visit www.wordhive.org. You can view Tom Johnson-Medland’s artwork on his website, www.tomjohnsonmedland.org.

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Die Laughing: “Andre Is an Idiot” is dark and funny—and true

February 26, 2026 | by Gabriel Brown

Image courtesy of Joint Venture

André Ricciardi is a dying ad exec with a killer sense of humor.

If that doesn’t make you want to spend 90 minutes with him in a dark room in Harrisburg with a big screen, let me pitch him like this. André Ricciardi is like if there was a character on “Mad Men” with a temperament somewhere between Steve-O and Carell. He’s also got stage 4 terminal rectal cancer, because he didn’t feel like getting his standard recommended colonoscopy.

Tony Benna’s new documentary, “André Is an Idiot,” follows its titular subject over the course of the last few years of his life, showcasing André’s irreverent, infectious and, above all, stubborn sense of humor as he refuses to take life seriously just because he has cancer. (And the doc resonates—it took home the Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival, previous winners of which include “Whiplash,” “Minari” and “CODA”).

That being said—my favorite moments come when André sets his comedic avoidance to the side for a couple of minutes to stare death in the face and see how he reacts. One such moment highlights a meeting between André and his old agency, as they collaborate on an ad campaign showcasing close-up images of everyday objects that evoke the rear end, each one labeled simply “COLONOSCOPY REMINDER.”

Another such moment is perhaps my favorite sequence in the whole film. He and his best friend—with whom André has a pact never to be treated tactfully, cancer or otherwise—meet with a guru to contemplate and practice “death yells” at the lip of a canyon. The three of them stand side by side on the cliff, casting variations of their last words into the wilderness to see which echoing words resonate with each of them.

How do I want to be remembered? Will I go into the unknown with a whimper, a battle cry, or a proverb, like a character in one of Aesop’s fables? A Porky Pig “That’s All Folks!” or a John McClane yippee-ki-yay?

You’re not reading a movie review in TheBurg for my thoughts on death—and, that being said, that’s not really what the film’s about. It’s about assured self-love in the form of pure comedy in the darkest of situations.

As I began to watch the film, I was dreading the sobering path I was going to take, watching a terminal cancer patient ultimately waste away and die, which is, reductively, what does happen in the film, and I think a trigger warning for that is in order. But it’s a testament to the film that I really can’t say I left the film on a downtrodden note. André Ricciardi and the filmmakers bring true joy to the process of death, and I think that is worth celebrating at a truly fundamental human level. Also, get your colonoscopy.

“André Is an Idiot” opens in March at Midtown Cinema.

Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com. Gabriel Brown serves as assistant manager at Midtown Cinema.

March Events
at Midtown Cinema

A Red Carpet Evening
Celebrate Hollywood’s biggest night!
Tickets on sale now.
Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m.

“The Librarians” (2025)
With post screening panel discussion
March 8, April 12, 12 p.m.

3rd in the Burg Movie Night
“National Treasure” (2004)
Friday, March 20, 9:30 p.m.

Late Night Frights
“Jacob’s Ladder” (1990)
Friday, March 27, 9:30 p.m.

National Theatre Live
“Hamlet”
Sunday, March 1 at 5 p.m.

“The Fifth Step”
Sunday, March 22 at 5 p.m.

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French Lesson: Rosemary shifts cuisines for a month

February 26, 2026 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

Long-time readers know of my love and preference for Italian food. As a first-generation Italian, it is the heart and soul of my culinary endeavors.

But I had a moment. In the early 1970s, my husband and I spent quite a bit of time with friends who adored the whole French thing—food and wine in particular. And, well, they spent time there too.

We used to trade weekend visits with them. They’d come to Harrisburg. We’d go to and Washington, D.C. And we always looked forward to the Saturday night dinners that we cooked in our apartments.

I was introduced to French onion soup, coq au van, beef Bourguignon, crepes, cassoulets and, at breakfast, croissants. I was enchanted.

One of my favorite French classics, and my older son’s too, is Steak au Poivre, an easy-to-prepare dish that stars a rather large dose of black peppercorns. Now, you must like black pepper and food that is somewhat spicy, but this is a spectacular entrée. You might want to save it for a special occasion, but it is not difficult for a weeknight either.

My recipe is from a very old (1985) New York Times cookbook that features many classic recipes. I pulled it out recently, and many memories flooded back. There were so many things I hadn’t made for a long time, like Steak au Poivre.

