Tag Archives: Carrie Wissler-Thomas

The Painted Word: Mural Festival, Gallery Walk open Harrisburg’s autumn art season

August 29, 2019 | by Bob MacGinnes

Early bird: A mural is already in progress across the street from the state Capitol, with many more coming soon during the 2019 Harrisburg Mural Festival.

All the lines from the 1950s TV show, “The Adventures of Superman,” apply: “faster than a speeding bullet” (14 murals in 10 days), “able to leap tall buildings” (artists on scaffolds)… “look up in the sky, it’s…” – the Harrisburg Mural Festival.

When you stop to think about it, Mural Fest is a super feat of artistic achievement, and like with Superman, the public is grateful for its vision. No kryptonite here, just Sprocket Mural Works in high gear (no pun intended).

The power of art speaks for itself. Started in 2014 as a valiant volunteer brigade, Sprocket Mural Works evolved from an idea to 2017’s initial Mural Fest that featured 18 new murals, with local, regional, national and international artists participating in the event.

The 2019 Harrisburg Mural Festival, which starts on Aug. 30, will yield 14 more grand works, as a select group of art-busting aficionados unleash their collective power, ready for the public to tour them by end of the festival, on Sept. 8.

On that day, a block party will set up near the state Capitol, along with mural tours, live music, food vendors, a pop-up biergarten and more, including an artist’s market sponsored by the Harrisburg Flea.

Harrisburg photographer Dani Lucas perhaps put it best when, speaking about the 2017 Mural Festival, she said, “It is one thing to say that murals are tools for civic engagement. It is another to witness it on such a grand scale.”

As just mentioned, the mural festival wraps up on Sept. 8, which happens to coincide with another artistic blockbuster, the 31st citywide Gallery Walk.

The Gallery Walk lineup this year totals 19 sites, fitting for 2019, if only in that the stars are aligned. It begs the question, did Carrie Wissler-Thomas, founder and coordinator of the art walk, plan it that way?

No matter, as the venues are as eclectic as they come. Starting with the catalyst for art in Harrisburg is the Art Association’s 93rd anniversary. The Pennsylvania State Museum and the Susquehanna Art Museum round out three main art institutions in the city, all taking part. At the outside perimeter of Gallery Walk lies the Latino Hispanic American Community Center across the Mulberry Street Bridge and, also pushing the boundary, is the Olewine Nature Center at Wildwood Park. Four churches feature art: St. Stephen’s Riverfront Gallery, Zion Lutheran Church, Pine Street Presbyterian Church and Salem United Church of Christ.

Wissler-Thomas shared that Riverfront Gallery’s exhibit, “Icons in Transformation,” by artist Ludmilia Pawlowska, is a must-see for its depiction of contemporary religious iconography.

Young artists abound at the Capital Area School for the Arts (CASA). Midtown Scholar Bookstore, the Dauphin County Historical Society and the Historic Harrisburg Resource Center all bring their own unique dimensions to the event. And City House Bed & Breakfast doesn’t take its art lying down either.

As is its tendency, The Millworks offers food, fashion and an on-site brewery, in addition to its three-story artist’s enclave. The LGBT Center of Central PA creates a common ground for art and art lovers, welcoming the public to view the world through cultural and social engagement. Penn National Insurance and Old City Hall, as well as the Sprocket Mural Works block party, bring the total to 18 venues.

Last, but certainly not least, is the sole independent gallery participating that puts the “V” in Verbeke. That’s shorthand for Vivi on Verbeke, home to Harrisburg’s hippy couple of Bohemian bonhomie, Vivian Sterste and Jackson (Jeb) Boyd. You will find them at 258 Verbeke, out on their “perfect for people watching” bench in front of their pottery/art gallery. They’ll be offering humble hospitality to all who enter their powerhouse palace of art apart.

So, plan to come downtown, Midtown and all around Harrisburg on Sunday, Sept. 8, and party till the cows come home (so 2007) at the Harrisburg Mural Festival block party and Gallery Walk. Be ready to walk and talk and also leap tall buildings. See you there.

The 2019 Harrisburg Mural Festival runs Aug. 30 to Sept. 8 at numerous venues around Harrisburg. For more information, see the brochure in TheBurg’s August issue, at select locations or visit TheBurg’s website or Sprocket Mural Works. The 31st annual Gallery Walk takes place Sept. 8 at many venues throughout Harrisburg. For more information, visit the Gallery Walk website.

Art Debut: Eclectic “Energized” opens at Art Association

July 29, 2019 | by Bob MacGinnes

Have you heard the one about the three artists who walk into a “bistro” together?

The first orders a margarita and the shaker of salt goes missing. The second, a pina colada, and the rain starts to fall. And the third, a beer.

By now you’ve realized it’s 5 o’clock somewhere. At that very hour this past Friday, the new exhibit “Energized” opened at the Art Association of Harrisburg (AAH) under the auspices of CEO Carrie Wissler-Thomas and Curator Rachel O’Connor.

