Tag Archives: Charlie Feathers

Home Is Where the Art Is: Three Harrisburg artists showcase their most personal galleries of all—their homes—full of whimsy, history and treasure. Step inside.

March 30, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

Carrie Wissler-Thomas

Walking into Carrie Wissler-Thomas’ home is like walking into her mind.

I guess many people’s homes could be described that way, as an expression of who they are. Not all are so unique, as many turn to big box stores for furnishings. But, as you might expect, artists are apt to collect and create one-of-a-kind pieces.

Every recess of space in Wissler-Thomas’ Harrisburg home is filled with art, art, art, history, family memorabilia, more art. She can’t tell you how many works adorn the walls, shelves and every nook and cranny. Taking inventory would be a feat.

However, for Wissler-Thomas, the long-time executive director of the Art Association of Harrisburg, collecting has never just been about amassing a great quantity. Each piece has meaning to her, whether it’s a self-portrait, a framed gift from a friend, a bronze bust from an overseas trip, or her many, many Scottie dog figurines. She’ll gladly tell you the story of each.

Unlike many professions, artists want to be surrounded by their work at home. There’s virtually no line between work and home life. This is especially true for Wissler-Thomas and two other Harrisburg artists, Michelle Green and Charlie Feathers, who all use their homes as studios as well.

Of the three, I’d call Wissler-Thomas “The Collector,” Green “The Heart” and Feathers “The Expressionist.” Welcome to their cribs.

The Collector

In addition to being an art collector, Wissler-Thomas is the family archivist, displaying her grandmother’s tea sets, her family photos, her grandchildren’s old picture books and toys, as well as memorabilia from high on the family tree.

“I read a biography of Sir Richard Burton, who was the explorer,” she said. “One of the photos was of him and his wife sitting in their dining room, and the caption said, ‘A photo of Sir Richard Burton and his wife in their typically cluttered Victorian dining room.’ I said, ‘It looks just like ours!’”

Wissler-Thomas and husband Scott moved into their N. 2nd Street home in 1991. Before hauling in furniture, anything, Wissler-Thomas painted and hung a work inspired by Victorian writer H. Rider Haggard’s book, “She: A History of Adventure,” above the fireplace, setting the centerpiece of their home.

“This is what I’ve always done,” she said. “In our first apartment, we moved the paintings in first, and I hung them and [my husband] said, ‘How can you hang paintings without furniture?’ I said, ‘I know where they should go.’ And they were fine.”

Wissler-Thomas said that first painting, and that late 1800s author, inspired the rest of her home. She’s drawn to the time period during which artists all knew each other, held elaborate parties, and were highly regarded in society.

The family has tried their best to channel the energy of that time with Wissler-Thomas hosting AAH parties in her home, opening it for Historic Harrisburg Association’s Candlelight House Tour and displaying numerous works by other local artists.

And while the house has an extensive showcase of other artists’ work, Wissler-Thomas’ own pieces, landscapes of her travels to Scotland, Spain, France and nude portraits she painted in classes taught by the late Charles “Li” Hidley, take the spotlight.

“The ones that I really love are my portraits. And I don’t take these out. These are our collection,” she said. “I’ll take you up to the studio and that has a huge inventory. I’ve been running the Art Association for 40-some years, so I’m always showcasing other artists’ work, so I don’t get my own work out there that often.”

Her home is her gallery, she said.

As the years ticked by, the collection has grown to the behemoth that it is now. There is something of an order to it. Portraits are in the living room, landscapes in the dining room, and some walls have themes, like the “hero wall,” which includes historical figures and a portrait of close friend, the late Charles Schulz dressed as a Renaissance man. The library in the front of the house is full of books, mostly English history, of which Wissler-Thomas has read every single one.

“Recently, when she brings something home, it’s mostly a matter of finding a place for it, finding a vacant or empty spot,” Scott said.

Scott, a retired IT guy who volunteers as AAH’s bookkeeper, headed up several renovations in the house and is Mr. Fix It. His office on the second floor has slightly less art and more bowling and birding, two of his passions. But the paintings that did make the cut are very meaningful pieces, including several by his wife.

And if you thought that this place—full of precious art, delicate pottery and too many taper candles to count—would make a great place for a bunch of kids and adults to run around hunting Easter eggs, you’d be right. Easter egg hunting, and even other holiday-themed hunts, have become a tradition in the household. The one rule, eggs must not be completely hidden from view.

“Our son hides them, and he’ll hide them in just one room, and it takes hours to find them,” she said, laughing. “Everybody crawls around and looks, and he sometimes puts them on top of paintings. I hate it when they hide things up on the mantel. That head of Laocoön is very unstable. An egg usually ends up on his head and that’s very scary.”

It may look like a gallery, but it doesn’t have the same rules. It’s lived in.

In the back “garden” room that was added onto the house, the couple plays their nightly board game of “Wingspan” and works on puzzles. The dressing room is full of Wissler-Thomas’ clothes, although one visitor once asked what the room with all the “vintage clothing” was for. The children’s bedroom is where her granddaughter slept for some time.

“We love coming home,” Wissler-Thomas said. “There are lots of things that remind me of my family […] there are things that family members have given me, and that Scott and I have collected on our trips and they’re all meaningful. It’s like living in history.”

The Heart

Like Wissler-Thomas, when artist Michelle Green moved into her Midtown apartment, she knew she needed to create some new art for the space.

What followed were three paintings for behind the couch, two black-and-whites of beautifully dressed women with afros, one with the word “Black” written above her head, and an abstract with primary colors red, yellow and blue.

“I do surround myself with my art because everywhere I sit in my apartment, whether it’s here or over here, I need to feel inspired,” Green said. “I just feel like, everywhere you look in your house, why aren’t you looking at something that’s enjoyable?”

Much of Green’s work is Afrocentric and Black art, depicting Black women clad in ornate dress. Since she was a child, Green has had a special interest in fashion design. She also specializes in photography and videography.

It wasn’t until she moved to Philadelphia to go to school and work at an art gallery that Green was introduced to Black art, which, she said, “changed the direction” of her craft.

Her newest painting, “Just Dandy,” sat propped against the wall, ready to be delivered to Coda Rouge, a Harrisburg restaurant that displays Black art. The image shows a young woman dressed in a suit inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, holding a clock to represent history and legacy.

Another piece, “Bayou Beauty II,” shows a Creole woman from New Orleans, her dress paying homage to both her French and African ancestry. The woman holds a lemon, referencing the saying, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” symbolizing resilience.

“I love being Black. I love being a Black woman. I love being different; I love that my personality is different. I love being a woman, and that’s what my art represents,” Green said. “I sometimes used to think, ‘I’m getting older, is it too late to…no […] maybe this is the intent, and this is the time to do it.”

Unity, and joining different inspirations, cultures and people groups, is important to Green. In her entryway hangs an interactive painting she’s entitled, “All Who Gather.” Each time a meaningful guest visits her home, Green invites them to fill in a portion of the painting with a paint marker.

“There is so much unity in art if we allow it to be,” she said.

While working on another project, heartbreak struck Green when her mother passed away in 2024.

Art was put on pause.

Emerging from the grief, Green put all her emotion onto a large canvas. The first painting she created after the loss, while still mourning, now hangs on her living room wall.

“I took all that pain, and I threw it into that,” Green said. “I said I need this piece; I need it to be big; I need to see it every single day. It’s called ‘Art Is Life,’ because it saved my life.”

Within the painting, Green incorporated tributes to both classical artists who served as inspiration to her and more modern artists, like the late Andrew Turner, a Philly-based artist who Green said was the first Black artist who she met.

This phase of Green’s art life has been a sort of renaissance for her, as she paints a new path forward and embraces who she is.

“I’m just now, these past couple of years, trying to find myself as an artist,” Green said. “I used to paint for money. I don’t have to paint for money anymore. That’s what’s changed. When you paint for money, your passion and your love is not in your piece.”