Pair this dish it with a smooth red wine. My favorite is Beaujolais, a perfect accompaniment for a beautiful steak.

Steak au Poivre

Ingredients

4 New York strip steaks (or filets)
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons warm cognac or brandy
2 shallots, finely chopped
¾ cup beef broth
1 cup brown sauce or canned beef gravy (it’s OK, just look for a good brand)

Directions

Dry steaks with paper towels. Crush peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or a kitchen mallet (between 2 layers of waxed paper or in a plastic zip lock bag).
Rub crushed pepper onto both sides of the steaks and set them aside for about an hour.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large heavy skillet (cast iron works so well here).
Sauté the steaks quickly—about 3 minutes on each side for medium rare and slightly longer, lowering the heat, for more well done.
When done, carefully pour the warmed cognac or brandy and ignite with a long match. Stand back!
When the flames subside, place the steaks on a warm platter, and season with salt and pepper.

The Sauce

Sauté the shallots in the remaining fat in the skillet until softened.
Add the broth and cook it down until the skillet is almost dry.
Add the brown sauce, bring it to a gentle boil, cook for 1 or 2 minutes and swirl in the remaining butter.
Pour the sauce over the steaks or serve it separately.

I enjoyed the time I spent in the “land of French cooking”—and we always enjoyed the times we had with our Washington, D.C., friends. But the food memory we cherish most is the night we dined at a little French restaurant across from the White House. It was called Chez Francois. It is gone from there now but is still thriving out in the Virginia suburbs.

At the time, the menus were written in French, and our friend helped us navigate them to order. When the food came, we noticed that our friend had a strange look on her face and was pushing her food around on her plate. She had ordered “braised veal,” or so she thought. The waiter very politely informed her that what she had in fact ordered was brains of veal. More French lessons needed!

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Two of a Kind: Mother, daughter witness each other’s aerialist journeys

February 26, 2026 | by Alexandra Jones

Itaya and Jane Bryan on the silks

It’s safe to say that Jane and Itaya Bryan spend their time together differently than most mothers and daughters. For them, “hanging out” often involves hanging high up in the air.

“We like to do adventures together,” said Jane, the owner of the Harrisburg aerials studio Artz N’ Motion. She describes aerial arts as an adventure itself.

With good reason—the artistic sport combines strength, flexibility and acrobatics. Along with climbing up apparatuses (often, a feat of upper-body strength), it also involves flipping upside down, and sometimes, doing animated drops from as high up as the ceiling rafters.

“Aerials is not easy,” said Itaya. “It is not something that everyone can just pick up in five minutes.”

Although for the daughter of the studio owner, the sport comes easier than most.

The 24-year-old has been flipping upside down since she was in elementary school, starting on apparatuses hung in their family’s professionally rigged garage.

“Ever since I was little, I was always hanging off of something, always climbing,” she said. “I learned the basics so early.”

Her aptitude for dynamic movements is helped along by the more than a decade she spent during her childhood doing competitive cheerleading. Of course, it also helped that she grew up watching her mother, her first teacher, fall in love with the sport.

It all started when a 36-year-old Jane, who had an athletic background in gymnastics and tumbling, saw a flyer for a Cirque Du Soleil show in 2006. After a little research on the internet, “which was still fairly new,” Jane said, she tried an aerials class just two hours away at the Philadelphia Circus School.

“I humbled myself greatly because I couldn’t do one climb,” Jane remembered with a laugh.

All the same, she was hooked.

She spent the next several years driving back and forth to the school to train several times a week, sometimes with Itaya, who was just 5 years old at the start of the journey, in tow.

Itaya remembers watching from the seating area of the school as she did her homework.

By 2009, Jane, who had by this point trained on trapeze, the silks, the hammock, and rope, opened her own cirque business, Artz N’ Motion.

She began teaching students to use apparatuses herself—first through classes at the Harrisburg Christian Performing Arts Center and then in her own physical location. Teaching gave her a new purpose.

“I love making an impact in people’s lives,” Jane explained.

Jane and Itaya Bryan

You Got This

Jane starts each class with a stretching circle, so that class members can talk and get to know each other as they answer a weekly ice breaker question.

“I pull teeth to get people to talk to me and ask all those deep questions that people don’t want to answer to make them feel comfortable—to make them feel like they belong in a space and create community,” she said.

