Tag Archives: Art

Happenings: Our January Calendar of Events

December 30, 2020 | by TheBurg Editor

Museums & Art Spaces

AACA Museum
161 Museum Dr., Hershey
717-566-7100; aacamuseum.org

“Look . . . They Gave Me a Map,” an exhibit examining the enduring appeal of free road maps, through April 23

“Minibike Mania,” a display of more than two dozen miniature motorbikes, through April 23

“Yeah, It’s Got a Hemi!” an exhibit focused on Hemi engines, through April 23

Art Association of Harrisburg
21 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-236-1432; artassocofhbg.com

“Observations & Experiences,” featuring the works of Peg Belcastro, Carden Holland, Maureen Joyce and Julie Riker, through Feb. 18

Carlisle Arts Learning Center
38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
717-249-6973; carlislearts.org

“SEEN TOGETHER—Conflict and Resolution,” an exhibition of Walt Nichols’ smaller works that reveal persistent elements of imagination and composition in seemingly unrelated large compositions, Jan. 8-30

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

January artist: Karen Sykes

Pennsylvania National Fire Museum
1820 N. 4th St., Harrisburg
717-232-8915; pnfm.org

Exhibits dedicated to Pennsylvania firefighting history

Perry County Council of the Arts
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“6th Annual Juried Exhibition,” held virtually with the opportunity to view outstanding art in person at the Veterans Memorial Building, New Bloomfield, and a chance to vote for the People’s Choice award winner, through Jan. 22

Perry County Council of the Arts
PCCA Gallery, 1 S. 2nd St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“Artisan Marketplace,” featuring original and unique local artwork and handcrafted gifts for holiday gift-giving, through Jan. 9

Susquehanna Art Museum
1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-233-8668; susquehannaartmuseum.org

“The Modernists—Witnesses to the 20th Century,” featuring works by a variety of Modern artists from around the world, drawn from museum and private collections across the United States, through Jan. 17

“Sun + Light,” works from the series “Everyone Loves Sunshine” by visual artist Charles Edward Williams that juxtapose his past and present encounters with the 1960s Civil Rights movement, through Feb. 14

“Country Charm” examines artist Sanh Brian Tran’s experience as a queer Asian man living in rural America, through Feb. 21

“Once A Future Kingdom,” sculptured materials and imagined relics by Anthony Cervino, through March 14

“Project Pattern” multimedia display, through August

Read, Make, Learn

Carlisle Arts Learning Center
38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
717-249-6973; carlislearts.org

Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28: Photography—Process, Share, Discuss on Zoom, 6:30-8 p.m.
Jan. 9: Experimental Mixed Media 1-Day Workshop, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Jan. 12: The Joy of Making Paste Paper, 6-8 p.m.

Dauphin County Library System
dcls.org

Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: Virtual Anime Club, 4 p.m.
Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26: Zoom Animal Crossing with The Library, 3:30 p.m.
Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26: Virtual Family Storytime, 6 p.m.
Jan. 6, 13, 20, 27: Virtual Toddler Storytime, 10 a.m.
Jan. 6, 13, 20, 27: Virtual Create Lab, 4 p.m.
Jan. 6, 13, 20, 27: Virtual Young Adult Book Club, 4 p.m.
Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29: Preschool Storytime on Zoom, 10 a.m.
Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29: Dungeons and Dragons on Zoom, 4 p.m.
Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30: Dungeons and Dragons on Zoom, 3 p.m.
Jan. 11: Virtual Device Club, 1 p.m.
Jan. 12: Virtual Reading the Rainbow Book Club, 7 p.m.
Jan. 27: Knit One, Crochet Too! on Zoom, 6 p.m.

Fredricksen Library
100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill
717-761-3900; fredricksenlibrary.org

Jan. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Virtual Get That Job! Workshop, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Jan. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Virtual Get That Job! Workshop, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Jan. 4, 11: STEM Grab & Go Bag (ages 7-12), 9 a.m.
Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: Teen Grab and Go Bag, 9 a.m.
Jan. 4, 18: Zoom—Fredricksen Writes on Zoom, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 5: Zoom—Curl up with the Classics on Zoom—“Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry,” 10-11 a.m.
Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26: Career Exploration Workshop on Zoom, 10:30 a.m.
Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26: Career Exploration Workshop on Zoom, 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 6: Zoom—Moving Forward Book Group w/ Hospice of Central PA, 1-2 p.m.
Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28: Zoom Resume Writing Workshop, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28: Zoom Resume Writing Workshop, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Jan. 7, 21: Virtual Peaceful Poses Children’s Story Time, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Jan. 8: Philosophers’ Roundtable, 2 p.m.
Jan. 9, 23: Easy Craft Grab and Go Bag (ages 4-7), 1 p.m.
Jan. 11: Twisted Stitchers, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Jan. 15: Zoom STEM Storytime, 10 a.m.
Jan. 20: Zoom—Write On, 7:30 p.m.

Greenwood Furnace State Park
15795 Greenwood Rd., Huntingdon
717-248-5019; jvymca.org

Jan. 16: Polar Plunge, 1 p.m.

Hershey Public Library
701 Cocoa Ave., Hershey
717-533-6555; hersheylibrary.org

Jan. 7: Morning Contemporary Book Group on Zoom, 9:30-10:45 a.m.
Jan. 9: Photoshop on Zoom, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Jan. 14: Evening Contemporary Book Group on Zoom, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Jan. 19: Blood Drive, 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 19: Food Fight for Immune Health on Zoom, 7-8 p.m.
Jan. 21: Zoom Life Long Readers Book Group, 6:30-8 p.m.
Jan. 23: Children’s Carry & Craft—Pom Pom Book Mark, 10-10:30 a.m.
Jan. 23: Teen/Adult Carry & Craft Felted Ball Coaster, 11-11:30 a.m.
Jan. 28: Zoom Between the Lines Book Group, 6:45-8 p.m.

Historic Harrisburg Association
1230 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
historicharrisburg.com

Jan 25: Fourth Monday Program: Historic Harrisburg’s 2021 Preservation Priorities, 6-7:30 p.m.

Joseph T. Simpson Public Library
16 N. Walnut St, Mechanicsburg
717-766-0171; simpsonlibrary.org

Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: Rhyme Time on Zoom (18 months and younger), 10:15 a.m., 5:15 p.m.
Jan. 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29: Toddler Time on Zoom (18 months to 3 years), 11:10 a.m.
Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: Toddler Time on Zoom (18 months to 3 years), 6 p.m.
Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: Story Time on Zoom, 1:30-2 p.m.
Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: English Conversation on Zoom,
Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: Family Story Time on Zoom, 6:45-7:15 p.m.
Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26: Tea & Stitches on Zoom, 10 a.m.
Jan. 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29: Zoom Story Time (ages 3-6), 10-10:45 a.m.
Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28: Mah Jongg, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (meeting in person TBD)
Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29: Zoom Toddler Time (18 months to 3 years), 11:10 a.m., 6 p.m.
Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29: Zoom Rhyme Time, 12-12:20 p.m.
Jan. 8, 22: Dungeons & Dragons on Zoom, 6-9 p.m.
Jan. 12: Tween Scene on Zoom—LEGO Challenge, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Jan. 13: Mad About Mysteries on Zoom, 7-8 p.m.
Jan. 16: Zoom Kindergarten Club, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Jan. 16: Zoom First Grade Club, 1-2 p.m.
Jan. 18: Virtual Monday Night Book Club, 7-8 p.m.
Jan. 19: Zoom STEM Club, 6-6:45 p.m.
Jan. 23: Trivia at Home—Friends, 6-8 p.m.

