Front Street bed & breakfast debuts second mansion, restores historic property

November 9, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

Owners Mike and Sally Wilson, along with local officials, cut the ribbon on “The Mary Sachs” bed and breakfast.

About eight years ago, a historic Front Street mansion sat vacant and overgrown.

Today, owners showed off the property, “The Mary Sachs,” fully renovated and ready to open as a bed and breakfast.

“We are so excited,” said Mike Wilson, who owns and operates the building with his wife Sally Wilson. “It’s so awesome.”

“The Mary Sachs” is the second property included in The Manor on Front Bed & Breakfast, owned by the Wilsons. Their neighboring mansion, “The Ledgestone,” opened in 2015. Both properties are on the 2900-block of N. Front Street, overlooking the Susquehanna River.

The mansion, built in 1926, was bought close to a decade later by Harrisburg’s Mary Sachs, a world-renown clothier and philanthropist, said Jeb Stuart of the Historic Harrisburg Association (HHA). Sachs lived in the home until she passed away in 1960. It later became an attorney’s office and then sat abandoned, he said.

In 2005, the two mansions, including a third next door, were slated for demolition, explained Mayor Eric Papenfuse. Community members came together to protest the demolition, with nearly 100 people gathering for a march that year, he said.

“It’s extraordinary,” Papenfuse, who marched against the demolition in 2005, said. “The building has come back to its former glory.”

The front entryway at “The Mary Sachs.”

The bed and breakfast was renovated and designed with a more contemporary, glam feel, Mike said. It contains six suites and common sitting areas. Guests can book a stay in the “Chanel (Coco) Suite,” the “Valentina (Schlee) Suite,” and the “Jeanne (Lanvin) Suite,” among others. They are all named after female fashion designers of the 1930s and ’40s.

Mike said that rooms will be open for booking as early as next week.

Work on “The Mary Sachs” has been ongoing since the Wilsons purchased the property in 2014, Mike said. However, they were waiting to open a second bed and breakfast location while the first grew. While COVID delayed the opening by about a year, Mike said that they’ve now reached an occupancy level of close to 90% in “The Ledgestone.”

The renovation of “The Mary Sachs” cost about $500,000 and included an investment of hundreds of hours of work, Mike said.

The building provides room to grow, and the Wilsons already have plans to add three more suites on the third floor and in the carriage house out back, Mike said.

A historical marker across the street tells the story behind “The Mary Sachs” mansion.

Additionally, David Morrison, executive director of HHA, pointed out the city’s newest historical marker that sits across Front Street, directly in front of “The Mary Sachs.” The signage tells the history behind the building and the woman who it is named after. The historical sign is one of about 120 in the area.

Mike said that they are excited to welcome additional guests to their new space, many of which come from surrounding cities, but also from “all over the world.”

“My wife and I love architecture,” he said. “We absolutely loved renovating these.”

The Manor on Front is located at 2917 N. Front St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their website.

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Burg Review: Take a surreal, madcap journey into Gamut’s Wonderland

November 6, 2021 | by Gina Napoli

Gamut Theatre’s rendition of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass” (interpreted by Sean Adams) is a dive into the mystical, exotic, twisted time and space of Victorian England that holds true to the original books.

If you consider the stories as curiouser and curiouser political satire during the author’s lifetime, you will surely find it. Both stories are rife with British humor, a healthy dose of absurdity and psychedelic influence. One wonders whether 7-year-old Alice (Kennedy Commissiong) is dreaming or whether her toys came to life. That is a riddle with no answer. Whether in Wonderland or through her looking glass, both would be true simultaneously. Imagine if the cast of Monty Python stole everything in your kid’s toy box and set them loose at the Renaissance Faire.

Commissiong delivers the audience a sensible, plucky Alice who isn’t afraid to speak up for herself when faced with characters who chastise or try to behead her. Alice struggles to learn the rules and sometimes tries to assimilate. Every attempt to socialize is met with characters who weaponize their wordplay to ensure Alice is kept in her place. Most of them seem to be irrationally angry at odd things and motivated by intense missions that swirl around royalty’s whims.