The point I am about to illustrate is that art and music go hand in hand. This energetic show of art featured three disparate worlds, put forth by a trio of creative composers using brushes and duct tape instead of baton and musical instruments. Although the latter was greatly in evidence too.

Artists from near and far comprised the group, starting with Mitchel Coffman, “the only living boy in New York” (thank you Paul Simon) who is showing art on a grand scale at AAH through Aug. 29. Coffman’s work is majestic in size and scope as well as in texture and tone. His deft touches with the brush and layers of paint often explore the relationships between beauty and the sexual nature of man. Dramatic intrigue is heightened by the frisson sparked by desire and attraction, often one and the same. Rich in texture, Coffman strips away the layers, deconstructing his art like peeling away the seam of vulnerability on the canvas.

Using “Every Day People” (a nod to Sly Stone) in what could be perceived as the common and mundane routines of life, like getting a trim at the barbershop, encourages the viewer to put themselves in that chair, with the easy banter between barber and customer. Or at his best with standing on a “Stoop in the Bronx” (pictured above), which shines a spotlight on the gang getting together and wanting to be a part of that scene, purely because it is a golden moment in life meant to be savored. Athletes, models and non-professional, interesting faces claim a title to Coffman’s wide range of subjects, especially boxers. But it is the rendering of all that brings a reward equal to the investment made by his audience.

Staged in the main gallery downstairs and part of the second floor, Curator O’Connor upped the ante with her ingenious use of spatial distancing, allowing Coffman and fellow artist, Rone Del Galeone (an artist’s name if ever there was one), to play off each other’s portraits and allow for needed breathing room as their energy was palpable. York-based Del Galeone brought “ed cred” (Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts) as well as “street cred” in two dramatically different approaches to her art. Portraits of children depict the formal side, with one detailed work looking like a modern day “Lord of the Flies.” In addition, some stylized portraits are equally prolific in her repertoire. An interesting group of human expression form a gentlemen’s gallery of roguish demeanors. Flip the record over to the B-side, and her too-cool-for-school “Bitch Face” series captures a culture of complaint. These numbered series are matched with an equally egalitarian array of “Mad Kids” (pictured “Mad Kid #4). All three series are numbered for anonymity’s sake (just kidding…maybe.)

Now, hold onto your senses as you may experience a spinning sensation in entering another dimension. “The room was humming harder as the ceiling flew away” (Procol Harum). We now enter the inner sanctum of Enola artist, Andrew Brodisch, and his trippy, psychedelia-personified room of duct tape-glowing tarps. LED lights made for a surreal, staccato-syncopated, strobe-lit experience back to the ‘70s as mind-expanding experimentation erupted onto the scene. Brodisch creates an intentional invitation to time travel to the era in his “Bonkerville” day glow-colored conflagration of a character comprised of equal parts Ken Kesey, Neal Cassady and Hunter S. Thompson. This work gives a whole new meaning to “jaw-dropping.” “Groovy” doesn’t even begin to capture it. More like “far out man.”

Many hands played a large part in making the afternoon-into-evening reception memorable. Sue Rothman, vice chair of the AAH board of directors, sponsored the event, as well as hosted the summer’s last show before Gallery Walk on Sept. 8. In addition, Jonathan Frazier, Renaissance man, provided the chill vibe, demonstrating temperament and talents with a kitchen sink full of musical instruments. Keyboard and guitar are only the beginning as no instrument is beyond his grasp. Kevin “Cap” Foster, gallery assistant, and Robert Potter serving at the bar rounded out the usual suspects. Thanks to Carrie Wissler-Thomas and Rachel O’Connor for an eclectic aesthetic—both kinetic and frenetic (at times) with “Energized” plugged in at AAH.

“Energized” runs through Aug. 29 at the Art Association of Harrisburg, 21 N. Front St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.artassocofhbg.com.

Art + Tradition: Five “Summer Soirees” planned to benefit local artists, Art Association

June 13, 2019 | by Hanna Martin

Wendell and Brenda Hoover will host the first Art Association summer soiree of the season in their home on Italian Lake. Sketch by Jonathan Frazier

Five historic central Pennsylvania properties will exhibit local art ranging from oil painting to glass mosaics as part of the Art Association of Harrisburg’s annual summer benefit soirees.

The soirees, which start on June 22, are held at the homes and properties of patrons of the Art Association for an evening of art, socializing and refreshments.

“[Attendees] can buy the art, enjoy the art, enjoy refreshments, and see the lovely home and garden of the host,” said Carrie Wissler-Thomas, president of the Art Association. “They’re very nice social occasions, as well as a way for the artist to get their work out to a new section of the public.”

This year, the soirees will feature the work of 14 local artists, including Julie Riker’s oil paintings, Josephine Alexander’s glass mosaics and works from contemporary artist Linda Benton-McCloskey. Attendees can expect to enjoy watercolor and oil paintings, en plein air (outdoor) paintings and digital photographs on aluminum.