The LBGT Center of Central PA
1306 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-920-9534; centralpalgbtcenter.org

Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Passageways Transgender & Non-Binary Group via Zoom, 2-4 p.m.

Leadership Harrisburg
3211 N. Front Street, Suite 105, Harrisburg
717.216.5200; leadershipharrisburg.org

Jan 29: Beyond Leadership Virtual Summit, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Middletown Public Library
20 N. Catherine St, Middletown
717-944-6412; middletownpubliclib.org

Jan. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Online Science Fiction Book Club
Jan. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Star Trek Rewatch online group
Jan. 18: Mystery Book Club, 6 p.m.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Café
1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-236-1680; midtownscholar.com

Jan. 30: Livestream with Michelle Duster and Keisha Blain, 2-3 p.m.

Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg
717-692-3699; nedsmithcenter.org

Jan. 1: First Day Bird Walk, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Palmyra Public Library
50 Landings Dr., Annville
717-838-1347; palmyra.lclibs.org

Jan. 11: Palmyra Public Library Book Club, 6-8 p.m.

Wildwood Park
100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg
717-221-0292; wildwoodlake.org

Jan 12: Virtual Winter Lecture Series—Mountain Laurel, 7-8:30 p.m.
Jan 26: Virtual Winter Lecture Series—Brook Trout, 7-8:30 p.m.
Jan. 30: Kids Discover—Owls (ages 4-6), 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Jan. 30: Kids Discover—Owls (ages 7-10), 1:30-3 p.m.

Live Music

Appell Center for the Performing Arts
50 N. George St., York
717-846-1111; appellcenter.org

Jan. 16: York Symphony Orchestra livestream

Market Square Concerts
marketsquareconcerts.org

Jan. 13: Violinist Juliette Kang and cellist Thomas Kraines

The Susquehanna Folk Music Society
717-745-6577; sfmsfolk.org

Jan. 17: Reggie Harris virtual concert

The Stage Door

Harrisburg Christian Performing Arts Center
1000 S. Eisenhower Blvd, Middletown
717-939-9333; thehcpac.org

Jan. 14-17: “Fortress of Fandom”

Open Stage of Harrisburg
223 Walnut St., Harrisburg
717-232-OPEN; openstagehbg.com

Jan. 8-24: “Kafka’s Shorts” livestream

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The Painted Word: SAM’s Alice Anne Schwab—the best is yet to come

September 30, 2020 | by Bob MacGinnes

Alice Anne Schwab

The English traditional poem, “Monday’s Child,” attributes, through verse, personality traits that children may possess based on the day of the week they were born, often foretelling the future.

In the poem, “Thursday” shares that the child born on this day “has far to go.” It can be interpreted to mean that a long, successful life lies ahead or that the life destined for them will be a long and fruitful journey. As a Thursday’s child, I can attest to a never-ending road of great adventure.

Little did anyone know on a Thursday in February, in the late 1950s, a little girl was born on Feb. 21, to be exact. The date marked her arrival in Harrisburg. She grew up with a genuine love for art and cooking, among other things. Later, she grew to serve her community as an advisor and advocate. In between, she worked tirelessly as a wife and mother and a friend to many. She holds within her a gift that only a rare few possess, the ability to make the person she is talking to feel like they are the only one in the room.

Alice Anne Schwab, currently the executive director of the Susquehanna Art Museum at the Marty in Midtown Harrisburg, is that person. In high school as a summer intern at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, she realized, by looking through the lens of art, that that perspective would provide her with the knowledge of various cultures in forming a global view.

If art is a thread that has been one of continuity in Alice Anne’s life, the art of cooking runs a close second. In a professional career that has spanned four decades, she has worn many different hats in the private sector. She always embraces the next challenge as a natural progression—an evolutionary step in the process of living.

Adept at learning the art world as a graduate from Bucknell University, Alice Anne assisted John Szoke at his prestigious New York gallery. She then worked in hotel management for hoteliers like Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell of Studio 54 fame, proving to be a quick study. She next received her culinary certificate from the New York Restaurant School and returned to her hometown of Harrisburg in 1990 with the bug to cook and create. However, raising small children was her primary focus for a number of years while she dabbled in catering out of her home. In the ensuing years, as a member of Market Square Presbyterian Church, she was asked to become the director of education, a post she held while taking graduate courses in religion. In the wake of 9/11, Alice Anne’s epiphany came to her “that life is short and to live your dream and give it the best you have.”

That realization led to opening Alice Anne’s Kitchen, which combined a restaurant and catering business, which she ran for two years. As anyone in the food industry would agree, it is an all-consuming line of work. After that chapter, the position of director of education for the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra (HSO) opened up, a role she assumed for the next seven years. This became a great joy in her life as she worked with then-Executive Director Jeff Woodruff.

Accomplishing what she set out to do at the HSO, she acted on the advice of a friend and applied to be executive director of the Susquehanna Art Museum, which was about to enter a new chapter in its freshly minted Midtown locale. It is a position she holds to this day. As the public face to the only dedicated art museum in the area, Alice Anne’s impact on the regional art scene extends well beyond the museum’s doors and within the community at large.

When asked to reveal the three artists that have changed her view of art, she responded without hesitation and with great insight. Frida Kahlo as a woman artist, bold in her persona and paintings; Leonardo da Vinci as a visionary across many disciplines (science, math and art); and lastly, Paul Cezanne, for the beauty and deeper meaning that he brings to the canvas. Alice Anne feels strongly that her mission as the overseer of art at SAM provides the public with the opportunity to have a Cezanne moment.

“If people, who may or may not have any prior interest or training in the visual arts, can gain perspective when they stand in the presence of great art and have clarity where something about life is revealed to them anew, we’ve achieved our goal.”

In a career that has included working for the presidential re-election campaign of Jimmy Carter, Alice Anne Schwab has led an adventure-filled life that has taken her far and wide. Trying to arrive at the essence of Alice Anne is like reaching the final page of a great book. You don’t want it to end. You want it to go on to the next chapter knowing the story will only get better. That is as close as I got, and so is it any wonder that she wrote the next sentence for me with her usual flourish?

“I believe the best is yet to come.”

To be continued…after all, she is a Thursday’s child.

The Susquehanna Art Museum is located at 1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.susquehannaartmuseum.org.

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Art and a Cup: Young owner Makayla Burton has combined her favorite things at The Tiger Eye Coffee Shop

August 31, 2020 | by Diane White McNaughton

Coffee shops often look as dark as their freshly roasted stock-in-trade. Brown. Bleak. Minimalist. Industrial-looking.

A new café is breaking that mold, blending color and caffeine into a delicious, coffee-scented concoction.

The fledgling Tiger Eye Coffee Shop in Paxtang is as bold and bright as the rides on the Wildwood boardwalk, exuding homey charm and originality with its eclectic menu and decor.

The sign outside the pastel purple building, adorned with strings of white lights and the American flag, lists the three primary loves of 19-year-old owner Makayla Burton: Coffee. Art. Ice cream.

Chairs and tables are artfully arranged along Derry Street, with seats hand-painted purple, red and black with polka dots. Her father Robert, who is a co-owner, as well as her siblings, contributed their talents to the effort. Brother Jadon works with Makayla part-time.