Green’s art will be on display, along with work from other local artists, all over 50 years old, at her showcase on May 16 called “Strength, Courage & Wisdom: The Power of the Seasoned Creative.”

Attendees will be able to view many of the paintings currently hung in Green’s home, each holding personal meaning.

And though you’d never know it, Green’s pristine home is also where she creates her art. Her art cart was tucked away beside the couch ready for her next project.

For Michelle, her home is a place of comfort, joy and creativity.

“I love coming home. I love being home. It takes a lot for someone to get me to leave the house.”

Charlie Feathers

The Expressionist

When you enter artist Charlie Feathers’ Midtown townhouse, you’re greeted by several larger-than-life animals. There’s the funky llama covered in yarn and wearing sunglasses. There’s a papier mâché elephant, a tortoise on wheels and a giraffe made of a tossed chair and broom.

Each was sculpted with recycled materials, as most of Feathers’ art is. He pointed to one, explaining that he made it from discarded Planet Fitness paper towels he found while dumpster diving.

“I’ve dug in worse,” he said. “Believe me, that’s nothing.”

Feathers is one-of-a-kind, as is his home.

Where Green and Wissler-Thomas’ homes are decorated with paint, wallpaper, aesthetic rugs and furniture, Feathers’ is much more bare bones, gritty. It’d be fitting to describe it as a blank canvas that’s constantly showing off new and evolving work. But that certainly doesn’t mean the home is minimalistic. Every wall, corner and even the floors and closets are art displays.

His bedroom closet has been retrofitted into his “blue chair” art display, and on the floor of a nook in his upstairs hallway sits a jumble of donated and found brass instruments.

Feathers tends to work in series. He gets “buzzing” on an idea and won’t stop pulling the thread until he’s satisfied. There’s his rattle head doll series, “black balloon” series, collection of sculpted hands, and many others.

“I seem to run on series,” he said. “Just repetitive, repetitive things until I get it out.”

Feathers found art later in life, in 2012, when he enrolled at HACC in search of a purpose and something to help curb his substance addiction. In school, he found art and was drawn to the “dynamic” group of artists he met.

“This filled a good niche. All previous euphoria was chemicals,” he said. “And then I found a different outlet, which hit like the same sensor, and I was like, wow, this is euphoric.”

Feathers’ work runs the gamut of mediums. He paints, sculpts, quilts and works with metal, fabric, wood, paint, clay and more. His best work is born when he is simply “freestyling” without a plan, he said.

Feathers uses found objects, mostly because it’s the most affordable way to make art, breaking the mold of art requiring costly materials.

“They’re most accessible to me,” he said.

That’s why, if you dissected Feathers’ work, you’d find scrap metal in sculptures, his old hoodie balled inside an animal head wall hanging, a tarp in a painting on canvas and wool sweaters stitched into a quilt.

While some of his work is inspired by random colors, objects or themes, some is also born from his real-life experiences and relationships. One piece depicts “the one that got away.” Another represents the time he found religion as a boy. A literal ball-and-chain piece was made at the end of a relationship. There’s also plenty of references to his artist tags—“Speedee,” a symbol of a guy on a motorcycle, and “Bootleg,” which represents his tendency to pull from other artists’ work and give it his own “lick.”

Much of Feathers’ art also speaks to mental health, an important and personal topic to him. He’s not shy about sharing how art keeps him on track day-to-day and in a healthy head space. For that reason, he’s always creating.

“If I don’t, it’s not a good sign,” he said.

Feathers’ spacious basement is his workshop, and his art-filled home is his sanctuary.

That’s a sentiment that all three of the artists shared. There’s both something comforting and inspiring about being emerged in art—a feeling that maybe only an artist can truly understand.

“It’s a safe place,” Feathers said.

To view Carrie Wissler-Thomas’ work, visit www.wisslerthomas.com.

For Michelle Green’s work, visit her Instagram page @filmzbymichelleg.

To see art by Charlie Feathers, visit his Facebook page.

Photos by Dani Fresh.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Bob’s Art Blog: Sweethearts & Folkies

February 7, 2023 | by Bob MacGinnes

Sweethearts of the Rodeo Round Up Folk Art

With Valentine’s Day a mere week away, I want you to meet a group of folk artists I refer to as “The Sweethearts of the Rodeo.” What on earth could a fabric collage creator, a rug hooker, a scrimshander and an assemblage architect have in common? You’ll need to keep reading to learn the secrets they share.

European immigrants to America incorporated Old World traditions of artistic expression and applied them in their new culture of the 13 colonies. Folk art in America had found its roots. The progenitors of the movement created works of utilitarian and ornamental design. Pottery, textiles and statuary were the main branches of folk art with painting, rug hooking and even the art of reliquary scrimshaw carving, part of the varied mediums of the genre. Locally, there’s a small community of dedicated artists keeping those traditions alive. All are well respected in their fields as categorically their works represent the best of what is being offered to their specific form.

Art collage by Mary Kandray Gelenser (photo: Jana MacGinnes)

“Textile themestress,” Mary Kandray Gelenser of Millworks Studio 319 is always on the hunt for rare, precious and beautiful fabrics to create her captivating collages. She has a love affair, enamored of the role fabric plays, in the history of person, place and time. Through dedicated research in tracking down their roots, she finds a never-ending adventure of sourcing methods and materials. It is what she does with them that solve the whodunits in her signature style of panache and poetry, rolled into one. Inspired by vintage textiles, Mary’s collages are layer upon layer, with each frame working towards its final resolution. Taken as individual tales, they share a visual and emotional connection by the threads that stitch them into a unified whole. Even a moth becomes a constant collage co-conspirator as it undergoes metamorphosis, beauty unfettered, with nature’s noteworthy news. Every finished Gelenser “original” becomes a bestseller as her “novel” approach arrives apart, allowing an algorithm spun from color and texture to develop dramatically. She brings chapter and verse to her highly imaginative renderings of modern-day folk art. Her lexicon is purely her own. “Rescued clothing, stabilizing fabric stitching and padding, scraps, odd belts, lace from trim” all play a vital role in her art collages, according to the artist. Gelenser is a featured artist at the Millworks for 3rd in the Burg this month and her exhibit runs through March 12. Contact at [email protected] and IG: marykandraygelenserart.

Fabric art by Susanne Robinson (photo: Jana MacGinnes)

It’s next to impossible to pull the wool over the eyes of rug hooker extraordinaire, Susanne Robinson of Arts on the Square at Market Square Presbyterian Church. Her journey with the medium began a few years back at Fort Hunter when the Woolwrights Rug Hooking Guild from Lancaster (no relation to the Lollipop Guild) was demonstrating their craft and, from that point on, she was hooked. Robinson is a fiber artist in a class by herself, using techniques that found their origins in 19th-century England. With ethereal woolens from Scotland, she weaves a spell of beauty and beyond in her tapestry wall hangings. If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, then her works speak volumes in each and every tapestry she creates. Susanne shared detailed knowledge of form and function with “patterns printed on a variety of backings most often done on linen, frames become essential as the needlelike strips hold the pattern in place. Hooks with wooden handles vary in size dependent on the size of the strips of wool. Wool is the very best material to use once washed and dried prior to hooking. It lends itself to dying with lush results in color and shades. The last necessary item is a cutter with blade.” Wool tapestries took their rightful place as a vital means of self-expression, capturing a narrative with one woven image. They are highly prized and collectible today among folk art lovers. For more info, refer to the periodical: ATHA.

