Tag Archives: Millworks

Bob’s Art Blog: Millworks Milieu Ooh La La!

April 16, 2024 | by Bob MacGinnes

Suspend disbelief for a moment and join me in the lobby of the Millworks restaurant.

Imagine a chorus line of their in-house artists fully engaged in a musical production moving wildly to the boisterous tune of “Galop Infernal.” You have never heard it, you say?

From the turn of the century, the 20^th that is, it is instantly recognizable as the music played at the Moulin Rouge for their cancan dancers circa Paris 1899. Toulouse-Lautrec painted the scene that was all the rage back then. He would drink absinthe into the wee hours of the morning until its celebrated doors closed for the evening. Ooh la la! Millworks may be a far cry from Paris and the demimonde that ruled the notorious nightclub. And yet there is a common bond between the two establishments.

A pyramid of beer cans featuring art by Millworks artists (photo: Jana MacGinnes)

Moulin Rouge literally translates to mean “Red Mill” and, of course, Millworks history speaks to the building’s original purpose housing the Stokes Mill. It dates to the 1940s when it manufactured trim and wood products. The cancan fascination exists between the two in a much different format. The Moulin Rouge cancan dancers lifted their skirts to reveal split leg bloomers while the creatives at Millworks lift their cans (beer) that hold their special brand of “art and ale.” Their designs adorn the cans brandishing their vision on the aluminum containers—ooh la la! Over 40 in-house artists have basked in the limelight as their art resides in the restaurant’s cooler. Highlighting a current top-10 available for purchase depends on the rotation through the brewery. The picture reveals the 10 when this frame was shot, engineered by P.D. Murray and staged by RLo, both of Millworks fame with can pyramid by Jana MacGinnes.

Linda Benton McCloskey’s beatific landscapes venture forth to new vistas while compatriot, fine artist, Paul Gallo’s work is pastoral as well, with windmills and a cow in tribute to the Dutch countryside. Marjorie Taylor’s easily identifiable butterflies, moths and bees land on the aluminum canvas fluttering about as Rebecca Adey’s 3-D Mod Sew creations of lovable creatures pop off the can’s surface. Recently departed from the studio, Carrie Shusta’s stained glass reflects the light, just so, even in the dark, while Pamela Black’s signature style, with her ever-changing palette of poetic paintings constantly in flux. Tina Berrier’s luminous label speaks to the permeability of worlds yet to be charted and cultures melded as one. Elaine Elledge has an edge geometrically speaking as her deftly designed can holds the elements of architecture meeting art. Studio mates Reina R76 Wooden and the Huckle Buckle Boys (HBB) topple convention with boundless bewilderment. For Reina, the Pennsylvania Keystone State outline and 1787 adorn her making an historic reference to statehood as one of the original 13 colonies. Zack Rudy and Garrett Dorset (the HBBs) have always been known for the characters they create. They are far removed from those we meet on the avenue of everyday life. In fact, if you came across them anywhere, you may want to cross the street. Alter egos or just part of the gang—you decide. No matter the time of year, you can count on Millworks cooler case being chock-a-block stocked with the latest libations (seasonal brews) artfully packaged in one of your artist’s favorite fantasies. And in a balancing act that defies the Moulin Rouge dancers’ high leg kicks, see how many cans you can stack without spilling their contents. Ooh La La!

RLo’s Adventures

Having moved on from Millworks Studio 215, Richard L. Hernandez, better known as RLo, has set his sights on the wide-open spaces of Wisconsin. Fortunately, art lovers who have marveled at his outsized charcoal masterpieces can take heart, as he will remain a vital part of Midtown’s art scene through the end of summer. If one can liken RLo to a spirit animal, then William Blake’s metaphorical poem, “The Tyger,” captures his true essence. In the poem, the phrase “burning bright” alludes to the tiger’s bright yellow fur, glowing as it roams the forest at night. RLo’s images burn bright day or night, and talent cannot be caged so, this fall, RLo will become a Wisconsin Badger’s boon companion.

This work by RLo is currently showing at Maryland Art Place in Baltimore.