Inside, Tiger Eye is part coffee shop, part art gallery, part ice cream parlor and all candy for the eyes. Even better, it’s bathed in the aroma of coffee beans and baked goods.

The laid-back hipster vibe is exactly the feel that Burton wanted to create in a site that was once the home of Giordano’s Pastries.

Paintings on the sponge-painted walls are the handiwork of former classmates at the Capital Area School for the Arts (CASA) in Strawberry Square and other local artists. Chic throw rugs hug hardwood floors, and vibrant throw pillows spice up furniture. Each table is a glossy finished tree slab holding a unique lamp.

Glass display cases along the walls hold pottery, unique wooden mugs, craft jewelry and three-dimensional art for sale. A print camelback couch, game table and children’s table are stationed toward the back, and a book, “The Ruminative Soul,” by Drew Dick, is on sale for poetry fans.

The shop has already attracted a loyal following. Parents taking their children to nearby Harrisburg Gymnastics stroll over. Patrons of the nearby Harrisburg Framing and the beach-themed Sea Shop —her dad’s shop—drop by for a jolt of java. Walkers, joggers and cyclists from the nearby Capital Area Greenbelt enter in Lycra, in search of smoothies and cold drinks. Music lovers can try their hand at the acoustic guitar propped up in the front window.

Makayla said that the shop’s specialty is avocado coffee, which is a cup of joe mixed with half an avocado, which takes the place of cream. Tiger Eye is the only place serving that healthy mash-up in the area.

Fit the Feeling

Burton admits that it’s not easy launching a business at 19, especially when you open in December 2019 and a global pandemic pulls the plug on your dreams three months later.

The shop was forced to close for a time then reopened with numerous precautions, including socially distanced tables, plexiglass at the counter, face masks, enhanced cleaning and hand sanitizer. Plans for live entertainment have been put on hold for now.

Through it all, Burton remains optimistic, kind and eager to please her customers. As a film and video major at CASA, she also has an eye for style and a passion for helping her fellow art lovers.

She said that the name of the shop has nothing to do with a boxer named Rocky and the familiar “Eye of the Tiger” theme song.

“I thought it just fit the feeling here,” she said.

She loves the rare tiger eye gemstone, which is the color of coffee, with a silky, yellow-and-brown luster and a reputation for bringing good luck.

After visitors secure their espresso, gluten-free muffin or Hershey’s ice cream, they can stay to sip, spoon, study, socialize and shop.

Burton can’t remember exactly when she decided to open up a coffee and ice cream shop, but she admits she has always loved coffee. She is in good company.

“I love the addition of the Tiger Eye Coffee Shop in the Borough of Paxtang,” said former mayor and current borough manager Keldeen Stambaugh. “It has enhanced our downtown area and is a community favorite, adding to our popular eateries within a few blocks.”

Stambaugh said that, because the municipality is small, most residents walk to downtown hot spots. For those who drive, a municipal parking lot across the street behind the municipal building/firehouse offers free parking.

“The Tiger Eye focuses on creating a warm, friendly environment and a great place to gather with friends and family,” Stambaugh said. “They offer something for everyone. They sell coffee, tea and ice cream, but also have a big ‘little free library,’ in addition to displaying and selling artwork from a variety of artists.”

Paxtang, so close to splendid Victorian homes, the Harrisburg Mall and the car dealerships on Paxton Street, needed to stir up some creative juices.

“The artist atmosphere that is growing here in Paxtang is a big focus at the Tiger Eye,” Stambaugh said. “We hope this will encourage more artists to move into our borough.”

As a young, new business owner struggling to survive in a world transformed by a single-stranded virus, an art lover, and a coffee aficionado, Burton’s offering of cappuccino crunch ice cream seems especially fitting. Blending coffee and ice cream in artistic swirls, it is, like Tiger Eye, the best of all worlds.

The Tiger Eye Coffee Shop is located at 3418 Derry St., Paxtang. For more information, call 717-853-0974 or visit their Facebook page.

Happenings: Our September Calendar of Events

August 31, 2020 | by TheBurg Editor

Museums & Art Spaces

AACA Museum
161 Museum Dr., Hershey
717-566-7100; aacamuseum.org

“Yes, We Drive These Cars!” exhibition of early signage, artifacts and several vehicles, preserving the history of horseless carriages, through Oct. 18

“’Look…They Gave Me a Map!’ The Enduring Appeal of Road Maps,” through Oct. 30

Art Association of Harrisburg
21 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-236-1432; artassocofhbg.com

“Hidley Re-imagined,” through Sept. 7.

“La Petite” Fall Membership Exhibition, Sept. 13-Oct. 15

Carlisle Arts Learning Center
38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
717-249-6973; carlislearts.org

“Finding Inspiration,” works by painter and mixed media artist Rebecca Pollard Myers and found object sculptor Jason Lyons, through Sept. 19

Gallery on the Square
Millersburg Area Art Association
226 Union St., Millersburg
Facebook: Gallery on the Square

“A Growing Creative Community,” works by the Susquehanna Valley Chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, through Sept. 12

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyart.org

Hershey Public Library Hallway Gallery, through Oct. 10

Pennsylvania National Fire Museum
1820 N. 4th St., Harrisburg
717-232-8915; pnfm.org

Exhibits dedicated to Pennsylvania firefighting history

Rose Lehrman Art Gallery
One HACC Drive, Harrisburg
717-780-2435; hacc.edu

Virtual exhibition of ceramic sculptures by Chuck Johnson, through Oct. 1

Susquehanna Art Museum
1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-233-8668; sqart.org

“Creating Joy—Art Inspired By Music,” through Sept. 20

“Separate and Unequaled: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Negro Leagues,” through Oct. 18

“Picturing the Body,” an exhibition of photographs created as part of a Millersville University course of the same name, through Oct. 25

“Historic Memory,” paintings by Joerg Dressler and Shawn Huckins that address the collective, or historic, memory of Western culture and its influences on contemporary consciousness, through Nov. 8

Wildwood Park
100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg
717-221-0292; wildwoodlake.org

“Art in the Wild,” nature-inspired trailside art installations created by artists using natural materials, through Sept. 30

Read, Make, Learn

Carlisle Arts Learning Center
38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
717-249-6973; carlislearts.org

Sept. 10-Oct. 15: ZOOM!—Shoot, Share & Discuss, 6:30-8 p.m.
Sept. 12: Eco-Dyeing with Staghorn Sumac, 10-11 a.m.
Sept. 12: Plein Air Pen and Ink Drawing Workshop, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Sept. 16: Creative Collage, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Sept. 17: Create a Planter, 6-7:30 p.m.