Scrimshaw art by Roni Dietrich

One of the oldest living examples of folk art stateside and across the Atlantic can be found in the maritime practice of scrimshaw. The form harkens back to whalers carving pictures into ivory and whalebone. It’s a pastime dating to at least 1745. The art form evolved to become fine art and, today, collectors value the finely detailed beauty that scrimshanders create. “Yipee-ki-yay!” and “a whaling we will go” are all too familiar to folk artist cowgirl, Roni Dietrich, who is at home on a horse or on the open water, accustomed to sailing after decades of marriage to retired Navy seaman, Mark. Both are volunteers at the therapeutic riding academy of CATRA in Grantville. When engaged in carving and etching on knives, whalebone or ivory, Dietrich channels the whaling days of yore, following the elevated beauty of the past as a devoted practitioner of scrimshaw. The intricate etching may take months to complete with commissioned works being her forte. As a purist in that realm, she is a scrimshander of renown, written up in books including a Tom Clancy novel and art periodicals. At her craft for decades, her work has been featured at Brain Vessel in Mechanicsburg and two galleries in New England, where the medium is king. Roni’s camaraderie with other artists of her ilk subscribe to the adage, “Scrimshanders: 300 years behind the times.” And on a more serious note, she strongly feels that, “Everyone is born an artist no matter what they create.” Roni’s work can be found on IG at Wildhorsestudio9.

Sculpture by Charlie Feathers (photo: Jana MacGinnes)

Every rodeo needs at least one buckaroo. Bridging the tropes of folk-art assemblage in employing a modernity of found objects for a more sophisticated interpretation, Charlie Feathers straddles both eras in the collections he manifests. Part fevered dream, part scientific imaginings, always prescient in their completed state, the statuary of artist Feathers finds its home in outdoor garden installations and to pride of place in collectors’ homes. Incorporating elements of 19th-century weather charms and whirligigs, he builds amalgamations from his subconscious state of mind. Feathers pays homage to the iconic “Winged Victory” that resides in the Louvre in Paris with his “always reclaimed collages created from castoff parts and found objects” in a timely tribute to the Grecian statue. He employs brass and copper combined to create a sense of wonder in his barnyard rooster rendering, ruling the grounds suitable for any outdoor space. The 18-inch “squawker” sits atop a solid brass cylindrical canister, solid and sturdy, to become a stationary sentinel watching over its designated dais. Many of his inventions reside well connected to the landscape, otherworldly, once one enters the gated gracefulness found at the garden of the Art Association of Harrisburg. All of the other artists’ installations found outside of AAH speak to a group well familiar with the geography of setting the stage for the works found in the gallery. Feather’s extensive range of art mediums can be viewed at H*MAC, Facebook:CharlesFeathers, and IG:featherscharles

Folk art is alive and well in central Pennsylvania for Valentines 2023. This modern-day ensemble of “romancers” are truly “Sweethearts of the Rodeo.” Their aesthetic and approaches may be different, but they share the commonality of “storytellers” weaving a narrative form through their art.

Art Events for February

Civic Club of Harrisburg: “Rise Up: Honoring African-American Trailblazers.” 3rd in the Burg, Feb. 17. Art.Food.Vendors. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

New Cumberland Collective: Julia Mallory with Art in the Stacks, Feb. 1 to 28 at the New Cumberland Public Library

The Millworks: Featured artists are Kelly Curran, Mary Gelenser, Caleb Smith, Tami Bitner and Ann Benton Yeager.

Susquehanna Art Museum:
“Layered Artifacts” runs Feb. 8 to May 7
“Intent/Content: Celebrating Women Artists” runs Feb. 11 to May 21
“Valery Sutherland: Paintings” runs Feb. 22 to June 18

Art Association of Harrisburg: “Reinterpretations” (invitational exhibit) features the works of James Equality Brooks, James Gallagher, John Guarnera and Joseph Mayernik

Carlisle Arts Learning Center: “Green Energy Annual Members Exhibit,” runs Feb. 10 to March 11

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Bob’s Art Blog: Makers and Shakers of Sustainability

July 11, 2022 | by Bob MacGinnes

Work by Phillip Wells

A shared appreciation for sustainability connects two unique artists, Phillip Wells and Jennifer Hara, who embrace saving the earth one project at a time.

The “shaker,” Phil Wells of Millworks Studio 213, is like lightning, constantly on the move creating and designing furniture and light fixtures and employing his skills as a carpenter for the preservation firm, Johnson & Griffiths. Certainly one of the most interesting characters walking the streets of Midtown, Phil is truly a modern-day renaissance man. His prowess as a carpenter and lighting specialist is legendary. He appreciates the educational foundation he received from the Memphis School of Design. Memphis as in Milan, Italy, not Tennessee, as one might think.

The brightly colored components found in Phil’s aesthetic sprang up in the 1980s, the brainchild of Ettore Sottsass, who designed postmodern furniture. For Phil, the appeal goes beyond the terrazzo materials and plastic laminate often associated with the abstract decoration. Phil’s inspiration can be childlike, filled with joy and whimsy.

In addition, Phil is a sustainability proponent and certified as a LEED Green associate, which is helpful in his role as a preservationist technician. With over 12 years of hands-on study and experience, Wells brings a wealth of craftsmanship to the table. Focusing on sustainability, Phil shared that he employs non-toxic finishes, natural dyes, beeswax, hand-rubbed oils and local PA materials. He prides himself “in creating household wares that speak to modern sensibilities.” His work can be viewed in homes and businesses throughout the midstate area. His restoration work with Johnson & Griffiths can be seen at the state Capitol and Forum buildings. Look for Phil in his Millworks studio and out and about on the streets of Midtown.

For 25 years, local artist Jennifer Hara has been a “maker” of naturally organic jewelry under the name NomadicInspiration. She is drawn to the lifestyle of a tribe, always on the move. Sustainability is key to the philosophy that nomads embrace in their daily walk as they “use what is around them in nature, sustainably, without producing waste,” Hara said.

“This reflects not only in my use of natural items, bone, shells, feathers, stones, but in repurposing outdated jewelry—breaking it down and using its components in new pieces,” the artist revealed.

Display and jewelry by Jennifer Hara

Her artistic accouterments include earrings, necklaces and suncatchers. The feathers she incorporates in her offerings are all “gifted” and, if a customer wants to commission a special piece, she could incorporate a feather of their own. The exquisite adornments speak for themselves and are created unparalleled, with no two exactly alike.

At the most recent Odd Ones Bizarre, held in the community room at Millworks, Ms. Hara showcased her jewelry on a unique display of connecting tree branches and limbs with moss and lichen. Found hanging from this miniature forest were the earrings, suncatchers and necklaces that sparkled and shined, baubles to catch the eye of passersby. Not one to resist such an artistic atmosphere, I immediately saw “the forest for the trees” as the jewelry emerged, capturing the imagination.

Jennifer, the jeweler/artist and display aficionado all rolled into one, presented a powerful package. The jewelry, as mentioned before, lends itself to the natural surroundings, treasures dangling dramatically, delicately and desirably. Her art speaks to exotic locales as her Etsy shop is aptly titled NomadicInspiration. Her skills as a creative crafter and cobbler of gems for adventurous and free-spirited vagabonds embody the romantic side of life. Her collection captures it all.

Select items can be found at the Healing Spot above the Cornerstone Café in Camp Hill. In addition, Jennifer will be at the “Women of Folk Festival” at Moon Dancer Winery in Wrightsville on Sept. 10. She can also be reached by email at [email protected].

3^rd in the Burg—Birds of a Feather

Sustainability has always been a core component in the art of Harrisburg artist Charlie Feathers. Recycling found objects from discarded wire and tubing, he creates treasures from others’ trash and cast-off items. At least for the summer, Charlie has joined the flock of artists at Harrisburg’s Gallery at 2^nd, adding newness to Ted Walke’s nest of nascent nonconformists creating lowbrow, surrealistic art. The art aviary features in-house residents Sean Adomanis, Chad Whitaker, Rance Shepstone, Ashley Russo, Keegan Beinhower and, of course, Ted.