Settings for the soirees include Wendell and Brenda Hoover’s home overlooking Italian Lake, Josephine and Bob Alexander’s historic farmhouse, Lowell and Linda Gates’ restored Victorian farmhouse, the Cornerstone Coffeehouse and the King Mansion.

Marc Kurowski, a veteran host of a soiree, said that the most important part of being a host is coordinating with the artists and advertising the soiree. Kurowski, owner of the King Mansion, will serve as host during the final soiree on Aug. 25.

He said that he likes to host a soiree to support local art.

“It’s a great place for folks who know art to see local artists that they might not have experienced and for folks who really don’t know much about art to try it for the first time and get a look at what local artists are doing,” Kurowski said.

The money from art sold at the soirees are will go to the artists, with a small commission going to the Art Association. Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door.

This summer, the schedule is:

June 22: “Italian Lake Soiree” (Italian Lake)
June 29: “Solstice Soiree” (Dover)
July 20: “Soiree in the Country” (Mechanicsburg)
Aug. 4: “Cornerstone Culinary Kitchen Soiree” (Camp Hill)
Aug. 25: “King Mansion Soiree” (Harrisburg)

To learn more about the Harrisburg Art Association’s Summer Benefit Soirees and to access a full list of the featured artists, visit https://www.artassocofhbg.com/Soirees.htm.

Create Globally: 91st “International Juried Show” opens at Art Association.

May 19, 2019 | by Bob MacGinnes

All birthdays should have at least one surprise, and mine was waiting for me at the Art Association of Harrisburg’s 91st annual “International Juried Show.”

No amount of precognition could have prepared me for the pleasant surprise that, in a show reserved for world-class talent, central PA artists held their own and then some.

Art Association CEO Carrie Wissler-Thomas greeted me at the venerable institution’s Front Street front door. For as long as memory serves (1980 to be exact), Wissler-Thomas and the Art Association have been synonymous with the art community at large in the Harrisburg area. But that’s a story for another day.

The juried show, which opened during 3rd in the Burg on Friday, is a collection selected from artists the world over, giving its “International” title the designation it deserves. Every medium imaginable is represented: from textile wall hangings to seamless sculptures to paintings and photography. Lauren Zelaya, assistant curator at the Brooklyn Museum, served as the guest juror for the exhibit.

I immediately fell under the spell of artist Sri Koya’s acrylic painting in the foyer. Her “Dark Gold” (left) set the tone for the evening ahead as enchanting, mystical and most of all, enlightening. Monique Johnson captivated my imagination with a mixed media assemblage of a multi-layered photograph entitled, “Wavering,” which made me think of images from the portal of the Titanic. I found her work upstairs, entitled “Crest,” of a young maiden outstretched on a cloud floating off into the ether, soothing in a Maxfield Parrish vibe.

AAH Curator Rachel O’Connor’s vertiginous delivery of “art electric” is also featured upstairs in the Milford Patterson Gallery. Her handiwork as a curator is greatly in evidence in the explosion of color and materials represented, creating the curator’s “Game of Tones.”

Ingrid Guderle and Toby Bouder offer a pair of unusual pieces. Guderle wove a talking heads tapestry of embroidery floss, canvas and paper called “Cross Words.” In today’s culture of talking at each other (instead of with one another), this piece is topical and timely. Bouder’s vase made of box elderwood is beautiful in its natural simplicity.

Devin de Pamphilis’s playful foray consists of tongue-in-cheek photographs called “Hiking Across Do Si Dos,” which depicts a trio of scouts trekking on a confectionary continent. Another of his works, “Jumping In Ice Cream,” features two miniature humans on an ice cream scoop—you guessed it—“we all scream.” A creative take in another mixed media mash up is aptly called, “Paint a Wall, Clear Your Mind,” by Bernadette Scelta, who employs paint stir sticks to frame her acrylic-on-canvas work with the title uniquely rendered with twisted wire.

Fascinating in its theme and tone, Tina Berrier’s “He Gave Me a Wooden Nickel” (top image) provides charged commentary on the plight of Native Americans in its visual depiction of broken treaties and the toll it has taken on their way of life. Colors abound from a wild woodpecker alighting atop a head, pecking a wooden totem. The figure’s dress is both spiritual and symbolic of a heart broken by false promises. Powerful in its presentation, the acrylic work on stretched canvas speaks volumes with just the figure’s gaze.

“Decaying In Silence” from Michael Munchel shows a burnt-out structure with a pink piano still intact, a stark portrayal of abandoned atrophy. His use of color saturation highlights the photo in unexpected ways, conveying a heightened sense of beauty lost forever. In the same vein, “Remnant,” from Michael Hower, is a digital, black-and-white photograph of an old garment factory left in tatters for all time.