Throughout her adventures, Alice continues to encounter glib strangers who are strange themselves to any onlooker outside of Wonderland. Like a Fellini film, the costumes (Jen Kilander) alone tell a story cobbled together with hookah pipe smoke. Particularly inspired in the sartorial sense—the Cheshire Cat, the Jabberwocky and Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

Despite the macabre undertones of the overall play, Director Melissa Nicholson said, “This has been a joyful experience for us.”

Part of the joy stems from the eclectic musical pieces.

“Originally, this play did not have music,” Nicholson said. “When we auditioned the actors, we asked them if they had any special skills. We didn’t know we had so many musicians.”

Much like Alice’s heroine’s journey, the song selections don’t confine themselves to any one theme, yet they all huddle together under a large mushroom umbrella. After all, in what other play can you find a ukulele-wielding minstrel bestowing British history lessons (Francesca Amendolia), operatic arias (Benjamin Krumreig), and a keyboardist (Marc Lubbers) playing Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit?” And it somehow all works.

Something else that works is the improv routine smack in the middle of a scene, chosen by the audience at the beginning of the play. So subtly interwoven into the action, it snuck up on me, its only giveaway the little ding of the bell to change the direction of the dialog.

Don’t make the same mistake I did and think the play is over when the first book ends (intermission). Although not as popular as Lewis Carroll’s first story, “Through the Looking Glass,” Act II contains just as many outlandish characters, purposefully clashing costumes, and ridiculously backwards situations. In this land, up is down, and left is purple, but you’d better paint it red.

Come and join the audience. We are all mad here.

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass” runs Nov. 6 to 28 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, visit www.gamuttheatre.org.

Free Little Library opens at Foose School, designed by first-graders

November 5, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

First-grade students at Foose Elementary cut the ribbon on a Free Little Library that they designed in their classrooms.

Harrisburg students created a “little” solution to a big problem they saw in their community.

On Friday, first-graders at Foose Elementary School cut the ribbon on a “Little Free Library” that will allow students and neighbors to access books 24/7.

Students and teachers at Foose discovered that there was no library within walking distance in their community in South Harrisburg, they said. Teachers led their students through a month-long project to fill that need.

“We tried to think of fun ways to include science, math and reading together,” said first-grade teacher Lindsay Shearer.

The Free Little Library at Foose School, designed by students.

Students across the five classrooms brainstormed ideas for the design, made small models and helped paint the little library.

“I saw a lot of the quieter kids and the EL (English learner) students come out of their shells,” said Kaia Wise, another first-grade teacher. “It’s always interesting to see that they can do a lot more than you think. They ran with it and came up with their own ideas.”

Student Richie Alridge said his favorite part of the project was getting to paint and help people in his community.

All the materials for the library were donated, Wise said.

The library is open for anyone to borrow a book or to donate one. It is registered online with the nonprofit Little Free Library.

“I think this is going to be a wonderful addition to the school and the community,” first-grade teacher Kirsten Hill said.

The Little Free Library is located at the front entrance of Foose Elementary School at 1301 Sycamore St., Harrisburg.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

November 5, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Wanda Williams celebrated on Tuesday night, having won the mayoral race in Harrisburg.

It was local election week here in Harrisburg and, if you’re like us, you’re glad it’s behind us. If you missed any of our news coverage from this week amidst the political drama, we have it all right here.

Bob’s Art Blog has the details on the Paxtang Art Association’s Firehouse special—an annual three-day sale of paintings. And if you’re up for a road trip, Bob recommends checking out an exhibit by the Foothills Artists in Fairfield Valley.

Church World Service announced that it will open an office in Harrisburg, our reporting found. The organization will assist incoming Afghan refugees with basic needs support, cultural orientation and health access assistance, among other things.

Community Corner this month is packed full of events to enjoy this month. From exhibits to festivals and parades, add a few from our list to your November calendar.

Dauphin County Library System lifted its computer restrictions that it had put in place during the pandemic, our online story reported. All public-access desktops and laptops are back in use.

Our editor reflects on the conclusion of “a painfully drawn-out mayor’s race.” How was it so easy for him to predict who would win the race? Find out here.

Election Day in Harrisburg was a little slow at the polls, as most municipal elections are. However, voters still came out to cast their votes for positions like Harrisburg mayor and city council members, our reporting found.