Charlie shared that, for Friday’s 3^rd in the Burg, he will be in two places at once, flying from Gallery at 2^nd to the Art Association of Harrisburg’s opening night reception for its summer members’ art exhibit from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Surprise jurors from the Burg will add an element of mystery to the evening’s events. And the best part…it is free for all.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Bob’s Art Blog: 3rd in the Burg Preview & Millworks VII

October 11, 2021 | by Bob MacGinnes

Prelude to the Season: October Burns Orange

Every year since I was a wee lad, I’ve had a love affair with the month of October. When the first of November rolls around, I have that bittersweet feeling of the realization the searing beauty of October has come to an end.

When I picture the month and its arrival, I see trees full of leaves in a mixed medley of autumnal shades of oranges, golds and purples. The changes in the atmosphere bring about bursts of color as seen in the setting sun that dips below the horizon, the vermilion shade subject to alchemy and its association with eternity, and the terracotta of clay, a dusty orange created over time highlighting the passages of ancient civilizations. It is a palette that conjures pumpkins ripe for carving, Indian corn resplendent in a patchwork of rust and saffron, purples, marigold and goldenrod. They all combine to portray a poetic profusion of dazzling brilliance until the last leaf of autumn falls to the ground, blanketing the earth.

3rd in the Burg, Oct. 15

Illustration by Brad Maurer

When one contemplates the number “3,” a triangle may pop up as a visual representation. For this art blog, the third time is the charm for this Friday’s 3rd in the Burg at the Civic Club. A certain group of artists like to get together as a collective seasonally, and it is now officially fall in all its glory.

This Friday marks the third occurrence of this group hanging out together to hang art. This special night is a continuation of diversity through art, showcasing emerging artists with their collections for sale as part of this one-night-only happening. They’re inviting you, the “3rd in the Burg-ers” to drop by, drop in and “see what condition their condition is in …” or so sang the late Kenny Rogers in his psychedelic daze as the front man for the First Edition.

Master of ceremonies duties have been passed from Civic Club art organizers, Reina Wooden and Charlie Feathers to Brad Maurer. A consistent coterie creates the core group, which features Maurer’s “Insect Infantry Illustrations” as The Cercus. Joining him will be a “Harrisburg Artist of the Year” Bethany Nicholle and her award-winning abstract paintings, notecards, pins, magnets and masks. Nora Carreras, mixed media artist, and Jonathan Frazier, multidimensional man about town, both share a love and talent for the piano, and art will be their forte at the Civic Club, showcasing paintings-a-plenty. Grace Robinson adds portraiture in her soul searing art that goes well below the surface in her color.ur.soul collection. Donny Lyons proves he is an artist to be reckoned with as his abstract expressionistic paintings see the future, and it is here. Darius Davis, entrepreneur and fashion videographer, returns as well with his acrylic paintings, and Quincy Yates tie-dyes clothes for the younger set (Shopkidsinc.com). Jamie Earl also returns, selling red-hot buttons and pins custom-made for his Keystonebuttoneer.com. Reina Wooden (R76) past hostess of the first two Civic Club art fetes, held in February and May, is now focusing on her new art. Her genre defies labels as the mediums of mixed materials combine clothing and painting as “statement studies.” These 10 artists collectively form the nucleus of “The Maestros of Midtown.”

Painting by Carrie Feidt

New to the mix is Jemar Sweets, photographer of “escapism” as in land ‘scapes’, city ‘scapes’ and architectural prints. Mansa Abuchi Mawakili knows that his abstract art and Afro-centric styled jewelry encompasses crystals, holding the power to heal. Carrie Feidt cannot be pigeonholed as her art flies from painting to music. Lily Roque rounds out the new quartet as a humble tattoo artist who enjoys “expressing herself through her paintings which include imaginative creatures, popular manga and comic art.”

3^rd in the Burg takes place on Friday, Oct. 15, at venues throughout downtown and Midtown Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.thirdintheburg.org.

The Civic Club of Harrisburg is located at 612 N. Front St, 5 to 9 p.m., free admission and free on street parking.

Millworks Chapter VII: Objects That Don’t Fit On a Wall

This fall chapter of the Millworks artists’ series includes four artists whose works are physically impossible to hang. It is not problematic as visitors to the Millworks emporium can view this quartet’s work in the art shop and in their respective studios.

Meg Caruso pottery

“Creative” Meg Caruso is synonymous with art in Midtown. With her hands, she puts in motion the wheels of Sprocket Mural Works and sets the artistic tone for TheBurg as its creative director. Her “Quiet Clay” sits on the shelves in the Millworks store whispering to passers by “hold me, touch me and more sweet nothings…” The great thing about fine art is that it never needs trumpets announcing its arrival. Quiet Clay is ceramic creme-de-la-creme. The palette of natural shades is perfect for its very being, yet Meg elevates it through its functionality, too. The pieces become sculpture as treasures to admire and use. The porcelain vessels are hand-painted with 22 karat gold luster. Objects of desire that may be whispering to you.

A.A. Milne of “Winnie the Pooh” fame and Beatrix Potter’s “Peter Rabbit and Friends” have nothing on Lauren Castillo’s endearing children’s books with her text and illustrations as a Caldecott Honor author of Nana and the City. Lauren operates out of Studio 322 and has illustrated other books for high-profile authors, Jane Smiley, Eve Bunting and more. With her latest offspring, she shares a “story of us,” with a loveable hedgehog as the central character in “Our Friend Hedgehog,” and his boon companion, Mutty, the dog. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Castillo fortunately chose Harrisburg as her base of operation.

Erin Musselman’s studio

Erin Musselman’s Lupine Ceramics can be found on Millworks first floor, Studio 104. In all likelihood, no clay pigeons will be found there, but the compendium of ceramic wares may astound the shopper as her creations are in the “energy of the everyday.” Her goal is to have a connection with every piece bringing a sense of the artists’ purpose in presenting pottery that places equal emphasis on form and function. As a retired teacher, at least for the time being, Erin has the blessing of a creative clock with no hands to limit her.

Paul Zemiatis and son, Alexander, pool their talents as management and creatives with a product that functions for the everyday home but elevates it to an art form for the senses. Olfactory neurons lift the mood to manipulate memories with aromas from natural ingredients used in the process of creating Moonrise Candle Co. In dreaming up romantic combinations of raw honey and cinnamon among a plethora of other herbs and botanicals, the team has no ceiling on creating unique pairings and hand illustrating each amber glass jar. Paul’s a master woodworker as he hand wrought the stage set found in Studio 104. In addition, his hobby entails Pysanity, the art of Ukranian Easter eggs. Alexander, a student at New York University majoring in drama, creates clothing for movies sewing costumes and set design on a custom basis. Be sure to stop and smell the candles.

The Millworks is located at 340 Verbeke St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.millworksharrisburg.com.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Bob’s Art Blog: Dan Kalbach Tribute & 3rd in the Burg Preview

August 17, 2021 | by Bob MacGinnes

They say time heals all wounds, which may be true for some, but, for others, the pain doesn’t go away.

Days from now, we will mark four years since the world lost a friend and inspiration, a teacher, a caring human being, an artist of renown and a folk hero. On Aug. 21, 2017, Mechanicsburg-born Dan Kalbach died in an auto accident that still deeply affects a large community of friends. I never personally met Dan but our son, Beau, spoke highly of him and his God-given gifts, mostly in the realm of art, of which Dan was a master. It was his special talent to create and to inspire others and to share those gifts.

Zeroday Brewing Co. mounted this exhibit of artwork by Dan Kalbach at its original taproom on Reily Street. Photo: Beau MacGinnes

The pews were packed that Friday morning at Daybreak Church in Mechanicsburg to pay tribute to a young man who touched so many lives through his art. Family, friends and those who knew his art paid their respects in words and memories, offering condolences to his family. Our family attended the service, as did what seemed like the entire art community. Charlie Feathers, Dan’s long time friend and collaborator in the “Speedee” and “Bootleg” projects, had this to share regarding Dan and his legacy:

“Dan lived by the phrase, wabi sabi, ‘perfectly imperfect,’ realizing that, in his way, we are all flawed beings striving towards perfection but never able to attain it, and that’s OK if, in that, a passion exists.”