Anyone who has stood before a masterwork feels the humility and awe that pervades the human psyche. They are something ever-present when viewing RLo’s charcoal catalog. In rare instances, a light every few thousand years shines brighter than others…in the universe we know it is a beam burning incandescently, a brilliant example of expression for the ages. In the vein of the great masters, Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo, RLo has taken his rightful place among them with his charcoal treasures. From old world monuments to modern day perfection, his work defines the medium. As part of the recent exhibition, “Embodiment,” at Maryland Art Place, MAP in Baltimore, his work is featured depicting a scene that bubbled over in a charnel house of human desire, caught up in a sepulcher of souls. I labeled his work, “The Agony and the Ecstasy.” Like his other outsized drawings, it showcases the breadth of his mastery. Look for RLo in art events and pop-ups locally throughout the coming months or contact the artist at rlopezhernandez21@gmail.com

3^rd in The Burg’s Hot Ticket for April

Julia Mallory’s art on the February cover of TheBurg

As an artist in Harrisburg, what do you do next to top having your painting featured on the cover of TheBurg? You open an art gallery! That is exactly what February’s featured cover artist, Julia Mallory, did. John Lennon penned the song, “Julia,” in 1968 and wrote of “an ocean child with seashell eyes.” How did he know that Julia Mallory would write a series of books under the banner of black mermaids? And now she has opened the doors to her studio and gallery titled Ten Oh! Six at, of course, 1006 N. 3rd Street, just a block up from TheBurg. Come out and meet Julia Friday night from 5 to 8 p.m. Digital portrait pop artist Cody Burt is the gallery’s featured guest star for the month under his moniker, Codeture.

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Bob’s Art Blog: Love on Display

February 6, 2024 | by Bob MacGinnes

A mask from “I’m Fine”

With Valentine’s just a week away, February’s Art Blog is dedicated to two unique stories of love. The first is a moving exhibition both figuratively and literally. It is the love story of the most importance; one we all share as part of the human condition—Mental Health Awareness. The second is on a more personal note, a Millworks love story of two artists who share an amazing life in their world of art that has expanded to their daughters’ love and appreciation of the same.

“I’m Fine” at the Susquehanna Art Museum

In the world of art, a picture is worth a thousand words. It’s intriguing to note then, that in the signature logo for “I’m Fine” subtly replacing the apostrophe is a ginkgo leaf. It’s the first clue that this is a movement of meaning with its mission motto, “sculpting mental health awareness through art.” Its potent imagery is completed by a stoic ceramic mask devoid of emotion, looking outward. As for the ginkgo leaf, it holds a deeper meaning to its founders.

“I’m Fine” will make a lasting impression in the capital city at Susquehanna Art Museum, opening Feb. 10. The mental health awareness project is now beginning its sixth year and has traveled to major exhibitions across the state with in-depth workshops promoting its central theme.

A mask from “I’m Fine”

The catalyst that drives it, mental health, has taken on a life of its own. Spearheaded by Carrie Breschi and Maureen Joyce, art activists push the envelope from city to city, outpost to outpost, spreading the gospel for mental health awareness. Hopefully, it will get to land at the state Capitol rotunda later this spring, but, before it reaches the chamber floor, it starts its journey at Susquehanna Art Museum.

Bonnie Mae Carrow, director of exhibitions at SAM, mounted the powerful and impactful exhibit in collaboration with Joyce and Breschi, both of Carlisle. Joyce and husband Kevin lost their son to suicide after years of struggling with mental illness. He often had a ginkgo leaf tucked into his jean pocket. The “I’m Fine” project formed out of that heartbreaking loss.

To date, the workshops, totaling 80, have been held in Carlisle, Chambersburg, York and even as far away as Pittsburgh. “I’m Fine” has done outreach programs with school districts across the state as schools have become hotbeds of troubled mental health since the pandemic. Over 1,600 ceramic masks have been created by students and workshop participants. These handcrafted veils of emotion provide the vehicle used to tell each individual story. “I’m Fine” has been a catchphrase to deflect talking about a subject so close to the surface that it’s bubbling over, yet words almost refuse to come out, except a barely audible, “I’m fine.”

As one stands before the collection of 1,000-fold masks at SAM, stop for a moment to think of each and every person who created them with their own unique story of the struggle to stay afloat, being cut loose in a sea of confusion, doubt and fear, not knowing what tomorrow may bring or even the next minute. It can be overwhelming.

Mental health is a condition that affects us all on a daily basis, and the need to be able to share it, discuss it and address it has never been as urgent as it is today. The co-founders Breschi and Joyce state, “Our world is facing a mental health crisis. As artists, we believe in the power of art to ignite change and create new perspectives. We also believe in the community as agents of positive change. It all starts with a conversation.”

“I’m Fine” provides a platform for spreading positivity, encouraging others to speak out and share their stories. Relating to others who share the very same emotions can be a great measure of relief knowing you are not alone, but together, by talking, change can take place.