Dauphin County Historical Society
Fort Hunter
5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-599-5751; forthunter.org

Sept. 9-Oct. 2: Archaeology Excavation, weekdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Dauphin County Library System
dcls.org

Sept. 9: Rin Tin Tin—DIY Dog Toy, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 12: Reading the Rainbow Book Club, 1-2 p.m.
Sept. 14, 21, 28: Born to Read, 9:30-10 a.m.
Sept. 14, 21, 28: Build Your Own Book Club, 4-5:30 p.m.
Sept. 15: Animal Crossing—New Horizon (ages 18+), 4-6 p.m.
Sept. 15, 22, 29: Family Storytime, 6-6:30 p.m.
Sept. 16: Small Business Workshop, 3-5 p.m.
Sept. 16, 23, 30: Toddler Storytime, 10-10:30 a.m.
Sept. 16, 23, 30: Banned Book Club, 4-5:30 p.m.
Sept. 17: McCormick & Olewine Library Friends, 5:30-7 p.m.
Sept. 17: P-ARRR-ty Time!, 6-6:45 p.m.
Sept. 17: Device Club, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 18, 25: Preschool Storytime, 10-10:30 a.m.
Sept. 19, 26: Dungeons and Dragons, 3-5 p.m.
Sept. 23: Preparing for the 2020 Election, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 30: Knit 1, Crochet Too!, 6-7 p.m.

Elizabethtown Public Library
10 S. Market St., Elizabethtown
717-367-7467; etownpubliclibrary.org

Sept. 3, 17: Family LEGO Club, 11 a.m.
Sept. 8-11: Book Sale, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sept. 18: Book Sale Bonus Day, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sept. 19: Book Sale Bonus Day, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Fredricksen Library
100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill
717-761-3900; fredricksenlibrary.org

Sept. 1: ZOOM—Curl up with the Classics—“Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” 10-11 a.m.
Sept. 2: ZOOM—Moving Forward Book Group w/Hospice of Central PA, 1-2 p.m.
Sept. 3, 7: ZOOM—Plot Twisters (ages 15-18), 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 8: ZOOM—Mini Zen Garden (ages 6-10), 6 p.m.
Sept. 8, 15: Natalie D. Craumer Writers’ Workshop: Write Right Now, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Sept. 9: ZOOM—Avoiding Identity Theft and Scams, 11 a.m.
Sept. 10: Peaceful Poses Children’s Story Time, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Sept. 10, 24: ZOOM—Teen Book Club, 5:45-7 p.m.
Sept. 14: Twisted Stitches, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Sept. 15: KIND Book Club (ages 8-12), 6 p.m.
Sept. 16: ZOOM—Write On, 8-9 p.m.
Sept. 19, 28: ZOOM—Fredricksen Reads, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 21: ZOOM—Avoiding Identity Theft and Scams, 6 p.m.
Sept. 21: ZOOM—Fredricksen Writes, 6:45 p.m.
Sept. 23: ZOOM—Jackbox Games (ages 12-18), 5 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyart.org

Sept. 8-29: Virtual Watercolor Magic, Tuesdays, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 15-Oct. 20: Drawing, Tuesdays, 1-4 p.m.

Hershey Public Library
701 Cocoa Ave., Hershey
717-533-6555; hersheylibrary.org

Sept. 10: ZOOM—Morning Contemporary Book Group, 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 10: ZOOM—Evening Contemporary Book Group, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 13: Virtual Introduction to Publishing Your Writing, 2 p.m.
Sept. 13: ZOOM—Arabiqa! Drums and Dances from the Arab World Children’s Program, 2 p.m.
Sept. 13: ZOOM—Hershey Trivia, 4 p.m.
Sept. 14, 21, 28: Facebook Live—Books & Babies, 10 a.m.
Sept. 15: Virtual 1, 2, Whee!, 10 a.m.
Sept. 17, 24: Facebook Live Storytime, 10 a.m.
Sept. 17: ZOOM—Life Long Readers Book Group, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 20: ZOOM—Friends Program, Heroes of Flight 93, 2 p.m.
Sept. 24: ZOOM—Between the Lines Book Group, 6:45 p.m.

Historic Harrisburg Resource Center
1230 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
historicharrisburg.com

Sept. 20: Preservation Celebration Toast, 5-7 p.m.
Sept. 26: Walking Tour—The Old 8th Ward, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Joseph T. Simpson Public Library
16 N. Walnut St, Mechanicsburg
717-766-0171; simpsonlibrary.org

Sept. 1: Teen Game Night, 6-8 p.m.
Sept. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Tea & Stitches, 10 a.m.
Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24: Mah Jongg, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sept. 8: Tween Scene, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Sept. 9: Mad About Mysteries, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 11: Dungeons & Dragons, 6-9 p.m.
Sept. 14, 21, 28: Rhyme Time In The Park (18 months and younger), 9-9:30 a.m.
Sept. 14, 21, 28: Story Time in the Park (ages 3-6), 10:15-10:45 a.m.
Sept. 14, 21, 28: Family Story Time at the Park, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 15: ZOOM STEM Club, 6-6:45 p.m.
Sept. 16: ZOOM Sci-Fi Book Club, 7 p.m.
Sept. 17: Thursday Morning Book Club, 10-11 a.m.
Sept. 17: Outdoor Mindfulness, 6-7 p.m.
Sept. 19: Kindergarten Club, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Sept. 19: First Grade Club, 1-2 p.m.
Sept. 21: Virtual Monday Night Book Club, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 23: Apple Users Group, 1-3 p.m.
Sept. 26: Trivia Night at Home—Totally Tubular 80s, 6-8 p.m.

The LBGT Center of Central PA
1306 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-920-9534; centralpalgbtcenter.org

Sept. 6, 13, 20, 27: Common Roads Young Adults, 4-6 p.m.
Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Common Roads Youth, 6-8 p.m.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Café
1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-236-1680; midtownscholar.com

Sept. 1: Live with Lynda Lopez, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 2: Live with Drew Hart, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 3: Live with Ian Toll and John McManus, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 8: Live with David Lienemann, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 9: Live with Fredrik Backman and Ruth Ware, 5-6 p.m.
Sept. 10: Live with Nick Flynn and Paul Weitz, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 11: Live with Chuck Palahniuk, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 14: Live with Timothy Snyder and Jason Stanley, 6-7 p.m.
Sept. 16: Live with Yaa Gyasi and Kiley Reid, 7-8 p.m.
Sept. 17: Live with Wendy Walker and Mary Kubica, 7-8 p.m.

Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg
717-692-3699; nedsmithcenter.org

Sept. 12: Troegs + Ned Smith Center Rugged 5K Trail Run, 5 p.m.

Palmyra Public Library
50 Landings Dr., Annville
717-838-1347; palmyra.lclibs.org

Sept. 14: Palmyra Public Library Book Club, 6-8 p.m.

Whitaker Center
222 Market St., Harrisburg
717-214-ARTS; whitakercenter.org

Sept. 1-30: Women in STEM Awards Program
Sept. 22: Talk with Docs—Dr. Bernadette Gilbert, 7-8:30 p.m.

Live Music

American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster
717-397-7700; amtshows.com

Sept. 17: Martina McBride
Sept. 24: Paul Anka sings Sinatra

Chameleon Club
223 N. Water St., Lancaster
717-299-9684; chameleonclub.net

Sept. 2: Drake Bell
Sept. 18: Puddle of Mudd, Jameson Rodgers
Sept. 28: Michael Sweet (of Stryper)

Messiah University School of Arts
One University Ave., Mechanicsburg
717-766-2511; messiah.edu

Sept. 25: Messiah University Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Winds Livestream

Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg
717-692-3699; nedsmithcenter.org

Sept. 26: Stuart Malina & Friends

Rusty Rail Brewing Company
5 N. 8th North St., Mifflinburg
570-966-7878; rustyrailbrewing.com

Sept. 6: RL Boyce with Lightnin’ Malcolm
Sept. 27: Steve Forbert

The Ware Center
42 N. Prince St., Lancaster
717-871-2308; artsmu.com

Sept. 25: Xun Pan plays Beethoven

The Stage Door

Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
510 Centerville Rd., Lancaster
717-898-1900; DutchApple.com

Sept. 17-Nov. 7: “Saturday Night Fever”

Gamut Theatre Group
15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg
717-238-4111; gamuttheatre.org

Sept. 12-28: “Chekhov Comedy—Love Hurts!”