Gamut Theatre kicks off its fall show season with “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.” According to our theater reviewer, it’s a family-friendly show that will have viewers of all ages entertained.

Harrisburg is set to receive $48 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds, but how the money will be used has yet to be formally discussed by the city. Our editor has an idea—updating the outdated, leaky sewer infrastructure.

Harrisburg University held a beam signing ceremony to celebrate another completed phase of their new, 11-story academic building. The building, still under construction, is expected to be completed by 2023, our online story reported.

Jamie Bey’s family and friends rallied to memorialize her after she was the innocent victim of a shooting in Harrisburg. A GoFundMe has been started to raise funds to support Bey’s four children, our online story reported.

Mid Penn Bank announced a new grant program focused on supporting women in the workplace, our online story reported. They will award money to nonprofit organizations that offer services to women.

Nate Baer is obsessed with sushi. He loves it so much that he’s teaching classes on how to make it. Read about the Mechanicsburg resident’s passion for Japanese culture, in our magazine story.

Pets and pet owners can celebrate. Butler’s Pet Feed & Supplies opened this week in Kline Plaza in Harrisburg, our online story reported. The owners believe this is the first pet supply store in the city.

Retro & Rad in New Cumberland will have you traveling back in time to the ’80s and ’90s, our magazine story reported. The shop specializes in vintage toys and collectibles, such as action figures, troll dolls and Nintendo games, among other items.

Sara Bozich has plenty of fun ideas lined up for your weekend. Take a look, here.

Wanda Williams was elected the new mayor of Harrisburg, after successfully beating write-in challenger Eric Papenfuse, the incumbent mayor. Read our online reporting to find out the results of other city and county races.

WITF opened a new “Family Learn and Play” space in the Hamilton Health Center in Allison Hill, our online story reported. Families in the WIC program will benefit from the new space, as children can spend time reading or playing while they wait for their parents.

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Harrisburg University tops off new academic building with beam signing

November 5, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg University founding board member David Schankweiler signs a final beam for the school’s Education Center.

A major building project in Harrisburg is one big step closer to completion.

Harrisburg University officials celebrated a milestone in the construction of the university’s new education center. On Thursday, they joined with donors to sign the final two steel beams of the structure.

The 11-story building is being built at S. 3rd and Chestnut streets in downtown Harrisburg. It will house the school’s health sciences, advanced manufacturing and interactive media programs.

“We are thrilled about what will come with regard to the programs and their contribution to not only the healthcare systems, but really to the citizens in this part of the world,” said HU President Eric Darr.

The final two beams were signed by HU staff, students, board members and donors to top off the 210,000-square-foot building. The beams will be placed onto the building on Friday, according to HU.

The $100 million project broke ground in July 2019 and is expected to be completed by 2023. In January, HU sold $100 million in revenue bonds to finance the construction.

The building will house health science laboratories, 3D printing facilities, advanced manufacturing equipment, a 150-seat interactive auditorium, a virtual reality creation space and other classrooms.

“Much like HU’s history, this building and its programs once again represents what HU is best at—momentum,” said HU founding Board of Trustees Chairman David Schankweiler. “That’s only fair because HU has never been the stone that gathers moss. We are rolling.”

For more information about Harrisburg University, visit their website.

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Church World Service announces new Harrisburg office to help resettle Afghan refugees

November 4, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

The Harrisburg skyline

An organization is headed to Harrisburg to help welcome new neighbors to the city.

Church World Service (CWS) announced on Thursday that it will launch an office in Harrisburg to aid incoming Afghan refugees, among others.

“We have seen a huge outpouring of support from communities from coast to coast who want to lend a hand to Afghan families and other refugees and help them get a great start in their new homes,” said CWS Senior Vice President Erol Kekic. “We are thrilled to be expanding our programs to 10 new locations to do just that, and we invite people from all walks of life to partner with us to welcome their new neighbors.”

The Harrisburg office is a branch of CWS’s Lancaster office. The organization has locations across the country.

According to CWS, they expect that over 65,000 Afghan refugees will come to the United States. Their organization will likely serve 6,500 Afghans across the 21 offices it administers and contracts with, according to CWS.

Services will include case management, basic needs support, cultural orientation, health access assistance, and job preparation and placement help.