Lastly, in an unintentional (or not) homage to Michael Mann’s groundbreaking TV series, “Miami Vice,” Chad Whitaker’s “South Beach Artifact 1,” in the sculpture/ceramics category, creatively uses bed sheets, styrofoam, wood, glue, paint and rope in a pastel pastiche reminiscent of character Sonny Crockett’s Daytona Spyder hitting a wall going 172 miles per hour. And this is what it would end up looking like. One can only hope that Crockett would live to say, “Hey pal,” just one more time.

“International Juried Show” runs through June 20 at the Art Association of Harrisburg, 21 N. Front St. Harrisburg. For more information, visit https://www.artassocofhbg.com.

Picture above: “He Gave Me a Wooden Nickel” and “Dark Gold.”

You Never Give Me Your Money: In Harrisburg, art is a tough sell. So, it gets paired with food, drink, music.

August 31, 2018 | by Maddie Crocenzi

Harrisburg Art Association

On Sept. 9, people will fill the streets of Harrisburg across 22 different venues for the city’s 30th annual Gallery Walk.

Paintings, photographs and more will line the walls, but there is one thing you might notice along your long art journey. Hardly any of those art-filled walls will be at traditional galleries.

Harrisburg, unlike, say, Lancaster, has few standalone galleries, and it’s about to lose one of its last as Gallery@Second soon will end its regular exhibit schedule, at least for awhile. Another dedicated gallery, 3rd Street Studio, shut down a few months ago after its building sold.

The quirky thing—there’s plenty of art (and plenty of artists) in Harrisburg. It’s just that the art usually is supported by other, more profitable businesses, be they restaurants (Millworks, Suba, Café 1500, Fresa), cafés (Little Amps, Capital Joe, Yellow Bird) or bars and music venues (Zeroday Brewing Co., HMAC).

The problem: People in Harrisburg love to look at art, but they don’t often buy it, said Carrie Wissler-Thomas, president of the Art Association of Harrisburg.

“It’s very, very difficult for a gallery to exist if all it does is show art,” she said.

That was the case for Ted Walke who owns Gallery@Second. He bought the downtown building and then opened his gallery in May 2010, while juggling a full-time job.

“Most people can’t look at the dollar signs or they get depressed,” Walke said.

People in the community were all easygoing and generous, he added. However, it wasn’t sufficient to bring in enough money. Without a staff, Walke had just four or five weekends free over the past eight years, he said. So, he will close down after the current exhibit ends, take a breather and assess what to do going forward.

He doesn’t envision the building being anything but a gallery, but he wants to direct it toward more contemporary work if and when it does re-open. In the meantime, he’s considering a few pop-up exhibits throughout 2019.

Labor of Love

Gallery Walk is an excellent way to assess the art situation in the city.

Almost none of the locations on the tour are standalone galleries. Instead, destinations along the walk include places such as Penn National Insurance, Salem United Church of Christ and City House Bed & Breakfast.

The Millworks is a good example of a mixed-use space. With art separated from the bar and restaurant, people can opt to go just for dinner or only for the art. Then there are the many people who come for dinner and find their way to the artists’ studios.

That dream of foot traffic is what drew Tara Chickey to the role of art director at the Millworks. She opened a gallery in Harrisburg in 2003 with a friend and closed it around 2011, when her labor of love became a burden and the money didn’t flow through.

“I think it’s hard to make it in a space that is designed for a very small percentage of people,” Chickey said of her former gallery.

The Millworks, on the other hand, caters to a large population of visitors. Chickey said there’s also not the intimidation factor of walking into a white-walled gallery. People can come to eat dinner and simply wander in and out of the artists’ studios.

Another unique art space in Harrisburg is located not in a bar or restaurant, but in a church.

Riverfront Gallery at St. Stephen’s Cathedral on Front Street opened in August under the direction of Community Coordinator Lindsay Gottwald.

Gottwald started attending the church last summer around the time of Gallery Walk 2017. The opening hallway of the church was already set up to hang artwork, and she felt that the empty walls were a wasted opportunity. Around the same time, the church’s outreach committee sold a piece of art and talked about adding more.

For Gottwald and St. Stephen’s, it’s not about the money. Twenty percent of the proceeds from sold art go to different community organizations, such as Downtown Daily Bread and the Joshua Group. The other 80 percent goes to the artists.

Gottwald hopes the art at St. Stephen’s will help connect the community with the church. Instead of sales, she just wants people to walk in.

“We just want to be a little bit more part of the neighborhood,” she said.

A Gem

Walke, Wissler-Thomas and Chickey all agree that one solution to the problem would be connectivity. Gallery Walk is spread out widely, from Shipoke to Midtown to Wildwood Park, making it more of a driving tour than a walking tour.

Using Lancaster as a model, Wissler-Thomas would like to see more retail space, including galleries centralized in one location. Lately, she’s noticed an upsurge of interest in art in the community, especially among young people.

Chickey said that’s one of the nice things about places such as the Millworks.

Patrons who are interested in art get to talk to the artists and learn the story behind what’s hanging on their walls or sitting on their shelves. She’s still fascinated by how many people walk through the doors of the space and get excited to wander around and see the art.