Art with a Heart: Carlisle DJ uses his “other” talent to help local restaurants

August 31, 2020 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Country music fans know him as “Phil the Thrill,” the DJ who works for Red 102.3 FM.

Now, Phil George is making another name for himself as a talented artist who is helping area businesses, especially restaurants, through this challenging time.

“We announced on the air the businesses that were offering takeout,” he said. “I began thinking about what else I could do to help.”

George has been drawing his entire life. He attended the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in Lancaster, majoring in art and illustration, but then found a radio career.

“When I graduated, the economy took a tumble, and I ended up in radio,” he said.

His radio job connects him to a variety of businesses. So, when the pandemic struck, it hit home for him, especially when it came to restaurants.

“Before COVID-19, I was working with Molly Pitcher Brewing Co. creating posters for their live music shows and helping them with their social media graphics,” he said. “I put out feelers [for his fundraising project] on Facebook, and the answer was a resounding yes.”

The positive feedback inspired him to take the next step and set up an account on Etsy, the e-commerce site where people sell their original creations. Phil’s first work depicting the Molly Pitcher building earned him $1,000, which he donated to the business.

“I was blown away,” he said.

Thanks to George’s generosity, employees at Molly Pitcher are finding it a little easier to make ends meet.

“We have a staff fund to help our laid-off workers, and they can dip into that with no strings attached to help them out with whatever they need,” said Manager Cassie Fourlas.

Great Idea

George’s affinity for the food at George’s Subs and Pizza determined who he was going to raise funds for next.

“I grew up on George’s steak subs, which are phenomenal,” he said.

His subsequent rendering of the owner standing in front of the restaurant enabled him to present the business with a $500 check.

His affection for another area business inspired him to create his next work.

“Market Cross Pub & Brewery is like my Cheers,” he said. “I do a lot with them at the radio station, and I’ve gotten to know the entire staff.”

He was able to donate $1,000 to the popular watering hole.

As George contemplated his next work, his thoughts turned to an iconic food item native to his hometown.

“Carlisle is home of the ‘Hot-Chee Dog,’” said George, whose rendering of the Hamilton restaurant and their famous hot dog brought in $1,000.

Hamilton Manager Athan Mazias described the depiction as “amazing.”

“The artwork is fantastic,” he said. “I think this is a great idea, especially in these conditions where we’re just trying to keep busy.”

Buoyed by his success with the restaurants, George branched out into other businesses in Carlisle. Recent creations are renderings of the Carlisle House Bed and Breakfast and the Carlisle Regional Performing Arts Center.

“We are grateful to Phil for memorializing our historic façade and marquee through his artwork and also for his generous donation from the proceeds of his sales,” said Executive Director Erika Juran, adding that the money has been helpful during this time of limited programming.

Hearting Harrisburg

George is currently working on prints for several Harrisburg-area businesses in a “Heart Your Hometown” campaign.

These include sketches of the Appalachian Brewing Co., Midtown Scholar Bookstore and the Broad Street Market. Proceeds from the prints will go to the three businesses.

George said that people often hear about him through his social media account and ask if he would like to include them, but he is also planning to work on prints for those who are unaware.

“I kind of like surprising some of them with the artwork,” he said.

George said that he is enjoying the work on the three Harrisburg businesses because he finds them visually interesting.

“I like the giant sign for the Broad Street Market, the carts of books at the Midtown Scholar and the oversized ‘Brewing’ sign at ABC,” he said. “The other big draw is that they are locally owned businesses, which has been my focus with the ‘Heart Your Hometown’ art prints.”

As for the future, George plans to create more as time permits.

“I hope to keep this going,” he said. “It’s exhausting at times, but the amount of support I’m receiving keeps me going, and it’s kind of nice to get my mind off the pandemic, too. It’s very therapeutic for me.”

Phil George is also available for freelance work and can be contacted at [email protected]. His work can be seen on Instagram@philgeorgeart.

Diversity, education take center stage as Harrisburg Opera Association mounts virtual program

August 24, 2020 | by Gina Napoli

When most of us think of opera, we might think of the more popular classics: Pavarotti, “La Bohème,” maybe “Phantom of the Opera.” But Harrisburg Opera Association isn’t blowing the dust off any crinkly parchments from traditional classical opera for its 2020 season.

Under the new shifting paradigm of virtual video trending in the arts community for 2020, HOA will present the main-stage program “Outside While Inside – Opera in the Park,” with a special emphasis on diversity.

Executive Director and Artistic Director Tami Swartz purposefully cast the performance “to bring attention to our communities of color […] showcasing culturally and historically relevant topics, places, and experiences of minority artists.”

The cast extends from central Pennsylvania to New York City and Philadelphia – singers, actors, musicians and dancers with professional regional and international credits. (One name you might recognize is Megan Caruso, creative director of TheBurg, as well as co-founder of Sprocket Mural Works.)

Caruso said that some of Sprocket’s murals will be shown in the film, serving as part of the intentionality to highlight local sites of artistic relevance, historical significance and natural settings in Harrisburg.

“Viewers will notice the original cinematography as a visual complement to the auditory experience,” Swartz said.

The video will feature five different segments spanning across the musical genres of baroque classical, African American spiritual, mainstream jazz, classical/pop crossover and Latin jazz. In keeping with fore-fronting diversity, look for light genre-bending when you hear opera tenor (of NYC’s The Met fame) Raúl Melo and bass Jorge Ocasio crooning a jazz number. Many of the numbers will include original arrangements: “familiar and not-so-familiar pieces,” Swartz said.

The African-American experience is brought alive through sing-along songs, a film featuring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Harrisburg, an original jazz tune and a brief history of jazz in central Pennsylvania. You may recognize the names of Jimmy Wood and Ronnie Waters of the Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz associated with this piece.

Opera has its earliest roots in Renaissance Italy, and HOA does give a slight nod to early Italian opera from the Baroque era, with its original arrangements incorporated. I would argue that the Italian way is the best way to present opera, but, given my own background, I am excruciatingly biased.

Before each movement, narrators will provide educational and culturally relevant lessons. These segments will serve as more than just PSAs about the importance of diversity. HOA teamed up with Harrisburg Academy and Messiah University to offer course credits.

The video is geared toward becoming a curricula for kindergarten through high school students. It covers music, art, history and social studies. High school students have a unique educational opportunity to earn credits by participating in this video presentation. (Parents who are stuck homeschooling this year, I’m talking to you. You’re possibly already short on energy and resources, but don’t cut your music program from your home school.)

Michael Gamon serves as both the fine and performing arts chair at Harrisburg Academy and the arts and education officer at HOA. A main component of his mission is to make the lessons relevant and educational for the curricula of local students.

“When we think of opera, it seems so distant — far off locations, times, stories, musical style — but this production really brings the music home,” he said. “Every selection is connected to locations, artists, and stories that are a part of Harrisburg.”