Dan embraced this Japanese philosophy, the acceptance of imperfection and transience. It is an aesthetic that appreciates beauty that is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete in nature. Dan believed in the importance of savoring the moment as being present and centered in revealing a greater depth of learning and to find beauty in the simplest measures. Most of all, we must embrace who we are and our journey in the discovery of our passions, our talents and the struggles we face.

August 3rd in the Burg Preview

This Friday, 3rd in the Burg provides a time to reflect on Abbot and Costello’s zany baseball skit, “Whose on First”?

It included the line “I Don’t Know on third,” but after covering these events for three years, I do know what is on 3rd Street. For this August preview, 3rd Street is where you’ll find five of the 25 participating venues. This special enclave of 3rd Street may be where the action is on Aug. 20, with neighbor helping neighbor, spreading good will door to door.

On first, before the game starts, you may Knead a slice or two to get you in the swing of things, and the batter will be up or, at least, the dough will rise. Stop by 937 N. 3rd at Boas for more than scrumptious pizza, including summer salads, garlic knots and even “craft your own pizza” by choosing the ingredients. You can catch a different style of Knead pizza (wood-fired) by visiting another 3rd in the Burg location–the Broad Street Market.

Then walk that off to 1401 for the main event beginning at 5 p.m., with free admission to the Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM). In collaboration with Robinson’s Rare Books & Fine Prints, located at Midtown Scholar Bookstore, SAM reveals a revolutionary printmaker, Isabel Bishop, who through her work in that medium, advanced the methodology and meaning of movement for over 50 years.

The lobby gallery exhibit, “Mobility in Movement, Isabel Bishop Etchings, 1930-1982” opened Friday the 13th, a sure indication that SAM is not in the least bit superstitious but, in fact, serendipitous in the timing of this show. Printmaking, an oft-overlooked art form, is experiencing a revival, and there is no better example of the three stages involved in the process than the body of Bishop’s critically acclaimed portfolio. The exhibit sponsored by Highmark, runs through Oct. 17.

“Students Outdoors” by Isabel Bishop. Photo: Jana MacGinnes

In a complementary exhibit, Hershey resident Valerie Dillon, who is a teaching artist from Denver, Colo., presents “Meanderings,” a study in collagraphs. The artist states that her multi-layered color process in printmaking is not only intuitive but “knows there is a degree of anticipated risk and discovery.” This enlightening exhibit can be found in SAM’s DeSoto Family Fault also through Oct. 17.

Variable collagraphs by Valerie Dillon. Photo: Jana MacGinnes

From there, cross the street to 1404, and you will find the headquarters/showroom of Modern Rugs. Owners Zachary Nitzan and Tahirih Alia may be there to greet you and give you the grand tour of what are the latest designs in one-of-a-kind creations at Modern Rugs. They elevate rug-making to a fine art. Back to the SAM side of the street, doors away at 1423, be sure to visit the Nyianga Store and enter a world of art and vision from owner Chantal Nga Eloundou of Cameroon. Describing her store, she states it is “where fashion meets nature.” The eclectic mix features men’s, women’s and children’s unique clothing, beauty products, jewelry, leather goods and art all from her native land. Nyianga is open till 9 p.m. for this event.

You don’t need to leave the building because Elvis just may be practicing yoga within at commUNITY Yoga Space. You can experience “sharing, soothing live music and tea” with proprietress, Erika Malorzo. She sticks to the original philosophy, pay what you can, at this new location. For the novice to the advanced yogi, the invitation to drop in is an open call to center yourself through meditative maneuverings led by experienced practitioners of the discipline. CommUnity Yoga closes at 8:30 p.m. for 3rd in the Burg events. Namaste.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Bob’s Art Blog: Pop Goes the Easel

May 17, 2021 | by Bob MacGinnes

Art pop-ups may well become the go to venues for featuring “of the moment art” that is here today and literally gone tomorrow. Promoting a capsulized version of an art fair into a one-day format, with a ticking expiration, brings urgency to the foreground.

Proving to be old hands at this, Charlie Feathers and Reina Wooden return to create a seasonal symphony at the Civic Club of Harrisburg for a May gala in the garden, as well as occupying The Overlook mansion for an afternoon tea party of art. Based on their two-day event at the Civic Club back in February, the couple felt it was the perfect time to reunite artists and art lovers for a spring fling, “Art of the Susquehanna.” The impetus behind the art pop-up is to showcase emerging artists creating diversity through art. There is no better place to do so than the spacious Civic Club and its sprawling grounds. With the backdrop of the rolling Susquehanna River, an outdoor party is perfect for the season even if the weather should turn playful. A veranda and porch will provide shelter just in case. Feel free to carry a parasol to stroll the grounds for that fashionable “Sunday in the Park with George” persona. And that Sunday is May 23, just days from now.

A painting by Ruby Doub

It’s always hard to top the one before, as in the Civic Club’s two-day event for February’s fete, but this edition does just that, as it is taking on the hoopla of a Hollywood movie production. The “Usual Suspects” will be there, of course, with only one missing—Keyser Soze—no surprise there. As before, the “Maestros of Midtown” will be there from the first show, plus a star-studded cast of new faces. From artists to musicians to poets to BBQ, it promises a day to remember. So come out and take part.

With any luck at all, mixed-media artist Nora Carreras will be tickling the ivories at the baby grand downstairs, vying for playing time with musical magician, Jonathan Frazier. Next to them are two of my personal favorites, my beautiful wife Jana and our granddaughter, “La Petite,” selling handmade soaps while the little one promotes her one-of-a-kind clay bead bracelets from kid to adult sizes. You better buckle in for a wild ride as the Huckle Buckle Boys, Zack Rudy and Garrick Dorsett, will be in high gear with their outsider art. Bethany Nicholle’s, abstract paintings are just one of her many offerings that include tongue-in-chic masks, buttons and magnets, et al. Larry Washington Jr. (aka Larry Lenzz) rejoins the “Maestros” with photographic panache of sights from around the city. Ghost Bae haunts the grounds with “art plus” beyond her tattoo prowess. Jelani Splawn, aka Jelly the photographer and man about town, always has his camera at the ready. Claudie Kenion’s Black Lives Matter will be spreading the word through his venture featuring masks and gear in his effort to Unite Central PA. Chad Whitaker’s art could make for a soft landing with his sculptures, puffy and playful. Charlie Feathers always brings surprises to the party and loves to catch the community off guard and avant-garde. Grace Robinson makes a plea to color.ur.soul with her passionate paintings poetically placed.

A work by Darius Davis

New faces joining the scene are Jeannine Marie with her fashion round up known as Savagehabitexchange.com, with uniquely upcycled wares. Darius Davis, acrylic artist and entrepreneur, will be certain to make a splash. Steve Zerbe is known for pen and ink and adds acrylics in his art, too. Brad Maurer, featured as TheBurg’s “Artist of the Month” in April, works wonders within illustrative insect entomology cartoons. Quincy Yates gets tie-dyed up with clothing for kids (Shopkidsinc.com), while Jamie Earl hawks custom buttons and pins under Keystonebuttoneer.com. The rose between two thorns, Ruby Doub, “sticks” to Keegan Beinhower and Donny Lyons as this trio artistically dabbles in acrylic paints among their other interests. Individually, acrylic is their go-to medium that rounds out and rounds up the Maestros of Midtown to a full roster of 24.