“I think people are starting to see Harrisburg for the gem that it is, but it always has been,” she said.

Gallery Walk 2018 will take place on Sunday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., in many locations around Harrisburg. For more information, including a list of venues, visit www.artassocofhbg.com.

Pow! Smash! Dance! Superheroes fly in to support the arts in Harrisburg.

January 31, 2017 | by Kari Larsen

Illustration by Brad Gebhart.

Do you have a secret desire to be Superman? How about Spiderman, Wonder Woman or even the Green Hornet?

Then gather up that cape, tiara or mask and fly, swing or take the Batmobile next month to the Art Association of Harrisburg’s annual Bal Masque, which is calling on all “Superheroes of the Susquehanna.”

“We want this to be like Harrisburg’s own Comic-Con,” said Amy Huck, Bal Masque committee chair. “If you’re a superhero nut, a sidekick, if you have an alter ego, we invite you to come play with us. At the Bal Masque, we allow for play. It’s not stuffy.”

It used to be, though.

When the Bal Masque debuted at the West Shore Country Club in 1941, it was a haughty affair. It then was held for years at the Penn-Harris Hotel, where Strawberry Square now stands.

“It was the social event of the year”—much documented by the press, said association President Carrie Wissler-Thomas.

Over time, the Bal has become more casual. ABC’s Abbey Bar hosted the event in recent years before it returned to the Penn-Harris, this time at its location at the Radisson Hotel in Camp Hill.

Each year, the party takes on a different theme.

From “The Wonderful World of Outer Space” to Broadway, from “Love Fest” to Las Vegas, the Bal Masque explores something new and fantastical every time. One Bal theme, “Blast from the Past,” “had the most elaborate decorations that I can recall,” said Wissler-Thomas.

“The decorating committee built a pyramid and a kind of caveman area, and there was a pagoda,” she said. “We had one called ‘Blues in the Night’ at the Whitaker Center, when the Whitaker Center first opened. People came down the grand staircase all in costumes with a blue theme.”

A Hollywood-themed Bal Masque featured a large group arriving in a dune buggy.

“It was ‘Mad Max: Thunderdome,’” said Wissler-Thomas. “They came pouring out of the freight elevator.”

Now that the Bal Masque has settled into the Radisson, the Art Association is hoping to inject theatrics back into the affair. But it remains committed to keeping the event accessible for those whose idea of a great night out is not necessarily a charity fundraiser. A tiered ticketing system is in place for people who cannot afford full-price tickets.

“We welcome everyone,” Wissler-Thomas said.

Huck added that the Bal Masque also is an occasion for drag. It’s for those looking to be somebody else, or for those looking to be more themselves—the more fabulous, the better.

Huck, for one, is hoping to bring some large-scale Comic-Con nerdery to the Bal Masque. The superhero theme will be an occasion for cosplay (costume play), channeling enthusiasm and fandom, and the Art Association is aiming for an atmosphere of immersive theatricality, like that of a Renaissance Faire. There will be food, music, a silent auction, a theatrical number, a costume parade and no judgment.

The superhero-ing actually will begin well before the event. Brad Gebhart, who teaches at the Art Association, is meeting with the event’s honorary chairs—learning where their passion for their fields or causes comes from—and then will create superheroes based on them that will be rendered as life-sized standup figures that will appear around Harrisburg to promote the Bal Masque.

Also in the works from Gebhart—a comic book based on these superheroes. They begin as regular citizens who recognize issues in Harrisburg and then gain superpowers in order to save the city. Bal-goers get copies of the comic book—and they also keep the Art Association’s lights on. Proceeds from the Bal Masque support the Art Association of Harrisburg at its core: classes for kids and adults, 10 annual in-house exhibitions, the gallery and other needs and events.

Fortunately, on this one night, the important work of the Art Association can be sustained by that small act of heroism that is going out and having fun.

The Art Association of Harrisburg’s Bal Masque takes place March 11, 6 to 11 p.m., at the Radisson Hotel in Camp Hill. For more information, visit www.artassocofhbg.com.

Author: Kari Larsen

Structural Assets: Architectural exhibits rise in Harrisburg.

September 30, 2015 | by M. Diane McCormick

Photo by Elizabeth Stene

Throughout history, says Carrie Wissler-Thomas, humans have “designed structures to live in and to work in and have always enhanced them with visual arts.”

“Art and architecture,” says the Art Association of Harrisburg president, “flow together.”

This fall, Harrisburg’s art and architecture don’t just flow together but collide in joyous profusion through a groundbreaking partnership among the Central PA Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Art Association of Harrisburg, Historic Harrisburg Association and Susquehanna Art Museum.

Together, the four groups are presenting programs and exhibits showcasing historic and contemporary architecture.

It began when SAM refashioned a classic bank building into its new Midtown home, which opened in January. The project included a large addition, not duplicating the bank design but holding a 21^st-century mirror to the original edifice.