The exhibit runs through May 19 during museum hours. Join the movement and help the cause by removing the masks, seeing the person underneath and listening to their story. They will be grateful realizing they have been seen and heard.

In Thrall to Iceland’s Call (A love story at Millworks Studio 323)

A painting by Tara Chickey

Soulmates, especially artists, operate in the ebb and flow of creativity, energy, beauty and, most of all, love. The give and take of that otherworldly bond is unspoken. A sixth sense or perhaps a seventh. The spark that forged the fire continues to burn through eternity, never to die. Such is the case for Millworks art couple, Caleb Smith and Tara Chickey. Back in the early aughts, the attraction began for Chickey as she admired from afar the community work that Smith was doing with the non-profit independent film festival, Moviate. At the time, she was running a small art gallery, and the rest is history. At least that’s what they say in the movies.

Fast forward two decades and their story has evolved by leaps and bounds. Chickey’s role as art director for Millworks is a full-time job, juggling 30-plus artists and mapping out constantly changing lobby exhibits annually. It still allows her artistic side to shine, showcasing her paintings on a grand scale like the wall-sized mural in Midtown that has become a local landmark. One cannot help but be transported to the great southwest when viewing Chickey’s sun-washed drive-in-theater playing on the screen at N. 3^rd and Reily streets.

Photography by Caleb Smith

Meanwhile, Smith is immersed in teaching humanities at Harrisburg University. His classes range from cinema studies to video production and photography. An independent filmmaker, photographer and musician round out his resume. Moviate still rolls the cameras for every Artsfest in May, with special popups throughout the year.

Perhaps the most fascinating chapter is the couple’s love for Iceland and their daughter, an artist in her own right. The Arctic has a magnetic pull as a world of mystery and magic unfolds in Iceland. Chickey shared, “Its allure stems from its rich folklore and culture, the epic vastness of the land and its beauty, a timelessness frozen in the past, yet strikingly modern and its soul-searing sense of isolation.” Smith ruminates on those themes through his documentary films, providing visual elements to advance storytelling, taking it to a whole new level.

Today, the mantle of parenthood fits the frame perfectly, as raising their daughter has taken top billing. They surround her with a solid sense of self and empathy for others and encourage her to believe that trying new things teaches her to discover her talents. Naturally, she is following in their creative footsteps with a love for nature, art and learning. Smith and Chickey want to build a world with endless possibilities for their daughter to inspire others by example. Dreams are as big as one imagines them to be. And an Icelandic poet, Kristijan, over half a century ago, wrote, “Our dreams come true who sleep in the wood of skies, on the berry hearth the last touch of sunlight dies, and the calm is deep where the quiet waters flow.”

A Familiar Face at Mechanicsburg Art Center

Imagine my surprise when local art icon Julie Riker, painter of great renown, asked me to model for her portrait drawing class at the Mechanicsburg Art Center’s Red Barn. We both shared a laugh and, to dispel any doubt, I will be fully clothed. LOL. I promised to share my blues (eyes) in a meaningful manner. The event takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 18 Artcraft Drive, Mechanicsburg.

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From Ruin, Rebirth: Hope arises from the ashes of the Broad Street Market

August 29, 2023 | by M. Diane McCormick

Leon Glick

One day, 30-plus years ago, Antonio Palmer got a hankering for sausage with green peppers and onions. His sister drove him to a place he didn’t know. It was called the Broad Street Market. He’s been a regular ever since.

But while food was the first enticement, it’s the people who keep him coming back, whether they’re office workers, city residents or tourists from Oregon or Missouri.

“It’s what they call the ambiance,” he said. “Most people don’t understand, but believe it or not, Broad Street Market is the heart and soul of Harrisburg.”

This is not a story about loss, even though it originates with the July 10 fire that gutted the Broad Street Market’s brick building. This is a story of resilience and dreams of what’s next.

A unified vision is emerging. The market of the future remains steeped in Palmer’s historic ambiance, but—let’s face it—much more modern.

“All these buildings need air conditioning,” Palmer said. “Get rid of those fans. That’s what caused the fire. Air conditioning takes care of everything.”

Resetting

First things first. A temporary market structure, fully equipped with utilities and comparable to a military mess hall in a remote outpost, is expected to house about 16 of the 22 displaced vendors.

The temporary market is meant to allow a seamless transition to the ultimately rebuilt brick building in, it’s hoped, about two years. The fit will be tight, as vendors squeeze into a 50-by-100-foot rectangle.

“A lot of businesses are going to scale back in order to make it work for the whole market,” said Executive Director Tanis Monroy. “A lot of them worked well with each other, and they want their neighbor to succeed.”