Tie-dye by Quincy Yates

Spinning vinyl will be an import from Carlisle, D.J. Joe George, while Ace Rhoad will be “grilling for chilling” with Smoking Aces BBQ, “where every day is a tailgate.” In fact, Ace will have that food truck card up his sleeve. They wouldn’t be called “the Maestros” without musical components, performances and artists. JAH the G.O.D is taking the stage, sharing a personal journey. In addition, Jonathan Frazier will be romancing art-goers at the piano indoors while, in the garden, violinist and trumpeter, Morgan Hackett, provides the sounds for the season. After sounding reveille, I am hoping for a rendition on the violin of “Moon River,” perfect for the backdrop of spring on the Susquehanna. Troubadours Cherry Springs and Winter Parks will be showcasing their musical talents, as well. Even Maria James-Thiaw, creative writing program coordinator for Capital Area School of the Arts, will be sharing her poetry. She knows art, too, as the CEO of the Reclaim Artist Collective.

Art by Donny Lyons

Again, no better venue for this one-day only special event Sunday, May 23, from 1 to 5 p.m., than the Civic Club of Harrisburg. A big thank you to the president of the oldest civic organization operating in Harrisburg, Marybeth Lehtimaki. And a round of applause to hostess, Reina Wooden (R76), for an art party like no other, perhaps the one of the spring season. No expense was spared in creating this Hollywood opus of a production that exceeds expectations on all levels. The event is free, with masks and social distancing mandatory.

This art blog comes to you special delivery as today I turn 70, which is the new 35. We are returning from art heaven in Asheville, N.C., full of inspiration and ideas. See you on Sunday at the Civic Club with a surprise (no, not a cake).

**************

3rd in the Burg Events: A “Free for All” at the Art Association (opening May 21)

Growing up as a kid in the ‘50s, when I heard the phrase “free for all,” it was code for anything goes, meaning all bets were off. One can only imagine what ensued…the gamut from brouhaha to brawl and anything in between. Better head for the hills! Or better yet, to…the Art Association of Harrisburg for their latest show, opening this Friday for 3rd in the Burg. This 3rd annual “Free For All” is a more well-mannered affair. After all, it is being held at the AAH. The only pugilistic posture, perhaps poised precipitously, portrays paintings packed peerlessly palatable. Where is Peter Piper when you need him? Perhaps you’ll find him perusing paintings patiently at 21 N. Front St., home of the AAH.

An image from “Free for All”

Prized juror and former art instructor at this venerable institution, artist Maaike Heithonig-Hickok, has a field of entrants to preside over, from members and students alike for this open show of artists. It allows for one work from each person in the juried venue. CEO Carrie Wissler-Thomas and curator Rachel O’Connor shared that this annual event is back by popular demand—and who is to argue that? Any discussion could very well lead to a free for all. So, come out and join this free for all at the AAH for 3rd in the Burg or anytime over the next seven weeks, as the exhibit runs through July 8. An appreciative note to gallery assistant Nate Foster for sending a photo preview of this upcoming show.

The Susquehanna Art Museum

The SAM at the Marty welcomes Midtown Property Management to the neighborhood in opening their courtyard as part of its welcoming party to this business for 3rd in the Burg from 5 to 8 p.m. Ralph Diekemper will be offering up on the piano, “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, won’t you be my neighbor”? The evening’s festivities are sponsored by Messiah University.

The above events are just two of 22 venues open for this Friday’s 3rd in the Burg on May 21.

Support quality local journalism. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Bob’s Art Blog: A Cautionary Tale

December 13, 2020 | by Bob MacGinnes

“A Bird Just Being a Bird” by the Huckle Buckle Boys. Photo: Jana MacGinnes

Dear readers of Bob’s Art Blog:

What follows serves as a prelude to “What a Year in Art,” coming out in two parts in January. For now, we take you back almost a year ago to share a cautionary tale seen at the first art show of 2020.

In the art world today, there is much talk about intuitive painting, but what if, as an artist, you were actually able to foretell the future—see it in your mind’s eye before it happens and transfer it to the canvas? For all intent and purpose, intuitive painting is being in touch with your inner self, be it through meditation or some other means of self-reflection. For Garrick Dorsett and Zack Rudy, aka The Huckle Buckle Boys, that was truly the case in their outsized painting completed in the first week of January, well before COVID-19 reared its ugly head and reached our shores by February’s end.

For many cultures around the world down through time, birds have been viewed as “seers,” forecasters of future events, often prognosticating both positives and negatives such as love, sickness and even death. What does that make artists then who incorporate a bird as their main focal point? In a year that has turned the world upside down since mid-March, it qualifies them as vessels of vision. Those artists, Dorsett and Rudy, created an art opus that we first viewed exactly 11 months ago during opening night of the annual winter gallery show at Metropolis Collective in Mechanicsburg for its “Wintry Mix V” in January. Hannah Dobek, gallery director/curator at Metropolis, had invited the Huckle Buckle Boys as the featured artists for the show, along with Nicole Dube of Carlisle and Charlie Feathers of Harrisburg.

During the evening, Rudy and Dorsett unveiled a portrait constructed out of a massive, 4-by-6-foot wood panel featuring a bird as its main attraction. The painting is arresting in its bold vista and deft manipulation of color achieving a washed patina of soft turquoise and yellow bordering on a dreamlike rendering. Lost on us then but ever so telling in hindsight, the larger-than-life bird was wearing a mask, a face covering adorning its beak for the world to observe and take note. From its imperious position poised on a high wire of telephone lines, the bird was sending a communication to share with the world that its future hope globally was the need to mask up. Titled “A Bird Just Being a Bird” proved to be anything but–it was telling us then to wear a mask into the world and to adopt it as a means of safety, precaution and protection. Like another bird of childhood notoriety, the sky was falling and, within this prescient painting, we needed to heed the warning that danger was just around the bend.

The Huckle Buckle Boys, Zack Rudy and Garrick Dorsett (left), along with TheBurg’s Jana and Bob MacGinnes

Getting to meet the artists that evening was enlightening in the sense that here were artists that operated well outside of the norm. There is a coda that exists within the framework of the piece that shares vital data. The painting was completed a full seven weeks prior to COVID’s origins. Two views of a human face are found within the breast of the bird’s body. One is a mirror image representing the self, with the other facing left looking out to the world.

There is an underlying theme of hope on the horizon if we just keep focused on the bigger picture. By all indications, the vaccine is imminent, and it is a race well worth running. Every day is crucial with its importance of saving lives. But for present day, we must follow safety measures at all costs until everyone is inoculated. This massive work of art is and will be a timely piece perhaps for eternity. The bird was all too ready to let the world know its message as Dorsett and Rudy truly are intuitive painters. Their work foreshadowed devastation and uncertainty, informing us then more than ever we must stay the course, believing that one day this too will be a memory. But, until that day arrives, you will find me “somewhere over the rainbow,” with the bluebirds, way up high.

For more information about the Huckle Buckle Boys, visit their Facebook page or their Instagram at @thehucklebuckleboys.

Metropolis Collective is located at 17 W. Main St., Mechanicsburg. For more information, visit their website.

Learn more about our arts blogger Bob MacGinnes and his take on our local art scene in the December edition of TheBurg Podcast.

Support quality local journalism. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Bob’s Art Blog: Vacation Creation

August 8, 2020 | by Bob MacGinnes

Harrisburg artist Charlie Feathers spent part of his summer building a rock sculpture on the banks of the Watauga River in Tennessee.

Listen…can you hear it? Just 20 days away and you may hear that school bell ring.

Back in the classroom, the first assignment was, without fail, an essay on, “How I Spent My Summer Vacation”—something I always looked forward to. Must be the writer in me. Summertime and the livin’ was easy.

As an art columnist, I recently thought how fun it would be to learn how a dozen or so local artists spent at least part of their summer days creating art or getting inspiration for their next project. Stepping away from their vocation to turn to their avocation while on their vacation—it is just too much to bear…but here goes.

The idea grew out of a discussion with Reina “R76” Wooden and Charlie “Bootleg” Feathers one afternoon this summer. Using that as a jumping off point, Charlie immediately shared photos from a recent trip with his father and Reina followed suit with an anecdote worth repeating. A debt of gratitude to both for a list of artists and for providing me with the basis for how they spent their summer vacations.