That project inspired SAM and AIA to develop “Towards a New/Old Architecture,” the exhibit that has become the four-group collaboration’s centerpiece. It spotlights historic Pennsylvania buildings given new life by contemporary additions.

While developing the exhibit, SAM staff would hold meetings with collaborative members and then head to meetings with architects at the construction site, says Director of Exhibitions Lauren Nye.

“It was very, very fresh in our minds,” Nye says. “We would go from that meeting and put our boots on and come down here with hardhats and talk about what we had just talked about.”

The complicated exhibit—“the most moving parts I have ever planned,” says Nye—features giant, gallery-quality photos of 12 projects, including the instantly iconic Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, the revitalization-sparking CODO 241 in York, the apocalyptic Levitt Pavilion at Arts Quest in Bethlehem, and a cantilevered home hovering over a Pittsburgh art glass factory. In specially designed light tables, photos and images reveal the evolution of each project.

The overall effect spotlights “the inherent art in the architecture,” says Nye.

“It gives people ownership of the spaces they live in,” she says. “It gives you a new reason to visit a space you may not have before, to come to a neighborhood that is growing, and care about not just tearing something down because it’s old but thinking about how you can use what is good there, and use additions to make it a workable space that people will thrive in.”

On Board

Harrisburg architect Chris Dawson, whose own Hershey Fire Station is in the exhibit, worked with SAM to select exhibit-worthy projects and images that tell stories of transformation.

A successful contemporary addition might purposely contrast the historic space, “but that doesn’t mean it’s a free-for all,” says Dawson. “You have to take cues in scale and proportion.” In the Harrisburg area, “we have these beautiful, under-utilized buildings in our midst, and to have people look at them with fresh eyes was part of our intention.”

Historic Harrisburg Association, long known as a bulwark against bulldozers, is all on board with that, says Executive Director David Morrison.

“The SAM exhibit definitely conveys a vivid message about how old buildings can be transformed and added to,” says Morrison. “The SAM building itself is the perfect example, having received HHA’s 2015 Preservation Award, and then adjoined by a 21^st-century sleek, modern, state-of-the-art museum.”

HHA is showing its collection of drawings by 20^th-century Harrisburg architect Clayton Lappley, designer of such landmarks as Riverview Manor, John Harris High School and the Moose Lodge temple now slated for a mixed-use renovation by WCI Partners. The news that SAM was planning an architectural exhibition inspired HHA to display its Lappley collection, donated after they were found in the basement of Riverview Manor during restoration.

Quiet Fashion

The snowballing of SAM’s exhibit into a four-way collaboration among arts, architecture and history organizations is “unprecedented, completely unprecedented in terms of the scope of the undertaking,” says Morrison.

“By having four organizations simultaneously present architectural-themed exhibits, it has enormous impact on the viewing public to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of art, architecture and the professions of artists and architects,” he says.

The Art Association of Harrisburg’s involvement created a platform for “all kinds of wild and crazy interpretations” of architecture and structure in its exhibit, “Structures II,” says Wissler-Thomas. There are a whimsical, found-objects rendering of the state Capitol, stainless steel sculptures, a “charming” sculpture of two floating squirrels, and a twig-bamboo bird’s nest construction titled “Christopher Wren” (get it? Look it up for a little architectural history).

“Structures II” will be followed by “Architectural Visions,” an invitational exhibit where architects and artists show their skills in sculpture, photography, painting and other media. Wissler-Thomas hopes the shows—AAH’s and the others—open visitors’ eyes to the artistic value of architecture, “one of the highest form of visual arts because it combines the ability to draw and to see spatially and create three-dimensional reality on a huge scale.”

“All these shows really show how artistic, how visually skilled these people are,” she says. “They don’t just work on a computer and come up with some model of blocks you stack up to make some building. They really have a huge visual sense.”

Arts groups frequently collaborate in quiet fashion, but the joint architecture celebration puts “the fruits of our labor” before the public eye, says Wissler-Thomas.

“I would hope that the general public would come out with a more abiding appreciation for the beautiful architecture that surrounds them, and the feeling that it’s not something you just work in and live in,” she says. “It’s something you should look at and appreciate.”

For information on the exhibits and related events, including lectures, classes and walking tours, visit www.sqart.org, www.historicharrisburg.com and www.artassocofhbg.com.

Art Everywhere: The 27th annual Gallery Walk will span themes, media, locations.

August 31, 2015 | by Gina Napoli

When you think of art, you may immediately think of a frame hung on a wall.

If that’s your sole conception of art, Harrisburg’s annual Gallery Walk is here to broaden your perspective, offering a multi-sensory experience involving multiple forms, genres and techniques.

“You don’t have to visit a big city to experience tremendously vibrant art,” said Carrie Wissler-Thomas, president of the Art Association of Harrisburg, who has organized the event since 1986.

You won’t find all the tour stops in traditional art galleries either. Many are in commercial businesses. Some are in churches. A few are even outside.