Or as Two Brothers BBQ owner Leon Glick put it, “Love grows in tight spaces.”

Some brick-building vendors find the temporary structure unfeasible. Ryan Hummer, from the fifth-generation R.G. Hummer Meats, lovingly tended and grew his stand for 22 years. Its costly refrigerated meat cases can’t be replicated in a temporary setting, he said.

Luckily, he is serving his east shore customers at the West Shore Farmers Market stand he established in Lemoyne about three years ago.

“The best part about Harrisburg and the city, it’s so supportive of the market, the community, and the customers over the years,” Hummer said. “All that support has been a blessing.”

A brief organizational chart here. The city of Harrisburg owns the Broad Street Market buildings and grounds. The Broad Street Market Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit overseeing marketplace activity. Each vendor is an independent business that leases space from the alliance.

Rebuilding is a priority, says Mayor Wanda Williams. While the city concentrates on the physical property, officials add that they are all hands on deck for vendors and their entrepreneurial visions.

“A lot of this is going to be vendors working through their own businesses and soul-searching and figuring out what their best path forward is, but we’re going to be in there,” said city Business Administrator Dan Hartman. “We want to be in there. We want to be part of this in the short term, the near term, and the long term.”

Melissa Barrick

Up from the Ashes

Dreams are filling the space now cluttered with rubble. The brick walls can’t expand beyond the historic footprint, but vendors see efficient design creating room for expansion.

On a bright Saturday morning, 11 colorful tents dotted the market’s courtyard. Melissa Barrick, owner of Veg Out, casually swatted away sweat bees from stacks of peaches as she called the fire heartbreaking but “a chance at rebirth.” In the rebuilt building, she hopes to stock local artisan vinegars, oils and chips alongside her Pennsylvania produce.

“We get to redo the market, redo our stands, and start over and fix some things that might have been ignored,” she said. “It’s an opportunity. It gives us a chance to be better when we come back.”

Lhayana Dallas, owner of Honeybush Raw Smoothie Bar, continues thinking about opening a downtown site, but she remains loyal to the temporary structure and the rebuilt building.

“We always want to have a place in the Broad Street Market,” she said. “It’s my community, where I’ve lived since I came back to Harrisburg from college.”

Latoya Dallas

Dallas sees bigger and better in the rebuilt space. As her sister, Latoya Dallas, put it, “The other space will be easier to navigate, and we’ll have the equipment needed for a small bite menu. It’ll be almost cafe style.”

Don’t forget that the Broad Street Market comprises two distinct buildings, stone and brick, like the two halves of an Almond Joy bar.

“Most people would say the stone building was unaffected by the fire, but in reality, both buildings worked in unison with each other,” said Monroy. “Our stone building is still open. It has businesses with ideas to expand while staying at the market. But right now, they’re putting their focus on the market and the immediate community until we can get back up and running in the brick building.”

The market, he added, “is more than a building. It’s alive and full of stories and community. Just because the brick building is gone right now doesn’t mean all that is gone. It’s still here. The vendors still need your support, and now is the time to rally and unite together.”

Ryan Hummer

Future’s So Bright

The Broad Street Market is often called an oasis in a food desert.

“The market is such a supplier for the local community,” Hummer said. “People walk and ride their bikes. We were the only food hub to get local good stuff.”

As the fire puts the temporary loss of that service in sharp focus, the alliance is strengthening partnerships with community nonprofits “to see how best we could provide market service to those areas and maybe figure out ways to bring that to other areas of Harrisburg,” said Monroy.

City government remains “a great partner,” he added, and neighboring Midtown businesses “have been so supportive. All the businesses know that the market is a staple here, and if the market is blossoming, so is the rest of Midtown.”

Josh Kesler, owner of the Millworks, offered favorable lease terms for the grassy lot conjoining the two properties, where the temporary structure will stand. The offer meant delaying his plans for a beer garden there.

Once the shock diminishes, the work begins to sustain attention and the sense of togetherness that the fire engendered, Kesler said. The opportunity exists for “a huge lift.”

“We need to be mindful that we are custodians of the market for our generation to pass on to the next,” he said. “So, let’s make some really good decisions about what that looks like.”

Barrick heard stories from lifelong customers who, as children, hauled customers’ groceries to their homes, returning with their nickels and dimes to buy hot dogs.

Which raises the question: Could a future market have its own DoorDash-style delivery? Now is the time for the community to pitch their ideas for infusing 19th-century ambiance with 21st-century convenience.