Another perk of coaching aerials, she said, is showing people they’re more capable than they know when it comes to doing certain moves.

“Yesterday, I had a kid, and she was terrified, even though she’s so strong she could probably hang for five minutes,” she said.

But with a little support—“You got this. You can do this.”—she accomplished the move, Jane said, and wasn’t afraid of it anymore.

For Jane, the studio entered an exciting new phase last year when Itaya began working as one of her aerial instructors. She described the development as a “pinch me” moment, and said she loves being able to share something with her daughter so close to her own heart.

Like her mother, Itaya finds aerials to be an organic extension of herself and enjoys teaching people to do things they never thought they could do.

“One of my favorite things to do is to help someone out or encourage people,” Itaya shared. “I feel like this is one of the biggest and easiest ways that I can make an impact on someone’s life.”

A young Itaya on the silks

Born to Move

The studio, now on its second physical location, operates out of a warehouse in Swatara Township, a venue chosen for its high, structurally sound ceilings. Its unique cirque-style fitness offerings—silks, trapeze, lyra, and hammock training for both children and adults—draw students not just from Harrisburg, but York, Reading, Hanover, Carlisle and State College.

More than just training, the studio also gives students the opportunity to perform once a year at an annual spring showcase at HACC. In the show, Jane and Itaya often perform together on the silks—which has become something of an annual tradition for them.

“It’s a different way to be deep with someone, a different way to connect,” Itaya explained. “When you’re putting something together, you’re creating a story.”

“I like the connection,” added Jane. “I might come up with some ideas, you come up with ideas, and then we bring it together, and it makes the whole piece.”

She added that she and Itaya have also inspired two other mother-daughter aerialist performances at the studio and that, in Artz N’ Motion’s showcase this year, a brother and sister will also be performing a duo routine.

Jane’s favorite part of working with Itaya, though, is when she isn’t working at all— it’s when she has an hour break during her daughter’s class.

“I’m in the office, and I get to hear her laugh,” she said.

While Jane said she would never want to force Itaya to live out her own dreams, she added it isn’t “out of the realm of possibility” that her daughter could take over the studio one day.

“I feel like I was born to move. Some people are like, born to be doctors, I was born to move,” Jane said, nudging her daughter. “And I feel like you have that as well. You were just born to move.”

Artz N’ Motion is located at 1235 S. Harrisburg St., Suite E, Harrisburg (Swatara Township). To learn more about the studio, visit www.artznmotion.com.

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Musical Notes: March Mingle

February 26, 2026 | by Skye Cadzow

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to dance this spring. I’m usually a fan of winter, but this year, it’s truly been too cold to go anywhere, cabin fever be damned! I’m hoping March changes that. Below is the rundown on some shows tempting me to forgo my electric blanket for the sake of live music, community and maybe even a little dancing.

SPREAD THAT JAM

3/6, Flux Capacitor, The Abbey Bar

Flux Capacitor puts on a heck of a show. I’ve seen them quite a few times around central and eastern Pennsylvania. The spacey electronic/jam fusion outfit, comprised of the brothers Specht (Peter, Michael and Jason), delivers a fresh and energetic take on jam festival music with the right touch of reverb and trance elements. Last fall, the band released its “Live Spirals Vol. 4,” offering fans a snapshot of their live shows to relive the magic. Catch ‘em when they hit the stage at the Abbey Bar this month.

PUNK IT UP

3/14, Kilmaine Saints w/The Super High-Tech Jet Fighters, XL Live

I think the annual St. Paddy’s Day shows with Kilmaine Saints are so much fun, and anyone who’s been reading this column the last few years will not find their inclusion on this list surprising. However, last spring, I got to watch The Super Hi-Tech Jet Fighters at the Strawberry Square Music Series and was absolutely charmed by the punk/power pop group, which appears to be the opener for this show. I absolutely recommend getting to XL Live before showtime and grabbing your bev before The Super High-Tech Jet Fighters take the stage. If you check them out ahead of time, listen to “Bat Eyes,” “Ruby” or “Know-It-All” for a fun smattering of their sound.