“Harrisburg doesn’t have a gallery district, and we have few commercial galleries,” Wissler-Thomas said. “We do well promoting the arts without having all our galleries in a row. We bring art to local businesses that are willing to open their walls to artists. We reach the people by bringing art to them.”

At Gallery Walk, you’ll find traditional paint on canvas—but so much more—from about 500 artists in 27 open house locations.

“Most tour stop locations are smaller venues or shows with one or two artists,” Wissler-Thomas said. “If you don’t have all day to invest, you can target some of the larger exhibits.”

For instance, more than 100 artists are featured just at the State Museum’s annual “Art of the State” exhibit. And, at 1 p.m., the exhibit gets interactive with the “Artists’ Conversations” talk.

Art with an architectural theme will be in focus at several venues, including at The Art Association of Harrisburg’s “Structures” exhibit. Across town, the Susquehanna Art Museum will feature “Towards an Old/New Architecture,” a show put on by the Central PA Chapter of the Architects of America. In addition, architect Clayton Lappley’s renderings of some of the city’s most famous buildings will be on view at Historic Harrisburg Association.

Gallery@Second, one of Harrisburg’s few dedicated art galleries, will feature work by Joanne Finkle and Peter J. DeHart. At other locations, attendees can expect to find sculptures, paper cuts, encaustic, knitted creations and myriad mixed media.

The Millworks, a new location for Gallery Walk this year, holds another large concentration of art, with 35 artists working in 23 studios that will be open to the public.

“Millworks is an exciting, significant change to the walking route this year,” said Wissler-Thomas.

Artists from the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters will create art outside on the grounds of City House Bed & Breakfast, while plein air artists also will set up at the Governor’s Residence garden.

Young artists will be well represented at Gallery Walk. Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School, located in Strawberry Square, will show pieces from its classes. Y Art’s contribution, “Discovering the Next Generation of Artists,” is a juried exhibit at Whitaker Center that features art by high school students from across central PA. Old City Hall will include artwork from students at Harrisburg High School. Uptown, you’ll find university-level art from Slippery Rock and Kutztown on the Dixon University campus.

Gallery Walk doesn’t limit itself to art from the area and the state. Brian Molloy is an impressionist artist from Boston who will open his small art studio on Locust Street. St. Stephen’s Mission Gallery at the Episcopal Cathedral will show artwork from Haiti and Brazil, and 704 Lounge will have pieces by New York artists.

At Gallery Walk, the art will extend to live music. Little Amps on State Street will feature an audio-visual music explosion from Harrisburg artist Stephen Michael Haas. The Latino Hispanic American Community Center on Derry Street will host live music with a cultural flair, while AAH will feature Hemlock Hollow, a guitar and mandolin duo. Pine Street Presbyterian Church and Midtown Scholar Bookstore also will offer live music.

No Last Call, Harrisburg’s “hit-and-run street band,” will play along the Gallery Walk route all afternoon.

“There are about 20 people in No Last Call,” said Wissler-Thomas. “They’re going to wear period marching band uniforms and play campy music all afternoon. They’re great.”

If all that walking makes you thirsty, many of the tour stops will offer refreshments, and you even can make your own bloody Mary at 704 Lounge from 2 to 4 p.m.

Wissler-Thomas said that she invests nine months of planning and promotions into each Gallery Walk.

“This is our gift to the community,” she said. “We hope it brings new people to Harrisburg to enjoy and sell art.”

The 27^th Annual Gallery Walk takes place Sunday, Sept. 13, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Street parking is free, and the Sutliff Chevrolet shuttle will be on hand to offer rides along the route. The Gallery Walk brochure can be downloaded at www.artassocofhbg.com/index2.htm.

Chasing the Light: In central PA, the spring season has become plein air season.

April 30, 2015 | by Barbara Trainin Blank

It’s all about the light.

Capturing sunlight and shadows is the crux of plein air art, which means, in French, “in the open air.”

Plein air painting is about “leaving the four walls of your studio behind” and experiencing the creation of visual arts in a natural setting, according to the website www.artistdaily.com.

It’s not a new idea.

Plein air art goes back centuries but became a true art form in the hands of the French impressionists of the 19^th century. Their desire to paint light and its changing, ephemeral qualities, together with the creation of transportable paint tubes and a box easel, gave artists the freedom to create outdoors.

The approach of the impressionists was, at first, considered “outré, even scandalous,” said Carrie Wissler-Thomas, executive director of the Art Association of Harrisburg. “They weren’t doing finished studio pieces and weren’t painting gods and goddesses but a washer woman or people drinking in a café.”

The Joys

Locally, the annual Plein Air Camp Hill Arts Festival, now in its fifth year and to be held later this month, is one example of the popularity of outdoor art.

The festival is increasingly drawing artists from outside the area, such as Delaware resident Jim Rehak, a caricature artist who sometimes works on boardwalks and at outdoor events.

“I love the outside, the solitude,” he said of plein air.

There are, of course, challenges like wind, rain and bugs. But most plein air artists seem to see these as less significant than the joys.