“We are really looking at ways to modernize but keep it historical,” said Assistant Manager Megan Giles. “If people would like us to give them more information for delivery or ordering systems, that’s something we have to look into.”

Glick, of Two Brothers BBQ, endured a total loss. Like Hummer, his stand needs are complex, and his decision to set up in the temporary structure was pending, depending on the layout and his equipment needs. But he is “absolutely” committed to returning to the rebuilt brick building. His business grows yearly, and his regular customers deluged him with calls and texts in the days after the fire.

“I miss Harrisburg, and we love you guys,” he said.

Before the fire, the Broad Street Market was “moving in the right direction” toward upgrades and modernization, said Hummer. He envisions a brick building that looks “basically, as historic as it was—beautiful, redone the way it should be,” and with the HVAC and systems that today’s businesses need.

“That place, even the way it is sitting right now, is still a gem in the city,” he said. “To have a beautiful market—vibrant, alive, with fresh, quality food—could fulfill a lot of the dreams of the city. I know it was a tragedy, which it was for everybody involved, but sometimes from tragedy comes a new path. A better path.”

Next month, TheBurg will publish “Part Two” of this story, focused on the physical rebuild of the historic Broad Street Market and the city’s business development role.

To learn more about the Broad Street Market, including donation opportunities, visit www.broadstreetmarket.org.

Photos by Dani Fresh.

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Art for All: Friends of Midtown to host craft workshop series led by Harrisburg artists

March 22, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Vivi on Verbeke will host several events as part of the Midtown Makers Series

If you’re looking for a hobby or want to try your hands at something new, some upcoming Harrisburg events will help you get crafty.

Nonprofit Friends of Midtown will host a Midtown Makers Series throughout April, offering pottery, macramé and printmaking classes, among others.

“We wanted to provide an opportunity for community members to connect with local artisans,” said Sandi Emery, Friends of Midtown business committee co-chair.

Classes being offered during the Midtown Makers Series include:

April 1: Make a Mug: Handbuilding Pottery Workshop at Vivi on Verbeke
April 2: Mindfulness Art Forms Workshop with Artist John Davis at The Millworks
April 6: Stitch ‘n Bitch + The Garden Collective
April 7: Plant Holder Workshop with WhyKnotPA at the Millworks
April 8: Make a Wall Planter: Handbuilding Pottery Workshop at Vivi on Verbeke
April 8: Beginning Knitting Workshop with Erin Musselman at The Millworks
April 13: Stitch & Bitch: Brew Pub Edition at Zeroday Brewing Taproom
April 15: Flower Pressing 101 with The Wildest Flowers at Zeroday Brewing Taproom
April 15: Make a Bowl: Handbuilding Pottery Workshop at Vivi on Verbeke
April 15: Fluid Art Workshop with Artist Ann Benton Yeager at The Millworks
April 21: Linocut Printmaking Workshop with Elaine Elledge at The Millworks
April 22: Community Mosaic Painting with Jaci Creates at The Midtown Scholar
April 22: Make a Clay Creature: Handbuilding Pottery Workshop at Vivi on Verbeke
April 23: Herbal Tea for Spring with Sara Rose of Plant Family at Elementary Coffee Co.
April 30: Candle Making Workshop with Moonrise Candle Co. at The Millworks

Some classes are free to attend, while others require tickets.

According to Emery, the organization’s goal is to both give community members a way to connect with each other and to support local businesses and artists.

“It’s important to support people that work to make our community a more vibrant place,” she said.

Emery also acknowledged the local businesses that donated their facilities for the events.

So far, the series has garnered a lot of attention from interested residents, Emery explained, and she’s hopeful that people will enjoy the many chances to learn a new craft.

“What’s a better way to connect with a friend or loved one than to create something together,” she said. “It’s about being able to create with each other and make lasting memories.”

For more information and to buy tickets for the Midtown Makers Series events, visit Friends of Midtown’s website.

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Cork & Fork in Harrisburg changes ownership; former west shore location closer to opening as Mediterranean restaurant

March 16, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Cork & Fork in downtown Harrisburg

One of downtown Harrisburg’s most popular restaurants has new ownership, but patrons shouldn’t see too much change.

Restaurateur Josh Kesler, owner of the Millworks in Midtown, recently purchased Cork & Fork, alongside partners Patrick Garrity and John Laporta.

“It’s a great existing brand and restaurant in downtown Harrisburg,” Kesler said. “It seemed like a really good fit.”