CWS is one of nine national U.S. resettlement agencies. They partner with local community organizations, volunteers and church congregations to help refugees resettle and become engaged in their new communities.

Staff and volunteers will assist with meeting refugees at the airport, connecting them to housing, ensuring they have food and seasonal clothing and helping parents enroll children in school, among other tasks.

“We are excited to welcome Church World Service into our region as they help refugees from Afghanistan and all over the world settle into Harrisburg,” said Ryan Unger, president and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC. “We are looking forward to welcoming these families as they start their lives in our region and stand ready to make connections with potential careers and employers. We know that many people view employment as a sense of stability and security, and we want to help our new community members achieve that.”

For more information about Church World Services, visit their website.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

November 4, 2021 | by Sara Bozich

Plan your weekend with my weekly list of things to do around Harrisburg and central PA! Scroll down or use the menu links to find ideas for your weekend.

What’s inside:

Add to calendar [NEW]
For your weekend planning:
Top Weekend Recs
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Like this content?

Need something NEW to do? A(nother)new nightclub opens ~ Welcome Harrisburg Beach Club!

(Still) Worth noting: Check out my private Facebook community, Cheers Harrisburg. You can join the convo here.

Things on my agenda this weekend: Visiting a couple of breweries (including Art of Tröegs tonight), plus Harrisburg Flea at Strawberry Square.

Don’t forget to support your local brewery! Click here to find one near you.

Add to calendar [NEW]

Nov. 19 • 3RD IN THE BURG | SOMA HARRISBURG
Nov. 17-20 • SIP @ 17 WITH UPPER REACH MEAD
Nov. 17-20 • SIP @ SOMA WITH THE ENGLEWOOD

For your weekend planning:

Start planning your holiday travel now with this tip
Enter to WIN: My fave hard seltzer
Shop these great local markets.
View our local Restaurant Directory
Local Brewery, Winery, & Cidery Directory
See what else you missed on the blog.

Below are options for your weekend.

Things to Do in Harrisburg + Central PA | Weekend Roundup | Sara Bozich

Top Weekend Recs

Check out Harrisburg Beach Club
Shop the HBG FLEA at Strawberry Square
Update your bar cart for fall
Stream episodes of Poured in PA: The Series

COVID-19 Disclaimer: Masking and social distancing policies may vary per business, venue, and event. Please be considerate, follow the rules, and be nice. And tip extra!

What are you doing this weekend around Harrisburg? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Like this content?

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Play, Learn: New WITF play area opens in Harrisburg’s Hamilton Health Center

November 3, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

Families play in the new “Family Play and Learn” space in the Hamilton Health Center.

Harrisburg kids have a new way to play at Hamilton Health Center.

On Wednesday, officials from PNC Bank, WITF and Hamilton Health cut the ribbon on a new “Family Play and Learn Space” for children visiting the healthcare center in Allison Hill.

“This is going to be able to build on the literacy and strength of family bonds in an excellent way to improve the quality of life for our community’s families,” said Hamilton Health Chief Executive Officer Jeannine Peterson.

The play space will benefit low-income families in the Women Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program. It is located in Hamilton Health’s WIC center, so only those in the program can access it. According to Peterson, the WIC center serves 5,600 families.

While there was a small play area before for children to use while parents received assistance at the center, Peterson said that it was nothing like the new one.

“This is much more structured learning,” she said.

The space includes tables and small couches, toys and children’s books in English and Spanish. Families can also sign out PBS Kids Playtime tablets, which feature educational games and programming while they are in the center.

In the future, WITF will hold family storytimes and character meet and greets, said Blake Lynch, WITF senior vice president and chief impact officer.

“We all know the joy a child experiences when engaging with a loved one and reading a great story,” Lynch said. “It sparks interest in reading and learning, as well. That spark can carry with them throughout their lives.”

In total, PNC sponsored the creation of six play and learn spaces across Lancaster, York and Harrisburg with a $75,000 grant. Besides the Hamilton Health location, three other facilities have been finished already.

“We see the play and learn spaces as a creative way to turn what would otherwise be unstructured waiting time into an opportunity for children to learn,” said PNC Bank’s Regional President for Central PA Jim Hoehn. “When our youngest learners thrive and prosper, so do the communities they will one day lead.”