The logo for HOA’s season is worth its own paragraph. Colorburst illustrates a montage of performers in costumes from athletic wear to formalwear to a sun-child hippie dress. The symbolism nods to HOA‘s aim of bringing us a virtual Colorburst of world music with sensory influences that extend beyond solely music.

Sponsors for the program include The David Katz Trust, Fischer Financial Services, Inc., and Arts for All Partnership – a partnership between the Cultural Enrichment Fund and the Greater Harrisburg Community Foundation, a regional foundation of the Foundation for Enhancing Communities.

Harrisburg Opera Association’s video can be found on their YouTube page. The performance will be available on Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. The suggested tax-deductible donation is $10.

Bob’s Art Blog: The Signature Style of Pamela J. Black

August 23, 2020 | by Bob MacGinnes

“Another Story” by Pamela J. Black

Art lovers are no different than film lovers, music lovers, book lovers and the list goes on. No matter the discipline, great artists find their niche and stay true to that vision. It becomes their signature style, immediately recognizable as theirs and theirs alone. Think of Quentin Tarantino in film, Florence and the Machine in music and Edgar Allan Poe in literature (after all, Poe is timeless).

Pamela J. Black, prolific painter of beguiling backdrops that adorn homes and businesses up and down the Eastern seaboard, falls into that category of instantly recognizable. The subdued statement of colors, soft and serene, is immediately identifiable as a Pamela J. Black creation. She works from an ever-changing palette of seasonal colors and often from a select grouping defined by her clientele’s needs in commissioned pieces. It’s easy to lose oneself when looking at Pamela’s paintings. They draw you into the possibilities of what can be in their shades, shapes and subtleties.

The third Friday in August took us to Cornerstone Coffeehouse in Camp Hill. It marked our first “3rd in the Boro,” where we caught up with Pamela’s exhibition that runs through August before traveling across the river to land at Cafe 1500 in time for fall.

Pamela’s palette takes colors of the summer found within the Great Barrier Reef in Australia–sea foam, coral, aqua and turquoise all awash in the shades of the season reflected on the ocean’s surface. A cohesive grouping of 13 paintings comprises the Cornerstone collection, which includes two larger works. Black’s addition of vibrant colors to the mix expands an otherwise restrained range into one of bidirectional bounty. “Another Story,” an apropos title for a painting that is dramatic with its incorporation of indigo, autumn gold and a softer shade of blue, scatters the three like a storm sweeping across the ocean out of nowhere. One can only begin to grasp its meaning up close, drawn into the eye of swirling symbolism. “Invisible” is built on imagery bold and boundless, balancing red and blue as if on a seesaw to determine which will come out on top. Putting aside their “primary” differences, they join efforts to attain peaceful harmony for the benefit of all.

“Slowing Down #3”

With fluid acrylics, the images appear to float on the paper or canvas as if a leaf, newly wet from rain, fell to the page and remained. Those images start from a “random point, a mark on the canvas” and evolve into timeless tropes. Black acknowledges that the process in creating her art is a natural path of evolvement in that it all comes out in the wash. The “wash” is the application of the acrylic paints once they dissipate in water for a perfect formula that gives her the texture and tones she desires. Her abstract approach to art is anything but. Aspects of movement and expression are conveyed from an intentional point of origin but then take on a life of their own. Her paintings indulge imagination and appeal to a wide variety of tastes. She remains steadfast and true to her vision creating variations on a theme, yet each work is uniquely individual. A sense of calm pervades every frame with a soothing quality that speaks to the viewer’s inner appreciation of beauty. Black espouses a painterly philosophy revealing the heart of a poet when she shares that, “My paintings serve as a reflection of my soul’s landscape.” She is “fueled by the need to find a sense of balance between chaos and control.”

Her caring nature extends beyond that philosophy as she puts thoughts into action. Giving to worthy causes for the good of the community is a priority for Pamela. Proceeds of some of her art sales recently went to aid the YWCA Greater Harrisburg, an organization near and dear to her.

Pamela, with two of her “assistants”

Awards and accolades locally and on a national scale pay tribute to an artist that has achieved the recognition through hard work and loving what she does. Graduating from Kutztown with a BFA in 2007 found her next five years teaching elementary art while attaining her master’s degree in education. For now, Black’s studio at Millworks #322 is temporarily closed, but that does not stop the process of creation. Since the closure, she has immersed herself in her paintings, aided by two assistants at her home studio. Her two young children help her in the meaning and motivation. Pamela is vitally aware of time management as she paints while the kids nap. She recently was part of a juried show at Cerulean Arts in Philadelphia and is the featured artist in the art opus, PIKCHUR Magazine, Vol. 8. In addition, the San Francisco-based design platform, Wescover, showcases her art for sale in its myriad presentations. Society 6 features the gamut from note cards, bar stools, throw pillows, coffee mugs and even credenzas, all with Pamela’s imprimatur of art. Her signature style greatly lends itself to objets d’ art used in everyday life.

Black’s goal is to give her audience the same sense of calm and peace that she feels when she paints. Her work centers her wholly like the gravitational pull of nature in righting itself after a storm, a feeling of renewal, refreshed to begin again. Fall under the spell of the paintings, to write your own story of what you see before you. To fully appreciate her work, one needs to see the paintings in person while they are on the menu for August exclusively at Cornerstone Coffeehouse. For art is subjective by design, and Black provides the necessary ingredients in one complete package always to be savored like a fine wine.

Pamela J. Black’s exhibition runs through Aug. 31 at Cornerstone Coffeehouse, 2133 Market St., Camp Hill. It then runs Sept. 18 to Oct. 15 at Cafe 1500, 1500 N. 6th St., Harrisburg.

New Black Lives Matter mural painted in Midtown to encourage solidarity, dialogue

August 3, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Black Lives Matter mural was painted on the Harrisburg Improv Theatre in Midtown.

Across the nation, cities are finding ways to stand in solidarity with their Black and brown residents, sometimes through art.

Community members in Harrisburg wanted to do the same. This past weekend a Black Lives Matter mural was painted on the side of the Harrisburg Improv Theatre on N. 3^rd Street.

Local artist Mike Fitzgerald organized the mural in an effort to encourage dialogue as well as to spotlight the movement.

“This wasn’t about me, it was about all of us in the community,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s also about the social injustices that are plaguing this country.”

Fitzgerald remembered recently seeing “Black Lives Matter” spray-painted on the Harvey Taylor Bridge, before it was quickly painted over. He believed that, if it had said something else, it wouldn’t have triggered the fast response that it did.

That scene had the artist’s wheels turning, wondering how he could use art to share those three words in the city.

But without a wall, there’s no mural. Fitzgerald asked around on Facebook and, within days, the theater offered their wall and a group volunteered to help paint.

Over the course of two weeks, Fitzgerald and a small team came up with a design, primed the wall and painted the mural, which was completed on Saturday.

“I was very impressed working with people in the community,” he said. “It was a way for the community to be involved in a very physical and tangible way.”

To top off the painting, people wrote affirmations on the wall, signed their names in solidarity and added quotes from civil rights activists and authors.

“We won’t stop until justice is served!” “No justice, no peace” and “Our lives matter forever,” read a few of the notes.

Once finished, people driving by circled back around for another look, some stopped to take photos.

“It’s touching people,” Fitzgerald said. “But at the same time, we’ve gotten threats.”

He explained that, within the mural’s short life, people have already threatened to destroy it and have sent the group negative feedback and hateful messages.