Kesler said that he purchased both the business, from Harrisburg-based Nourish Hospitality Group, and the building, located at State and N. 2nd streets. He explained that, as his management group continues to expand, purchasing Cork & Fork seemed like a natural fit.

While Kesler plans to make small adjustments to the business behind the scenes, he said that nothing on the customer-facing side will change.

He also noted that they will accept gift cards from the former Cork & Fork Osteria, the business’s west shore location that was sold at the end of 2022.

In December, Café Fresco Center City owner Brian Fertenbaugh purchased the Osteria in Hampden Township with plans to make it a Mediterranean-style restaurant.

On Thursday, Fertenbaugh said that he plans to name the new restaurant Aura Modern Mediterranean and is currently renovating the building to fit the new theme.

He plans to open in early May for dinner, possibly rolling out lunch and Sunday brunch menus in the following months. Award-winning chef of the York and Baltimore areas, John Walsh, will also join the team.

Cork & Fork is located at 200 State St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit its website. Aura Modern Mediterranean will be located at 4434 Carlisle Pike, Camp Hill.

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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 jennhara1@gmail.com.

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.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

June 24, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Representatives from Dawood Engineering Inc. explained the updated proposal for State Street at a public meeting on Wednesday.

Our Friends of TheBurg program is growing! Thanks to those who support us and believe in the importance of local news. If you’re not a Friend, please consider joining and see your name printed in our monthly magazine. Otherwise, enjoy our weekly news digest, right here.

Art House offers visitors an “adventure to a magical land of imagination and meaning, a world of enchantment full of treasures,” says our arts blogger Bob. In his magazine story, read about the artists behind the Fairfield Valley gallery, Michael McCullough and wife, Sharon Pierce McCullough.

Capital Blue Cross shares the story of how CPR saved one local bicyclist’s life. In our magazine story, read about the importance of CPR certification.

A disparity study conducted by Harrisburg will move forward as the city has asked local business owners to complete a survey, our online story reported. The survey will help identify the area’s diverse businesses to provide them with more city contracting opportunities.

Dr. Lori Suski, receiver for the Harrisburg School District, explained why she believes the court-approved three-year extension of the receivership will prove beneficial, our online story reported. A school board director also shares his thoughts.

Harrisburg Beach Club brings a bit of the shore experience to the city, our magazine story reported. City Island’s newest hangout spot has drinks, snacks and beautiful riverfront views.

The Harrisburg School District’s receivership period will be extended for another three years, our reporting found. The Dauphin County Court of Common Please approved the extension, which was set to end on June 17, and reappointed Dr. Lori Suski as receiver.

Harrisburg Young Professionals will host its annual Italian Lake Concert Series this summer, our online story reported. The series will begin on June 26 with Shine Delphi.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg dedicated its new building, The Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life, and unveiled a flag this week, our online story reported. On the six-acre campus, the administration building will now host meetings, federation staff and a 15,000-square-foot fitness center with river views.

The Millworks will host a music festival to benefit the Broad Street Market on July 9, our online story reported. Art vendors, food trucks and a beer tent will also be onsite.

The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle is the only lodge located in a Pennsylvania state park, our magazine story reported. With an environmentally inspired design, the lodge is tucked in the mountains among wildlife.

The PA Downtown Center (PDC) works with communities and community organizations to help them undertake strategic revitalization plans. In our magazine story, read about how PDC helps communities reach goals like increased quality of life, sense of place, long-term sustainability and competitiveness.

The Rolls-Royce Foundation in Mechanicsburg exhibits a stunning collection of the world-famous motorcars. In our magazine story, read about what the showroom, art gallery and garage have to offer to visitors.

Sara Bozich, as always, has a great listing of this weekend’s events in and around Harrisburg. Find them, here.

A State Street redesign project will move into the final stages after undergoing changes based on community feedback, our reporting found. The project, with the goal of making the roadway safer, will incorporate additional signage, crosswalks and parking lane buffers, among other upgrades.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

March 25, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

A Verizon 5G pole in front of the Susquehanna Art Museum became a work of art, this week.

This week brought lots of stories on new businesses, projects and even unique new art installations. For any of these that you might have missed, all of our coverage is linked, below.

Glitz Soap Co. in Mechanicsburg offers an abundance of unique, handmade vegan products ranging from soap and shampoo bars to soothing lotions. In our magazine story, read about how owner Alicia Miller transformed a hobby into a successful business.

Halotherapy, or salt therapy, allows you to immerse your body in salt and fill your lungs with concentrated salty air to harness its curative properties. In our magazine story, find information about salt rooms in the area.