Hamilton Health Center is located at 110 S. 17^th St., Harrisburg. For more information about WITF’s “Family Play and Learn” program, visit their website.

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Burg Blog: A Long Campaign Concludes

November 3, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg Mayor-Elect Wanda Williams

Last week, I was chatting off-the-record with a Harrisburg city official who said to me, “Whoever wins on Tuesday, I’ll just be glad it’s over.”

Amen, brother.

I think many city residents share a sense of relief that the painfully drawn-out mayor’s race reached its conclusion on Tuesday.

The Democratic nominee, Wanda Williams, won decisively, meaning that the city won’t be dragged through weeks of ballot challenges or even possible court petitions in the wake of the write-in campaign of incumbent Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

I’ve joked with my staff that I’m not very good at Election Day predictions, despite covering municipal races going back some 30 years. I can’t count the number of times I expected one result and got another.

But this year proved to be an exception. In May, I told our city reporter that I thought Williams would narrowly defeat Papenfuse, and she did—by 46 votes. For the general election, I said that Williams would win decisively, which again was correct (though I underestimated her impressive margin of victory).

Why did I predict this? Actually, it was pretty easy.

Write-in campaigns almost always fail, so Papenfuse had an extremely steep hill to climb and, simply put, I didn’t think he had climbed it.

Not that he didn’t try.

In mid-September, Papenfuse made the announcement that he was tossing his hat into the write-in ring and immediately followed it with a burst of activity.

First, he hired his former primary opponent, Otto Banks, as his new economic development director, perhaps hoping to scoop up a chunk of his voters. He then gained the support of former administration critics like James Ellison and Jennie Jenkins-Dallas.

Papenfuse had practically disappeared from public view after his primary loss in May, but suddenly he was everywhere. He held press conferences, cut ribbons and made announcements, garnering tons of free press, including from us.

He held two separate press conferences to announce his plans for federal pandemic relief funds: $13 million for two elaborate public pool projects (or, as I termed them, the Taj Mahal of pools) and another $12 million for senior assistance, including monthly direct payments to low-income seniors.

He campaigned vigorously and used the powers of incumbency aggressively. Did you happen to catch the trailer for “The Harrisburg Children’s Hour,” in which a puppet version of the mayor hops through the city? Seniors, parents, public housing residents—he checked off all the constituent groups one by one.

Yet I could sense that it still wasn’t enough.

Many residents saw these efforts as too little, too late, or, even worse, as political pandering. To me, it seemed that he was trying to strategize his way to victory—a move here, a move there, attempting to cover this or that base. In any case, his efforts didn’t come across as genuine, whatever their intention was.

For years, Papenfuse had been criticized for being out of public view, preferring his second-floor, city hall office to the bustle of the city’s sidewalks and streets. The warning bells should have rung loudly in his ears after some residents began calling him “The Mayor of Midtown.” I chuckled whenever I heard phrase because I immediately thought to myself—“Hell, he’s not here either!” Yet he took no corrective action, did nothing to make himself more visible in the community.

If Papenfuse wanted a third term, he needed to engage with city residents going back years, not weeks. I appreciated that he put in long, grueling hours at his desk, and I believe that he did some very good things for the city over the course of his eight-year tenure. However, a lack of public engagement was his Achilles heel, and a 45-day blizzard of activity wasn’t going to fix that.

In contrast, Williams leveraged a lifetime of relationships to win the Democratic nomination then claim the mayor’s office. Her campaigns weren’t especially vigorous, but she had a solid base of support to build upon and was blessed with an opponent who many residents had grown tired of or simply decided they didn’t like. This dynamic proved to be good enough for a win–a strong win.

Williams now will make the transition from legislator to chief executive. The Harrisburg city government is an unwieldy beast, consisting of a $100-plus million annual budget and some 500 workers delivering mission-critical, high-impact services for residents. In addition, the city has been bleeding key employees lately, including, just this past week, the business administrator, Marc Woolley.

Woolley’s departure, however, presents Williams with an opportunity. The job of business administrator—the highest salaried position in the city at $125,000—was crafted about eight years ago as part of the city’s financial recovery plan. It was originally called the chief operating officer and was intended to be a sort of city manager for a city that doesn’t have a city manager.