For Feathers, it meant traveling to the Watauga River in Tennessee to build a rock sculpture on the banks of the river. It should withstand the test of time as the shoreline provides cover for protection. Feathers laid out an installation skyward bound.

“Its balance reflects where I am in life and how being a sculptor is my only passion,” he shared, which is strictly for the record, just so no one “rocks” his boat.

His partner in art, Reina R76, was a willing collaborator in a series of tutorials on body casting throughout the month of June. And July found her as the new kid on the block at the Millworks, ensconced in Studio 318 with fellow artist Andrew Guth and Erik of Owl Creek Supply Co., noteworthy as Reina is the first artist of color, with African/Venezuelan heritage, in residence at the Millworks. She even threw Mud at the Queen in Linglestown while learning how to turn clay into columns of beauty. By taking a class in the art of pottery making, she felt “invigorated and inspired.” For her, the experience was enlightening and energizing.

Hannah Dobek, aka sister vinegar, of Metropolis Collective in Mechanicsburg, spent part of her summer painting a commissioned piece providing Radiator Kings Music, a blues group, with cover art for their soon to be released (Aug. 21) album, “Unborn Ghosts.” Dobek pays tribute in part through her painting of a stallion’s head in profile, evocative of Johnny Cash’s legendary hit, “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” from the 1960s.

Summer did not rain on Bethany Nicolle’s parade as she “spent time laughing with friends, reflecting on her old career as a bartender” and creating exquisite art (pictured) and making state-of-the-art masks that are tongue-in-cheek if you’ll pardon the expression. Perhaps you’ll see exactly what that means.

The new normal has kept painter Julie Riker away from her usual itinerary of summer art shows and competitions. Her rapturous plein air paintings of the Susquehanna River from the high ground vantage point of Negley Park are picture perfect as they become almost photographic in their exacting detail. Just being in the beauty of the outdoors provided her with “wonderful therapy” by allowing her “to focus on the positive things in the world.” In addition, it fostered a connection with other artists practicing social distancing.

Natalie Dohman feels the sky’s the limit as the summer has afforded her the opportunity to install murals in Harrisburg and New Cumberland, prepare works for two upcoming art shows, and create an online store selling graphic designs that revolve around the Civil Rights movement. Her website, ndesignarthaus.com, is a moving gallery of images and art that is vitally fresh and fluid (pictured).

Accustomed to painting in plein air settings, Jonathan Frazier adapted his frame-of-mind painting, taken from photos and memory. Inspired by past trips to locales outside of central PA, Frazier used landmarks like the Domino Sugar Refinery Plant in Baltimore to create a painting of sensation and skyline.

For Douglas Beard, work took priority, so time away from the daily grind found him plugged in creating and building artisinal lamps, giving new meaning to art shining from within to brighten the world around us, illuminating tables and stands (pictured).

Nicole Herbert found herself toiling at the wheel, not as a driver, but in throwing a pot or two of functionality following form. Valuable leisure time was spent gardening and enjoying the routines of life took that on new pleasure relaxing in the backyard with her life partner.

Larry Washington Jr. spent the days and nights of his summer exploring new avenues in studying and practicing photography as seen in a poignant shot of night, capturing a skyscape of four houses of worship with crosses forming a vanguard of vaulting symbolism as the focal point in the frame.

Gallery assistant and instructor at the Art Association of Harrisburg, Nate Foster, along with family members, shared their love of art with the community this summer. His wife, Tzu, taught a drawing class there while youngest son, Malik (pictured), assisted Nate with hanging the Li Hidley exhibit now featured at the gallery. Nate curated that show and is working on preliminary sketches for the member’s show, “La Petite Exhibition,” which will open for the AAH-sponsored Gallery Walk next month. The Fosters also spent time away from the gallery finding the perfect house in Midtown.

The Huckle Buckle Boys are comprised of Zack Rudy and Garrick Dorsett, who always come as a package deal. With no limit to their imagination, their pet project of the summer was print-making, which pushed their boundaries with wildly wondrous woodcuts, the oldest form of printmaking. Leave it to HBB to recycle something old into something fresh and new.

I would be remiss to not include a personal favorite, my wife of 43 years, who is constantly creating new works of art. When she’s not busy being my 3rd in the Burg photographer, you can find her gathering sticks and materials from nature to weave with textiles or forming clay beads with our 5-year-old granddaughter and creating organic art with our son, Beau, for “Art in the Wild.” She will always be my source of inspiration. Happy Birthday, Jana!

“How I Spent My Summer Vacation” closes on that note as all contributors, whether at home or on the road, share as a common theme. There is a newfound appreciation in the season’s recalibration of life as we now know it—time for reflection, time for creativity and, most importantly, time for exploring what makes us happy and fulfilled. Thank you to all the artists who took part in this essay. Now you’re ready for the first day of school.

You Gotta Have Art: Sidelined by the pandemic, Harrisburg area artists wait, worry, wonder.

April 30, 2020 | by M. Diane McCormick

A scene from Open Stage’s “Angels in America Online. Photo by Dan McGregor

Help wanted for pandemic endurance. Must be resourceful, creative, resilient and thrifty. Artists, actors and musicians encouraged to apply.

Since a shutdown descended on the midstate, artsy people have unleashed their unique skills sets to deliver hope while, not insignificantly, shifting themselves into survival mode.

“When your business model is built around bringing people together, how does the organization survive in a world where people can’t be together?” said Stuart Landon, a force behind two of Harrisburg’s cultural cornerstones, Open Stage and Midtown Cinema.

In this climate, Harrisburg-area artists are putting performances online, soliciting donations and ticket sales, and generating new initiatives. It’s all meant to keep audiences connected until regathering time.

Makes Us Tick

Reina “76 Artist” Wooden waited 10 years to see her works hanging on the walls of the Art Association of Harrisburg. And maybe she still can see it—if she stands on tiptoe and peers through a window. Her joint exhibition with partner Charlie “Bootleg” Feathers, “Bootleg Meets R76,” opened not long before the gallery went dark.

“We achieved our goal,” sculptor Feathers said with a laugh.

The pair can no longer show and sell their work through galleries, but after all, most artists “are accustomed to working on shoestring budgets,” said Reina. “In times of trauma, the artists are the new army. We have the emotionality to heal.”

Still, artists gotta art. Reina and Feathers are making how-to videos on turning things at hand—dried-out clay, stacks of egg cartons—into art, posted under #togetherathome.

“I’m hoping this will slow us down and help us recognize the things we have and be grateful for that,” Reina said. The connection among humans “is art in itself.”

“The world is sowing its beauty,” she said. “It’s our calling to inspire people right now.”

Open Stage is also going virtual, having received approval from licensing house Broadway Play Publishing to revamp its planned “Angels in America” production into “Angels in America Online.” The Zoom broadcasts began in April and continue this month, with actors reading their lines from separate locations. Donors get a link to view the live or archived presentations of Tony Kushner’s epic of the AIDS crisis.

The play about a past “medical, spiritual and political crisis” remains pertinent, said Landon. “It’s very strange and very sobering—or haunting, rather—to hear how a lot of these words are just so relevant.”

In March, Gamut Theatre Group had to halt its presentation of “Enemy of the People,” Henrik Ibsen’s classic about the scorn heaped on a man warning townspeople about infection at a local spa.

Artistic Director Clark Nicholson said that he seeks inspiration in the age of the “Restoration,” when the British theater recreated itself after three decades of banishment. In those times “more dire” than ours, people were “being smart and being tenacious.” For 2020 and beyond, that means figuring out how to remain interesting and relevant without overloading the internet.

“What’s the sweet spot of a very imperfect product right now?” he said. “Because theater is not theater unless people are together in a room.”

Executive Director Melissa Nicholson added that artists are “a little bit better positioned to be openminded.” (Gamut, she noted, has offered state and county government officials use of its building if needed.)