According to Fitzgerald, that only gives him energy.

“Buttons have to be pushed,” he said.

The official unveiling of the Black Lives Matter mural is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m.

Fitzgerald said that he is looking at the possibility of doing another similar mural in the Allison Hill neighborhood of Harrisburg. However, he is still looking for a location.

For now, he’s just glad that he could complete this one successfully.

“I think in my heart and soul that I’ve done something good for us to open up and start dialogue,” he said.

The Black Lives Matter mural is located at 1633 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg.

Happenings: Our August Calendar of Events

July 31, 2020 | by TheBurg Editor

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, some live events may have been changed or canceled. Please check with the host before attending.

Museum & Art Spaces

AACA Museum
161 Museum Dr., Hershey
717-566-7100; aacamuseum.org

“Highlights of Our Collection,” featuring unique and notable vehicles from the museum’s permanent collection.

“Saluting First Responders and Frontline Workers,” an exhibit highlighting vehicles used to help in times of crisis.

“Yes, We Drive These Cars,” featuring several very early cars, kept in working order by the Horseless Carriage Club of America, plus early signage and artifacts, through Oct. 18.

“Look . . . They Gave Me a Map,” an exhibit of free road maps curated by the Road Map Collectors Association, through Oct. 30.

Carlisle Arts Learning Center
38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
717-249-6973; carlislearts.org

“Finding Inspiration,” works by painter and mixed media artist Rebecca Pollard Myers and found object sculptor Jason Lyons, who both look for and find inspiration in their surroundings by seeing things with fresh eyes, Aug. 7-Sept. 19

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
717-737-5026; thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

Artist of the Month:

Pennsylvania National Fire Museum
1820 N. 4th St., Harrisburg
717-232-8915; pnfm.org

Exhibits dedicated to Pennsylvania firefighting history

Susquehanna Art Museum
1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-233-8668; sqart.org

“Creating Joy—Art Inspired By Music,” through Sept. 20

“Separate and Unequaled: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Negro Leagues,” through Oct. 18

“Picturing the Body,” an exhibition of photographs created as part of a Millersville University course of the same name, through Oct. 25

Wildwood Park
100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg
717-221-0292; wildwoodlake.org

“Art in the Wild,” nature-inspired trailside art installations created by artists using natural materials, through Sept. 30

Read, Make, Learn

Carlisle Arts Learning Center
38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
717-249-6973; carlislearts.org

Aug. 1: Intro to Quick Sketch Portraits, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Aug. 8: Experimental Mixed Media 1-Day Workshop, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Aug. 10-14: Art & Adventure Camp, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Aug. 17-21: ZOOM! Camp—Bread Making Magic, 1-4 p.m.
Aug. 18-Sept. 8: Sketching Around Carlisle, Tuesdays, 5-7 p.m.
Aug. 18-Sept. 22: Play with Clay at the End of the Day, 3:30-5 p.m.
Aug. 12: Lovely Lanterns, 6-7:30 p.m.
Aug. 22: Bundle Dye with Flowers and Herbs, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Dauphin County Library System
dcls.org

Aug. 3: ZOOM—Paws 2 Read, 6-7:30 p.m.
Aug. 3, 10: ZOOM—Born to Read (birth-18 months), 10:30-11 a.m.
Aug. 3, 10: Online Armchair Traveler, 11 a.m.
Aug. 4, 11: Writers Workshop, 10 a.m.
Aug. 4: Virtual Family Paint Party, 10:30-11 a.m.
Aug. 5, 12: ZOOM—Toddler Storytime, 10:30-11:15 a.m.
Aug, 5, 12: ZOOM—Build Your Own Book Club, 4-5:30 p.m.
Aug. 6: Virtual Family Paint Party, 6-6:30 p.m.
Aug. 6: Susan Orlean Spotlight—Oral History Workshop, 7-8 p.m.
Aug. 7, 14: Virtual Preschool Storytime, 10:30-11:15 a.m.
Aug. 7, 14: Mid-Day Get Away on Facebook, 1 p.m.
Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28: Virtual Dungeons and Dragons, 3-5 p.m.
Aug. 8: Virtual Reading the Rainbow Book Club, 1-2 p.m.
Aug. 11: ZOOM—Fairy Tale Yoga for families and kids, 10:30-11 a.m.
Aug. 13: ZOOM—Fairy Tale Yoga for families and kids, 6-7 p.m.
Aug. 19: Virtual Community Café, 6-7 p.m.

Elizabethtown Public Library
10 S. Market St., Elizabethtown
717-367-7467; etownpubliclibrary.org

Aug. 6, 20: Family LEGO Club, 11 a.m.
Aug. 5, 12: Tent Time with Jennifer, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 11: Ryan the Bug Man, 2 p.m.

Fredricksen Library
100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill
717-761-3900; fredricksenlibrary.org

Aug. 3, 7, 10, 14: Online Story Time with Miss Emily and Roasty the Cat, 3-4 p.m.
Aug. 4: ZOOM—Curl up with the Classics—“Oliver Twist,” 10-11 a.m.
Aug. 5: ZOOM—Moving Forward Book Group w/ Hospice of Central PA, 1-2 p.m.
Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27: ZOOM—Plot Twisters (ages 15-18), 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 10: ZOOM—Meet Someone New Biography Club (ages 7-10), 10-11 a.m.
Aug. 12: ZOOM—Tween Paint Nights, 1-2 p.m.
Aug. 17: ZOOM—Budgeting Basics, 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Aug. 24: ZOOM—Fredricksen Reads, 7-8 p.m.
Aug. 26: ZOOM—Write On, 8-9 p.m.

Hershey Public Library
701 Cocoa Ave., Hershey
717-533-6555; hersheylibrary.org

Aug. 2: Art of Truth Creative Non-Fiction online, 2 p.m.
Aug. 4, 11: ZOOM—Marie’s All About Color, 7-8:30 p.m.
Aug. 5: ZOOM—Lightroom Processing, 7 p.m.
Aug. 23: ZOOM—U.S./China Relationship—Heading for War?, 2 p.m.
Aug. 27: Facebook Live—Hamilton Trivia—The Man & the Musical, 7 p.m.

Joseph T. Simpson Public Library
16 N. Walnut St, Mechanicsburg
717-766-0171; simpsonlibrary.org

Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24: Family Story Time, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25: Try It Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25: Tea & Stitches, 10 a.m.
Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26: ZOOM—Summer Story Time, 1:30
Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27: Mah Jongg, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Aug. 12: Mad About Mysteries, 7-8 p.m.
Aug. 26: Apple Users Group, 1-3 p.m.

The LBGT Center of Central PA
1306 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-920-9534; centralpalgbtcenter.org

Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Common Roads Young Adult, 4-6 p.m.
Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26: Common Roads Youth, 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 10, 17, 24, 31: Passageways, 2-4 p.m.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Café
1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-236-1680; midtownscholar.com

Aug. 3: Virtual talk with David Livingstone Smith and Paul Bloom, 7-8 p.m.
Aug. 11: Virtual talk with Rebecca Watson and Miranda Popkey, 7-8 p.m.
Aug. 12: Virtual talk with Adam Rutherford, 6-7 p.m.
Aug. 17: Virtual talk with Aimee Nezhukumatathil and Ross Gay. 7-8 p.m.
Aug. 18: Virtual talk with Sarah Chayes and Jared Yates Sexton, 7-8 p.m.
Aug. 20: Virtual talk with Jill Filipovic and Connie Schultz, 7-8 p.m.