A strong person in this vital post could be a lynchpin to the smooth, day-to-day operation of the city government and contribute greatly to the success of the next administration. I personally believe that this position hasn’t been used to its fullest potential, or even very well, under the current administration. In fact, it took Papenfuse years just to fill it.

However, there it is now, just sitting there vacant, waiting for the right person to become the mayor’s right-hand person. In my opinion, the creation of the business administrator/COO was one of the best ideas to come out of the otherwise uneven Harrisburg Strong Plan. Putting a top candidate into the position—and then giving them the authority and respect so they can confidently do the job—would be a very smart early move for the new administration.

In any case, it soon will be out with the old mayor and in with the new mayor. Come January, Harrisburg will have a new chief executive, and I personally wish Mayor-Elect Wanda Williams all the best and hope for great success, both for her administration and for our city.

Lawrance Binda is co-publisher and editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

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Bob’s Art Blog: According to the Calendar–Art Shows, Tours and Sales

November 3, 2021 | by Bob MacGinnes

Early November signifies the beginning of all things seasonally nostalgic, including holiday customs with a list of “pre’s”: pre-holiday shopping, pre-setting the oven for baking and, the most important one of all, pre’s bring the pumpkin pie. Actually, November also includes holiday gift open houses, craft studio tours and, within a few days, a firehouse of an art sale.

Part I: Paxtang Art Association Firehouse Special

Wollman Rink, New York, by Vivian Seetoo

Sound the sirens—it’s a four-alarm “doozy” of an art sale at the Paxtang Firehouse for the borough Art Association’s 31st annual three-day sale of paintings.

Taking place Friday through Sunday, Nov. 5 through 7, at 3423 Derry St., the event is touted as the largest sale of art under one roof this side of the Susquehanna. Over 2,000 paintings from 100 artists leave no doubt that the people of Paxtang love their art. The range of works includes mediums across the board, with something for everyone’s taste and pocketbook as the holiday season is just around the corner.

The association is happy to bring back its annual event, as last year was a moot point. Highlights for this art extravaganza include a roster of “local artists with talent to spare,” according to the association’s instructor and front man, Nick Feher. Capably assisted by Vivian Seetoo, they have bragging rights to a corral of creatives who have put their art up for purchase. Wanted posters feature a posse of painters that include the aforementioned Vivian, whose art includes miniature paintings on tea bags as well as familiar scenes from New York City.

Painting by Gary Ditty

In addition, look for Michelle Phillips’ “pop art” everywhere, as she is no longer a Mama and Papa (just kidding), as well as Gary Ditty’s legendary landscapes. If the firehouse gets crowded, just walk across the street to the Tiger Eye Coffee Co. for a break of Hershey’s ice cream, coffee, tea, snacks and a whole gallery full of art from 16 more creatives. Owner Makayla Burton will be happy to serve you scrumptious treats and show you the gallery. So, mark your calendar for this Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Part II: Over the River and to the Woods—The Foothills Artists 14th Annual Studio Tour

November also includes holiday gift open houses and craft studio tours, some of which are well worth a road trip, just an hour from Harrisburg.

A craft consortium of 11 artists nestled in the idyllic beauty of the Fairfield Valley will unveil their art for the 14th annual edition of the Foothills artists on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 20 and 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This special weekend event begins by just crossing over the Mason Dixon Line west of Gettysburg. Comprised of equal parts male and female artists, potters, sculptors and fiber art experts, as well as woodworkers, a veritable variety of artistic approaches include something for all. Road trips are the perfect excuse to get out of town for a change of scenery and a different perspective. It is no wonder that, in this rich valley, craftspeople truly elevate their mediums to new heights.

Kaleidoscop brooch by Joh Ricci

Joh Ricci weaves art through fiber in autumnal colors from a knotted vessel of beauty, a kaleidoscope brooch and a hand-stitched scarf that demonstrates dexterity with tools of the trade—mostly her hands, yarn and a crochet hook. Creating fiber art from the age of 8, shape and design are explored with an endless color spectrum. Schooled in the fine arts, Ricci’s resume lends ed cred to thread cred.

For Rod Stabler, turning wood has not lost its appeal over the 40 years he’s been involved in the art, making vessels, platters and bowls. The artist states, “There is something deeply satisfying about unleashing the beauty of raw wood. Each piece has its own personality and character.”