ROCK ON

3/27, Noun, Capital City Music Hall

If you’re looking for an indie musician with range, this is the show for you. Marissa Paternoster, former frontperson of the incredible New Jersey punk/DIY band, Screaming Females, has been sharing her haunting vocals and experimental rock via Noun for about 20 years, and I’m stoked she’s coming to Harrisburg later this month. While the most recent album from Noun was 2021’s “Peace Meter,” Paternoster’s been releasing singles and EPs the past few years, and I have a feeling we’ll hear a few of those newer tracks alongside old favorites like “Holy Hell,” “Loveblood” and more.

If you’re a musician and/or promoter, or a fan of a local artist, and you’d like to share some upcoming shows with TheBurg, drop me a line at [email protected].

HONORABLE MENTIONS

3/11, Sunsquabi and Manic Focus, The Abbey Bar

3/13, Seasons, West Shore Theatre

3/13, Brit Floyd, GIANT Center

3/14, Steve Martin & Martin Short, Hershey Theatre

3/21, Hellbender Hootenanny featuring Public Disco Porch, Jay Veil and Actual Wizards, The Abbey Bar

3/25, Sebastian Bach, Capital City Music Hall

3/27, Duunes, The Abbey Bar

3/28, Nirvani, XL Live

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Creative Century: Art Association of Harrisburg shares its flair as it turns 100.

February 26, 2026 | by M. Diane McCormick

Art Association of Harrisburg

When novice artists hit their stride, “you start looking at the world differently.”

“To an artist, there’s no such thing as white snow,” said Art Association of Harrisburg teacher Richard Michaelian. “Snow always has some kind of a hue to it. You look at the snow as dusk is approaching, and it’ll look blue or purple.”

For 100 years, artists have been boosted along their art journeys by the Art Association of Harrisburg.

“It starts with taking lessons, then creating your own painting, then from there, getting your painting into a frame,” Michaelian said. “That can take a little while for people to want to do that, and then exhibiting and getting it hanging on a wall.”

Founded in 1926, the Art Association of Harrisburg celebrates this centennial with its usual flair. Founded from an art-patron mindset, AAH has blossomed into a cauldron of learning, where people hungry for art find their voices amid a nurturing community of creatives.

“Art is the most important thing in the world,” said long-time Executive Director Carrie Wissler-Thomas. “Art is what makes life beautiful. With all the turmoil everywhere, people need art in order to find beauty in their lives. It’s a way to express oneself. Art nurtures the soul.”

Finer Things

The “stars in the firmament of 1926 Harrisburg society” applied for the charter creating the Art Association of Harrisburg, wrote Wissler-Thomas in her AAH history, “As the Paint Dries.” Like Theatre Harrisburg, it sprang from the women of the Harrisburg Civic Club as the turn-of-the-20th-century City Beautiful Movement reached its peak.

With a goal of civic uplift, the new association focused on attracting top-tier exhibits to Harrisburg. Through early patron Homer Saint-Gaudens, son of renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the fledgling organization scored a coup by attracting a major show of interiors, landscapes and portraits by Sir John Lavery.

The prominent British painter, just as enamored with this upstart group as Saint-Gaudens, startled the city by gifting two of his paintings to the association—the genesis of a permanent collection that, recently, got its own Art Association gallery.

Local artists entered the picture in 1927 with an exhibit in the Harrisburg Public Library, and, by the 1930s, artists themselves were operating a separate but tandem group, called the Studio. In the ‘40s, as money for traveling museum shows dwindled and AAH’s founders were passing on, exhibitions by local artists became the norm. In 1953, AAH reorganized, absorbing the Studio and launching a new era of encouraging the creation and display of art.

Not all of it was progressive or groundbreaking. An Evening News writer celebrated a 1963 show’s lack of works from “the automobile parts school of sculptor and ‘pop art.’”

“Neither is missed,” he sniffed.

Still, an art scene was growing up around the association, as members founded their own galleries and taught college-level art. To the possible horror of the Evening News scoffer, AAH stalwart Wanda Macomber became a well-known abstract precisionist painter.

AAH’s rejection of a nude self-portrait by Gene Suchma for a 1974 exhibit shattered relations with some members of the art community.

“This was not the Art Association’s finest hour,” wrote Wissler-Thomas, adding that, since 1980, AAH “stands tall against censorship in all its ugly forms.”

AAH found its dream home, the historic riverfront Governor Findlay mansion, in 1964. Surviving threatened demolition in the 1970s, a 2014 mini-tornado, and, of course, the joys of water leaks, the building today hosts exhibits, a sales gallery and classes, all on four levels of parquet-floored, fireplaced, carved-molding style.