National Civil War Museum
One Lincoln Circle, Harrisburg
717-260-1861; nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

Aug. 8: U.S. Grant, the Meaning of the Civil War, and the Election of 1868, 1-2 p.m.
Aug. 22: From Gettysburg to Little Big Horn: The George Armstrong Custer, Civil War and Indian Wars 2020 Symposium, 8:45 a.m.-5 p.m.

Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg
717-692-3699; nedsmithcenter.org

Aug. 4-6: Find Your Passion Art Camp
Aug. 11-13: Swirls, Stories & Spirals

Palmyra Public Library
50 Landings Dr., Annville
717-838-1347; palmyra.lclibs.org

Aug. 10: Palmyra Public Library Book Club (email [email protected] for location)

Wildwood Park
100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg
717-221-0292; wildwoodlake.org

Aug. 1: Natural Tie-Dye, 12-3 p.m.
Aug. 12: Wildwood Wellness Walk, 5:45-7:15 p.m.
Aug. 12: Preschool Storytime—Summer at Wildwood, 10-10:45 a.m.
Aug. 16: Flower Walk—Heat Tolerant Plants, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 22; Summer Wreath Workshop, 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Aug. 27: Wildwood Wellness Walk, 5:45-7:15 p.m.

Live Music

Appell Center for the Performing Arts
50 N. George St., York
717-846-1111; appellcenter.org

Aug. 15: YourVoice Virtual Event

Chameleon Club
223 N. Water St., Lancaster
717-299-9684; chameleonclub.net

Aug. 21: LA Guns, Dylan Scott

Club XL
801 S. 10th St., Harrisburg
717-409-8975; xlhbg.com

Aug. 1: Yam Yam, Shawan and the Wonton
Aug. 7: Brandon “Taz” Niederauer

Gretna Music
gretnamusic.org

Aug. 8: GM4K Storyteller
Aug. 23: Mozart String Trio
Aug. 30: McGill-McHale Duo

House of Music, Arts & Culture (H*MAC)
1110 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-441-7506; harrisburgarts.com

Aug. 14: Escape the Fate
Aug. 22: Bark at the Moon tribute to Ozzy Osbourne

Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg
717-692-3699; nedsmithcenter.org

Aug. 1: Still Surfin’ – A Beach Boys Tribute
Aug. 8: The Ann Kerstetter Band
Aug. 29: Shotgunn

The Susquehanna Folk Music Society
717-745-6577; sfmsfolk.org

Aug. 9: Virtual Emerging Artist Showcase

The Stage Door

The Belmont Theatre

27 S. Belmont St., York

717-854-3894; thebelmont.org

Aug. 21-30: “The Miracle Worker”

Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
510 Centerville Rd., Lancaster
717-898-1900; DutchApple.com

Aug. 7-30: “Clue”

Whitaker Center
222 Market St., Harrisburg
717-214-ARTS; whitakercenter.org

Aug. 12: Online Story Slam

Bob’s Art Blog: Methods & Meanings

July 18, 2020 | by Bob MacGinnes

Artist Kelly McGee in her Millworks studio

I first became aware of Kelly McGee’s art on “the Gram,” the only social media we use. Her art intrigued me from the first…and the stories behind the paintings, even more.

Her website said to call to schedule an appointment to meet and see her work up close at the Millworks. Studio #216 houses the one and only Kelly McGee (Curran), chronologically 33 years of age but an “old soul” at heart in the best way. Within her, she holds generations of tradition and customs shared through her “dream state” paintings. For more, read “The Methods and Meaning of McGee” that follows. Part 2 is titled “Art for a Worthy Cause,” showing that small but mighty makes a difference to Gail Walden Coleman.

Part I The Methods and Meaning of McGee

The card reads, “Kelly McGee Curran, Expressionist Painter,” but that merely scratches the surface. Truth be told, Kelly McGee is an interpretive painter of her own dreams and visions. Proudly claiming Native heritage, something we share, she is able to walk between worlds, the temporal one we live in and the transitory state we dream in. In doing so, she interprets those “remembrances” from past generations and portrays them in her paintings, vivid and with profound meaning. Everything connected to indigenous culture incorporates wisdom, warmth and a vitality that transcends all else.

Her dreams part the veil as she enters a portal between two worlds. Her visitations come in the form of elders inhabiting her subconscious state, leading her to the path that follows nature. It often reveals ritual and customs from the past. In her painting, “I Learned to Listen to the Stars,” the guide is her father portrayed as a medicine man of eternity showing her the way. He takes her out to convene with the night sky, the stars and the moon. Even a beloved donkey exists in the dream and is present. She executes the painting as if she is there on the hill marveling at the wonders of the universe—in rapt attention to her father’s words of wisdom. The colors capture the elements of the nocturnal narration in their simplicity. The stars reveal the underlying nature of the canvas as they are the natural knots found in the pinewood that McGee uses to illustrate many of her paintings. Those knots, portals with smoke emanating from them, represent ancestral spirits. The dualistic nature of her divinations comes full cycle as she is both the seer of dreams and the conduit to the canvas. Another work depicts a scene of trees, which is also 2 feet-by-2 feet of an oil on wood and highlights “Trees in a Storm,” which she was inspired to create by an abrupt summer storm, reflected in the swaying trees natural beauty.

As a child, McGee fell in love with painting as her means of self-expression. Early on and out of necessity, she happened upon pine board to paint when serendipitously she ran out of canvas. Today, her works, more often than not, can be found incorporating those knots of imperfection as an integral element of the paintings. They become crucial to the tale the paintings reveal. The knots enhance and inform the narrative nature of the story or dream. When all those elements come together as one, it is kismet—destiny divined in the stars and heavens. And yet Kelly McGee is as down to earth as any artist or person can get. Genuinely generous, she is able to impart her worlds, the here and now, as well as the shadow sanctuaries, to all people who express interest and are looking to learn the story behind the paintings. Kelly weaves all the elements in her unique take on painting with richly textured oils on wood or on traditional canvas. The worlds she inhabits embrace the elements of earth, wind and fire. Her wisdom is of the ages and for the ages. And the knots that swirl throughout the pine boards serve as a visual guide. In the end, Kelly McGee’s art helps to make the “whorl” go round.

Part II Art for a Worthy Cause

The paintings measure just 2.5 inches-by-6.5 inches, but what an impact and difference they have made. Taking the current state of affairs to heart, Artist Gail Walden Coleman felt compelled to create art that would raise funds to help feed those in need. She has taken a “page,” marking it with her own personal stamp of painting from the timeless motto—charity begins at home.

Coleman has spent a great deal of time over the past three months painting artful works on paper that she then cuts and laminates to become exceptionally beautiful bookmarks all in an effort to raise money for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. To date she has enabled the organization to purchase and provide 6,200 meals, with no end in sight. She is now starting phase two of this project and has been aided by a local art gallery and frame shop in nearby Arcona, the Pure Gallery. Owner Rose Anderson sells Coleman’s labor-of-love bookmarks in her shop for the asking “donation fee” of $15, with all proceeds going to the food bank. Coleman’s intuitive paintings have been featured at Pure Gallery as well as the Art Association of Harrisburg, Carlisle Arts Learning Center and various local businesses. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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