Ann Rupert creates jewelry, as well as two-dimensional media, that include pastels, oils, watercolors and color pencil. She works in collaboration with Rod to join her mixed-media art with his turned pieces.

Judy Pyle is a sculptress and jewelry maker, employing torch-fired enamels for over 20 years. She makes her fittings from hand-fabricated silver for brooches and rings. Rare metals of gold foil and silver add to the jewelry’s luster.

A pastel by Laurie McKelvie

Laurie McKelvie, guest artist, will be showing pastel paintings of landscapes. “They capture light and color found in the natural world.” Laurie is a realist painter helping to perfect the world through her art.

Geoff Grant is a fine art photographer specializing “in painterly landscapes, candid portraits of people of different cultures and street photography.” He is equally skilled in color and black-and-white formats. His calling card entails atmospheric avenues of departure.

Jack Handshaw is the founding member of the group show. Crafting pottery out of his log home for over 40 years, Jack is an award-winning potter who works in all types of clay. For the tour, he will offer porcelain, redware and raku.

Anne Finucane works in a variety of printmaking. For the tour, she will feature etchings and linocuts. Inspiration comes from nature, mostly plants with mediums changing in an evolutionary process that embraces methodology in a gradual course moving toward the finished goal.

Geoffrey Thulin is a painter of “bold celebration of color and form through animal imagery, landscape and abstraction. I explore rhythm, pattern and energy and their connection to the spiritual in nature,” he said. Watercolor and gouache comprise the mediums of choice that Geoffrey uses to create.

“Horses Three” by Sharon Pierce McCollough

Michael A. McCollough is a “gestural abstract artist” offering stretched and un-stretched canvases. His wife, Sharon Pierce McCollough, is a sculptor, painter, author and, for the weekend tour, will offer concrete sculptures of found objects and metal, as well as children’s books and paintings.

The historic houses are a draw in their own right, as is the generous nature and gratitude shared by the collective group of 11 who express their appreciation to all visitors who venture out for this annual craft tour. The lush background rich in history and culture of the Fairfield Valley provides the setting for all five studios. After viewing all of their work, you’ll feel this was an adventure well worth taking. You may share in the joy of “taking back something worth remembering” as Three Dog Night reflected back in 1970. That thought and sentiment 50 years later are exactly what makes the trip over the river and to the woods all the more relevant today. For tour map, visit www.foothillsartists.net.

Part III: The Adventures of Pamela in the Poconos

Millworks artist Pamela J. Black is known up and down the eastern seaboard for her instantly recognizable paintings. In her latest offering, “Changing Seasons,” the artist unveils a series of 13 stylized works in abstract departures inspired by the seasons. She creates an ever-changing palette of poetry in paint through this dramatic offering.

“The similar thread of nature ties them all together,” the artist shared.

The temporal turn of time translates to a bounty of colors and context now gracing the canvases featured at the Laurel Lane Gallery at Nemacolin Luxury Resorts, nestled in the Poconos, showing through Dec. 30. Pamela’s grouping represents a portion of over 1,000 paintings throughout the resort’s buildings.

Paintings by Pamela J. Black, on display at Laurel Lane Gallery at Nemacolin Luxury Resorts

“Waves of color, pools of paint and controlled mark-making are used to pull intentional color palettes and inspiration from each season,” Pamela revealed.

What better time of year to bid adieu to fall and greet the holiday season full of great promise, providing the perfect opportunity for a getaway gift to drink in the beauty of the seasons as they turn from their golden hue to evergreen.

November Calendar

Paxtang Art Association 31st Annual Art Sale, Nov. 5 to 7, at Paxtang Fire House

The Millworks First Saturday, Nov. 6

State Museum of Pennsylvania 54th edition of “Art of the State” through Jan. 2

Carlisle Arts Learning Center, “A Sense of Place,” through Nov. 27

3rd in the Burg, Nov. 19

Perry County Council of the Arts 7th Annual Juried Exhibition, opening Nov. 19

The Millworks Odd One’s Fall Bizarre indoors Saturday, Nov. 27, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Small Business Saturday, Nov. 27. Start your day at the bizarre and then gallery hop to your favorite lair

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