There were eras of debtors and three-figure checking accounts. Active board members, nimble executive directors, and supporters kept the doors open through donations, art sales, capital campaigns and events.

Today, Summer Soirees extend members’ artwork into the elegant backyards of AAH patrons, while Community Exhibitions hang curated works in the galleries of participating businesses and institutions, bringing the serenity of art to workaday settings.

“It’s a chance to get artists’ work out in the community,” said Wissler-Thomas. “Artists will join the Art Association just because they can show their work.”

Heart for Learning

After thriving in the watercolor classes he requested for Father’s Day, Michaelian transitioned from student to teacher. As he watched artists mature to the point where they were teaching the teacher, he hatched the idea for Open Painting Studio, where burgeoning and experienced artists can find space to hone their techniques without formal instruction.

Held in Giant Food Stores’ Camp Hill community room, sessions host 40 to 50 artists weekly.

“The beginning artists seem to enjoy it because they get to see what others are creating, and the other artists get to enjoy walking around and helping the beginners,” he said.

And, he added, “A lot of my students will do their grocery shopping afterwards.”

Past AAH President David Morrison, now executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association, guided AAH through some lean financial years. He remembers the 2002 and 2003 exhibits of live tattoo recipients, displaying the works inked on their skins.

“It was really, really cool and attracted an entirely different clientele from normal art exhibits,” he said. “So, that was really a clever outreach, getting new audiences and showing that art isn’t stuffy.”

A local art association inspires artists to capture the region’s architectural and natural beauty, Morrison noted. AAH once held classes in the Historic Harrisburg Resource Center, helping to cement ties between two of the city’s anchor cultural organizations.

“The fact that we had it right here under our roof really broadened our horizons,” he said. “It brought art to Midtown long before there was the Millworks or Susquehanna Art Museum or Midtown Scholar Bookstore. So, it was kind of the beginning of expanding culture into Midtown.”

Show & Share

To Michaelian, showing at an Art Association exhibit is the North Star for budding artists. When his students exhibit for the first time, “their family wants to take their picture standing next to it, even if they don’t win a prize or it doesn’t sell,” he said. “Carrie and the association bring that to life.”

Susan Fortini and her partner, Raymond Kasper, of Lower Paxton Township, are longtime AAH donors. Artists need outlets for learning, showing and support because “it’s a little hard to do it on your own, and if there’s an organization you could participate in, it helps you to share,” she said. “I believe, if you have a talent, it’s your responsibility to share it. With organizations like the Art Association, you can get involved and have an opportunity to share your talent, your gift.”

Erie native M. Travis DiNicola was working in arts leadership and communications in Indiana. He and his wife, Michelle, had already decided to relocate to Pennsylvania when they attended an AAH show featuring her mother’s work in 2016.

There, Wissler-Thomas convinced them to make Harrisburg their home. DiNicola would serve on the AAH board when he arrived, she pronounced.

True to her word, he is the current president. Since his arrival, DiNicola has seen a diverse, professional board support the staff.

“There’s a lot of respect from local and regional artists for the work the Art Association does and tries to do and can do, and they’ve really pushed the staff and the board, as well, to be innovative and to grow,” he said.

The post-COVID need for socialization and expression propelled enrollment in the AAH school to record-breaking, “crazy high” levels of around 650, DiNicola added. AAH artists are always “pushing each other to be better,” and the organization has the potential to attract tourism and capitalize on “this amazing river” flowing on the other side of Front Street.

In a world where museums, galleries and art groups all have roles in promoting the arts, the Art Association is unique because “the artists are of and from the community and develop in the community for the community,” DiNicola said.

In its first century, the Art Association’s impact has been “huge,” said Wissler-Thomas. Students in the association’s classes—drawing, painting, mixed media, pottery, children’s classes—are constantly sharing the joy the courses have brought them and their loved ones.

To anyone who says computers have made art obsolete, Wissler-Thomas says, “That’s balderdash.” Art created by human hands has soul.

“Over 100 years, we have touched so many lives,” she said. “We’re open seven days a week, so people can come in and enjoy the art whenever they feel the urge. Art is in everything that we look at.”

The Art Association of Harrisburg is located at 21 N. Front St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.artassocofhbg.com.