Musicians are adapting, too. The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra offered online master classes for its youth orchestra musicians. HSO is also streaming a previously taped Masterworks concert to its database. Its “Music in the Key of We” community celebration and Beethoven birthday bash, scrubbed from its original April date, has been rescheduled to Nov. 14.

“The orchestra’s strong,” said Executive Director Jeffrey Woodruff. “It’s been around for 90 years. It has its rightful place in the community and has been through many crises and will come out of this one just fine, sooner or later.”

Veteran jazz pianist Steve Rudolph’s busy 2020 itinerary used to include a fully booked JazZenJourney, the annual trip to Italy he leads with his wife, Andrea Minick Rudolph, and a recording session at the studio of filmmaker George Lucas.

“This was looking like one of the best years I’d have had,” he said. “Sometimes, you just have to laugh.”

For the duration, Rudolph is composing and, like the rest of us, reorganizing his office. He is Skyping with his ensemble, hoping to announce an online matinee or happy hour to “have some fun for a half hour and give some people a little relief.” He hopes to solicit donations to charities supporting musicians until, he joked, “in about a month and a half, I’ll be having people donate to me.”

On the pop scene, artists and audiences are missing out on the touring that has become their financial lifeblood. Country music artist Ben Gallaher, a Camp Hill native now based in Nashville, postponed a midstate stop and a tour to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Indianapolis, as the opener for country legend Joe Diffie, now lost to COVID-19.

“All my friends just came to a halt,” said Gallaher. “For the music industry, it’s not just artists that are affected. It’s band and crew members, business managers, agents, labels, venues, venue promoters, merchandise companies. There’s quite a trail there.”

Amid the Facebook Live and Instagram performances, hometown support is helping to sustain Gallaher. A show planned for early April at the Ned Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Millersburg was originally an indoor acoustic performance. The rescheduled June 20 show will move to the center’s amphitheater.

“So it’ll be full-band,” he said. “We’ll be rocking in June.”

Woodruff calls the arts “an essential part of life.”

“It gives sustenance,” he said. “We’re all so preoccupied with money, but it gives things other than money. It can be inspirational. It can give us solace. It can enlighten us. All these art forms give us a glimpse into our humanity and what makes us tick.”

Squeezing Dimes

At Gamut’s theater in downtown Harrisburg, the ghost lights are on. The heat is not.

“If you walked into Gamut right now, it is freezing,” said Melissa Nicholson.

As business manager, she is cutting expenses, talking to the bank, and—for the first time—exploring the world of Small Business Administration loans.

“Our number-one priority is keeping our people working,” she said.

Clark Nicholson agreed.

“I can talk a lot about artistic motivations,” he said. “But the fact of the matter is, we’ve got a lovely theater that’s got a big old mortgage.”

Months of no ticket sales, gallery exposures or school classes are eroding one-third to one-half of artistic budgets. Artists are putting their faith in their loyal patrons, issuing emergency appeals and selling unconventional products, such as Open Stage’s discounted “Rainy Day” tickets.

“It’s important for us to say out loud that we need help getting to the other side so we can tell the stories that you need to hear,” said Landon.

The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra is urging patrons to buy 2020-21 season tickets, “because the lifeblood of any organization is their subscriber base,” said Woodruff.

With a decent endowment and the net from a recent capital campaign, the orchestra had the wherewithal to pay its musicians.

“The board has the ultimate fiduciary responsibility to do what is best for the organization,” Woodruff said. “We had enough resources on hand to at least pay the players who were hired through the end of the season. We felt it was a very, very important thing to do.”

A Rebirth

So, what comes next?

In the fall of 2019, before the world turned upside down, Reina 76 Artist and Charlie Feathers invited friends to an open house, a sort of pop-up gallery from their art-filled home. When this is over, they swear, there will be another.

Rudolph worries about outcomes. Will jazz-friendly venues survive? Will an older-skewing audience fear coming out?

“I’m going to keep doing it whether it gets out there or not,” he said. “Jazz in itself is an introverted art. You’re playing for the music, but when there’s a great audience, it makes a difference in how you play.”

Arts organizations are planning upcoming seasons through a new lens. What can they afford? Is the topic timely? In Woodruff’s words, groups are honestly scrutinizing “what is possible, what is practical.”

Costs will probably loom larger than ever in selecting seasons, said Melissa Nicholson. As life returns to normal, maybe Gamut will sell fewer tickets and space the seats farther apart, she said. (Open Stage, too, is rethinking arrangement of newly ordered seating). In the meantime, artistic minds keep churning.

“When this is over and organizations have survived, the amount of stuff you’re going to see will be incredible,” said Clark Nicholson. “It’s like thoroughbred racehorses being held in the starting gate.”

Artistic types “have a particular skills set we can offer to the universe,” said Landon. “I feel very blessed to have this position and to be surrounded by such wonderful artists, able to create such beautiful pieces. This is a job at the end of the day, and it’s my job to lead this organization, to make sure this organization is going to be around for your children and your children’s children.”

Or as HSO’s Woodruff put it, “It’s springtime. Let’s be optimistic that we’re going to have a rebirth.”

Numerous arts groups were mentioned in this story. If you’re able, please donate generously to them.

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

February 28, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse held a news conference to announce details of next weekend’s Ice & Fire Festival.

Our coverage this past week had a little of everything—hard news, events, culture, features. In case you missed any of it, we have it all listed and linked below. Happy Leap Day, everyone!

Art Association of Harrisburg held a big opening show during last week’s 3^rd in the Burg, featuring the art of two talented locals, Charlie “Bootleg” Feathers and Reina “R76” Wooden, in addition to another exhibit called, “Hear Me?” Our arts blogger was on hand, and you can read what he had to say.

Civil Rights Movement was one of the most important historical eras in U.S. history. A photographer, Danny Lyon, captured many of the movement’s key events, his images now featured in an exhibit at Lebanon Valley College. Our magazine story gives you the picture.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania plans a new, three-story building on 7^th Street, the former home of D&H Distributing. The builder was in town to give the Uptown community a briefing on the project, and we were there to report what he said.

Gamut Theatre opens its newest production, “Enemy of the People” this weekend. Our preview story explains why the play was selected and what it means for our day and age.

Harrisburg and the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority had some tense moments during last week’s meeting, as the city filed a lawsuit against the state-appointed financial oversight board. Read what’s at issue in our online story.

Harrisburg’s Ice & Fire Festival is next weekend, so the city had a press briefing to let the public know all about it. The daylong event on March 7 will feature ice sculptures, an ice skating rink, fire dancers and much more. Click here for all the details.

Historic Harrisburg Association recently gave a presentation on its “Preservation Priorities” for 2020. In a blog post, our editor took this occasion to offer his kudos to individuals, groups and companies that recently have helped preserve the city’s historic heritage.

Kesher Israel is moving further Uptown, having purchased the former Riverside United Methodist Church. The synagogue plans a move later this year, located closer to where much of its congregation lives. Our online feature has the full story.

L&L Beauty Supply recently opened on Reily Street in Midtown Harrisburg. This business is truly a family affair, as our magazine feature explains.

Penbrook recently elected its first African-American mayor, John McDonald. Our magazine feature story tells of his life of devotion to family and community.

TheBurg came out with our March edition on Friday, with a focus on “Women in Business” around the Harrisburg area. As always, you’ll find a great mix of news, features, columns and events. Click here to read it online.

TheBurg won five awards in the annual PA NewsMedia Foundation’s advertising contest. Find out what our peers judged to be among the best ads in the business and see our first-place award winners.

Sara Bozich issued her weekly, lengthy list of goings on around Harrisburg, complete with music, arts, food and drink events. There’s still plenty of time left in the weekend to go do something fun.

Do you receive TheBurg Daily, our daily digest of news and events delivered right to your email inbox? If not subscribe here!

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