Harrisburg Academy held a fundraiser to support Ukrainian refugees, our online story reported. They also plan to offer scholarships to any displaced Ukrainian students that may arrive in the area.

Harrisburg City Council has two new members this year as Jocelyn Rawls and Ralph Rodriguez were elected to serve. Our magazine story introduces readers to the new officials and shares their backgrounds, interests and hopes for the city.

The Harrisburg School District held its first in-person board meeting in two years, since the pandemic began, our online story reported. At the meeting, officials discussed staffing shortages and recent violence.

Harrisburg University announced an official opening date for its new academic building in downtown Harrisburg, our reporting found. HU President Eric Darr said that he expects the 11-story building at S. 3^rd and Chestnut streets to debut for the university’s spring 2023 semester.

Jeff Nichols noticed that the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg was looking for a new CEO and saw it as a chance to return to his passion for history, our magazine story reported. In his new position, Nichols has been working to rebuild the museum’s attendance, which dropped during the pandemic.

Jennie Jenkins-Dallas announced her candidacy as a Republican for the 103^rd legislative district, our online story reported. Last year, Jenkins ran unsuccessfully for City Council as a Democrat and previously ran unsuccessfully for mayor.

In Mechanicsburg, a $5.3 million, three-phase revitalization plan is set to begin on March 26, our online story reported. A vacant building at 1 W. Main St. will be demolished to make way for a town park—honoring the town founder’s original vision.

The Millworks received zoning approval to move its brewery operations into a brick building at the rear of the restaurant, directly across Sayford Street, our online story reported. With the extra space in the Millworks restaurant, owner Joshua Kesler plans to expand the dining area.

A mobile barbershop will visit Harrisburg neighborhoods with resident Anthony Pierce-Rodriguez offering free haircuts, our reporting found. He plans to use the mobile shop as a way to build relationships with community members and share his story to encourage others.

Rob Mort of Harrisburg, is a caring, mild-mannered van driver for Boyo Transportation Services by day. By night, he is “Rob Noxious,” an aggressive, loud-mouthed professional wrestler, who now is a fan favorite. Read about the two faces of Mort, in our magazine story.

Sara Bozich has lots of fun ways for you to spend your weekend in central PA. Find them, here.

The Susquehanna Art Museum partnered with Verizon to transform a large 5G pole by the museum into a work of art, our online story reported. The bright, colorful design was created by local artist Stephen Michael Haas.

Trader Joe’s is set to open at a new location in Mechanicsburg next week, our online story reported. The grocery store will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and officially open for shopping on March 31.

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Bob’s Art Blog: The Year in Art Part II and the Amie Bantz Show

January 24, 2022 | by Bob MacGinnes

You Were Always on my Mind

Millworks artists occupied a large space in my head during 2021, all in a good way. They accounted for eight different chapters in my blogs during the period of time from March through December. Ladies before gentlemen, so here are the femme fatales of Millworks.

A number of female artists were already covered in Part I, and there is still a handful left for me to meet at Millworks in 2022. Herewith is the rest of this artistic group found on all three floors at the Millworks Loft Studios.

Tami Bitner, acrylic artist, paints in richly lustrous jewel tones and often employs a cold wax process. She is also a member of the “Mixed Media Art Group.” Reina Wooden (R76) amplifies her art with elements of symbolic sensations emanating from societal conflict and seeks positive resolution in their depiction on canvas. Kristen Fava’s medium is Old World letterpress printing as a graphic designer. Owner of Rexmake, her art at Millworks is focused “works on paper” that draw on a neutral palette.

Art by Yachiyo Beck

Elaine Elledge is also a printmaker with fantastical drawings in pen and ink of parachutes that are like poetry, precision put to paper. Her hot air balloons lift viewers up and away. The Fine Art of Yachiyo Beck deserves to be capitalized as she ascribes to the aesthetics of beauty as found in Asian art. Portraying soft and serene still-lifes, florals and landscapes, her art begs to be viewed up close. Linda Benton McCloskey is a master painter working in varied approaches to her craft that encompass cold wax and encaustic, contemporary and abstract art as well as oil paintings. She is a member of the International Society of Experimental Artists. Averill Shepps is an enamelist of consummate skill. She has honed her craft for over half a century, perfecting the art of jewelry making and enameling bowls of beauty as well as paintings. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.