Centennial year exhibits include “Women of the Permanent Collection,” through Nov. 27, and a Carrie Wissler-Thomas retrospective, July 3 to Aug. 30. The Centennial Gala will be held at the King Mansion on April 26.

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TheBurg Nonprofit Focus: Greenlee Partners & The MLK Leadership Development Institute

February 26, 2026 | by TheBurg Editor

2023 MLK LDI graduates at HACC

Greenlee Partners
230 State St., #1, Harrisburg, PA 17101

Why does giving back matter to your business — and how does supporting local nonprofits shape your company culture or values?

The Greenlee Partners team consists of accomplished professionals with a single-minded focus on delivering superior client service. Moreover, they are skilled and passionate individuals who are personally invested in strengthening the communities where they live and work. Strengthening the communities we live and work in has been a focal point of the firm for over 40 years.

Our team takes volunteering seriously. Many of our team members devote time away from the office to champion the causes they care about. We believe that touching the lives of others has a positive impact on the entire community. Giving time, talent and treasure to community groups that are important to our associates helps further the legacy of Greenlee’s philanthropic efforts.

Additionally, we support the Harrisburg community on a company-wide level. Over the years, we have engaged in numerous charitable efforts, allocating substantial time and resources to worthwhile endeavors throughout the area. We’re thrilled to be recognized as much for our community involvement as our lobbying efforts.

What drew you to this nonprofit, and what does your support look like in action (time, leadership, funding, advocacy, etc.)?

The Martin Luther King Leadership Development Institute (MLK LDI) seeks to strengthen personal and professional leadership skills for individuals serving their community. The community mobilization panel, in particular, seeks to provide leaders and aspiring leaders with the tools they need to impact public policy in an effective way. The scholars come from all walks of life, seeking ways to make their communities a better place.

Today, perhaps more than ever in recent history, understanding how to engage with our political leaders in civil discourse and advocate issues effectively to others is a necessary skill to possess. Without the ability to do so, changing public policy or even feeling heard in the community becomes difficult or impossible.

By volunteering time to work with the scholars at the MLK LDI, the scholars hopefully leave the program with an understanding of how they can make an impact regardless of their post in life. To quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve.”

The MLK Leadership Development Institute

What problem is your organization working to solve, and how does partnership with local businesses help you create measurable impact?

The MLK Leadership Development Institute is working to address the persistent gap in access to leadership development, economic opportunity and civic empowerment for historically marginalized communities. Too often, talented individuals lack the social capital, professional exposure and practical leadership training needed to translate potential into sustained impact. Our Institute equips emerging leaders with skills in ethical leadership, workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and community advocacy—grounded in Dr. King’s principles of service, equity and collective responsibility.

Partnerships with local businesses are essential to creating measurable impact because they connect leadership development to real-world outcomes. Through these partnerships, participants gain mentorship, internships, job placement opportunities and hands-on experience solving actual business and community challenges. Local businesses benefit from a diverse, prepared talent pipeline, while we track outcomes such as employment rates, career advancement, business creation and community engagement. This ecosystem approach ensures our work moves beyond theory, producing tangible economic mobility for participants and measurable returns for the broader community.

As you look ahead to 2026, what type of corporate or foundation support would most help you grow or deepen your mission?

As we look ahead to 2026, the corporate and foundation support that would most help us grow and deepen our mission comes from organizations that are intentionally investing in their communities through both human and social capital. Financial contributions remain important, but the most transformative partnerships are those that engage people, expertise, and long-term commitment alongside funding.

We are seeking local business partners that are willing to invest their employees as mentors, instructors and social justice partners—sharing industry knowledge, leadership experience and professional networks with our participants. This type of human capital support accelerates leadership development, strengthens workforce readiness and creates authentic pathways to career advancement and entrepreneurship.

Equally important is social capital: access to networks, relationships and opportunities that are often out of reach for emerging leaders. Corporate and foundation partners can open doors by connecting participants to internships, apprenticeships, project-based learning, board service and community-based initiatives. When organizations leverage their influence and relationships, they help our participants move from preparation to placement and from leadership training to real civic and economic impact.

By investing in both human and social capital, corporate and foundation partners become co-creators of community change rather than just funders. These partnerships allow us to deepen our programming, scale our impact, and build sustainable pipelines of leaders who are equipped, connected and empowered to strengthen the communities we all share.

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