Nowadays, plein air consists not only of painting but also of photography. Jim Whetstone has his own photo business, but has joined the plein air movement.

“A lot of photography is done outdoors anyway,” he said. “Part of the beauty of the Camp Hill Festival is that artists come together to share ideas and creativity.”

Don Uvick is an artistic photographer with a special interest in diner and street photography.

“I like nostalgia and focusing on structures rather than landscapes,” he said, though the latter is much more typical for plein air artists.

It’s up to April Tichenor-Holtzman to inspire younger generations of plein air artists.

An art teacher, she oversees the youth activities of the Camp Hill festival, which include a Youth Paint-Out for kids in preschool to fifth grade; Youth and Young Adult Quick Draws; and a Youth Quick Shoot for budding photographers.

“The competitions, which began five years ago, are fast becoming more regional,” said Tichenor-Holtzman. “All schools in the Capital Area Intermediate Unit can participate.”

Among the special events at the Camp Hill Festival is the Collectors Preview Party on May 29, a catered event with live music. Winners of the juried painter and photographer competitions, as well as student competition winners, will be announced.

Back to Realism

In central Pennsylvania, plein air painting actually dates back quite a bit.

It has been a hallmark of the Seven Lively Artists, a group that has been an integral part of the area’s art community for more than 50 years. Although the Lively Artists’ work encompasses a variety of subjects and styles, they are best known for their plein air passion. In addition, the Art Association of Harrisburg offers classes for drawing and painting outdoors.

“They’re intrepid,” said Wissler-Thomas of the participating artists. “They go in all kinds of weather.”

The Gettysburg Festival, entering its eighth year, includes a component called Plein Air Paintout, which takes place the first day of the three-day June event. And the Harrisburg Symphony Society Showhouse & Gardens, which bridges May and June, includes a robust plein air component.

The region also has an organization devoted to the needs of plein air artists, the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters.

Julie Riker, an active member, is an interior decorator painter, doing faux finishes and murals. But, in between jobs, she loves to paint plein air, sometimes with a group, sometimes alone.

“I took classes at the Art Center and Galleries of Mechanicsburg with Earl Blust (a member of the Seven Lively Artists) and loved it,” Riker said. “I love how the subject makes the colors alive, and I love the challenge of working quickly.”

Indeed, after many years in the wilderness, painting landscapes and other outdoor subjects seems to be back in vogue.

“A lot of artists today want to go back to realism,” said Wissler-Thomas.

The Plein Air Camp Hill Arts Festival will be held May 29 to 31. Most festival activities take place at Willow Park, 24^th and Market streets. Plein Air headquarters is at Cornerstone Coffeehouse, 2133 Market St. More information is at www.pleinaircamphill.org.

The Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters will paint at the Harrisburg Symphony Society Showhouse & Gardens at Lindenwood each weekend from May 23 through June 14. Visit www.harrisburgsymphonyshowhouse.org.

Literary Dress-Up: From Gatsby to Harry Potter, your favorite characters will party at the Bal Masque.

January 31, 2014 | by Trevor Pierce

For the coming Mardi Gras weekend, Harrisburg art lovers will be given the opportunity to spend a night as their favorite literary characters at one of the year’s most stylish events.

Pictured: Scenes from last year’s Bal Masque. Photos by M.R. Gruber Photography. www.gruberpix.com

On March 1, the Art Association of Harrisburg will hold the 2014 Bal Masque at the Appalachian Brewing Co.’s Abbey Bar in downtown Harrisburg.

“The Art Association has held a Mardi Gras costume party called the Bal Masque since 1941, each with a different theme,” said Art Association President Carrie Wissler-Thomas. “This year, we’ve picked ‘Literary Allusions.’ It’s a very broad theme that we thought people would enjoy dressing up for. Guests can come as their favorite author, as a character from a book, as a depiction of the title of a book—all kinds of things. It’s always amazing to me how creative people can be with their costumes.”

While traditional party attire is welcomed, costume-wearers will be eligible for prizes in a variety of categories. The evening will also include a silent auction on literary themed gift packages, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and performances that include DJ sets by Chuck Schulz and Jonathan Frazier, psychic readings by Dr. Edward North and new-school jazz by singer Erica Lyn Everest. Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse will serve as the Bal Masque’s honorary chairman.

In addition to being one of the year’s biggest parties, the proceeds from the Bal Masque provide the Art Association with much of the funding needed for its educational programs and exhibits.

“The Art Association of Harrisburg School has about 30 different classes a year for both kids and adults,” said Wissler-Thomas, “and our gallery at 21 N. Front Street holds eight exhibits per year that are free to the public to visit, seven days a week. The money that comes in from our fundraisers helps to keep us available for the public to enjoy.

The 2014 Bal Masque will be held on Saturday, March 1 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Appalachian Brewing Co.’s Abbey Bar, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg. Admission is $50 for open seating and $80 for reserved gallery seating. Tickets can be purchased online at artassocofhbg.com or by calling 717-236-1432.

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like