Art by Ann Benton Yeager

The husband and wife team that forms Fennec Design, Joel and Justin Arawjo create housewares, textiles and jewelry with a thread of ingenuity. Their collaboration draws on nature and its role in elevating design with a purity of spirit and beauty. Rebecca Adey’s ModSew Designs is a Peaceable Kingdom menagerie of loveable critters and creatures. All adoptable animals made from three-dimensional “paper-cut portraits and plush mount sculptures” are created with a sense of whimsy and wonder. Mary Kandray Gelenser turns cast-off fabrics, found objects and ephemera into wondrous assemblages of art. Her compositions become stories of their own, full of history and archival materials from the past to become lasting treasures. Ann Benton Yeager, abstract artist of renown, was the “People’s Choice Artist of the Year” voted by readers of Harrisburg Magazine and the award was well deserved. Benton Yeager’s paintings use a color-laden cold wax process and her oil paintings are deeply saturated in tones and texture. She also specializes in mixed media works that incorporate hot wax elements.

Marsha Souders works in the medium of clay monoprinting. Over the course of the past decade, she has developed her own signature style with a nod to cave paintings that date back 30,000 years ago. Her process encapsulates paint-dyed clay slips applied to Remay paper which when rolled onto a clay slab, creates a singular image. Judy Kelly is affectionately known as “Robot Girl” at the studios as her unique figures are made from found objects of varying size, color and proportion then assembled, named and given their own back story. She also works in collage, oil and abstract paintings and wax as well as jewelry.

Meg Caruso is the creative director for TheBurg and is a ceramicist who creates a collection of objects d’ art with elaborate finishes, elevating a bowl to a work suitable for framing. Her “Quiet Clay” grouping commands attention without uttering a sound. Author and illustrator Lauren Castillo is a Caldecott Honor Award winner and recently published her latest book, “Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us,” which is all about the friendship between the title figure and best friend, Mutty. An endearing tale for children and adults, Castillo’s illustrations melt the hearts of her readers. Erin Musselman’s “Lupine Ceramics” are a testament to her skill as a potter and jeweler. She creates baskets, bowls, earrings and vessels that provide a visual punch to “art of the everyday,” as she describes her collection of housewares and wearable fashion.

Follow the Bouncing Ball: Oddities That Captured my Attention. Antiques, Comic Book Heroes, Vegetables & Peabody and Sherman

The Carlisle Antique Mall (CAM) is doing its part to revitalize downtown Carlisle by reviving an old dinosaur of a landmark building, an original Montgomery Ward store building from 1918. This brings a fresh spin on the block of N. Hanover Street that is having a ripple effect across quadrants and streets of historic importance. The entire downtown is benefitting from a renaissance of sorts from CAM’s basic premise of selling antiques to its special monthly events to a weekly Saturday flea market. CAM is thundering retail therapy under its owners, Richard and Tiffany Lawson. To learn more, visit The Art of Making What’s Old, New Again.

Photograph by Larry Washington Jr.

The Justice League of Art stems from my overactive imagination of a child of nine reading DC Comics, Justice League of America with its elite group of superheroes. Harrisburg has its own unique art superheroes that fly just under the radar. Comprised of abstract artist, Bethany Nicholle, metal manipulator, Keegan Beinhower, photographer about town, Larry Washington Jr. and portrait painter, Grace Robinson, collectively they light up the night sky to make Harrisburg a more interesting place enhanced by their art.

Art by Lina Ferrara

“Summertime and the garden is sprouting all over”…sang owners of Radish & Rye Food Hub, Dusty and Julia James, who elevate the art in vegetables to new heights at their Midtown outpost. Halifax-based “Veg Out” is part of the Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program headed by Melissa Barrick in the Broad Street Market. The Veg Out stand provides seasonal produce that anticipates the needs of shoppers for “The Art in Vegetables”. On a laconic summer morning at Negley Park, Peabody and Sherman (yes, from “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show”) happened upon a plein air class in a corner tucked away from the mainstream. No words were spoken, only deep concentration. Among the artists was Lina Ferrara, fully immersed in her work in progress of the Susquehanna River. Lina teaches oil painting at the Carlisle Arts Learning Center. For more info, read All the World’s a Stage.

Back Stage: The Gang’s All Here

The unsung heroes of art institutions in the area are what keep the wheels of art in motion and the glue that makes it stick. Art Association of Harrisburg (AAH) includes Randy Miller, webmaster design, Crista Sanfillipo, gallery assistant and drawing instructor, Jonathan Frazier, gallery assistant and painting instructor, Nate Foster, gallery assistant, drawing instructor and new father, and Paige Colditz, gallery assistant. Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM) is comprised of Tina Sell, director of education, Ross Tyger, director of the Van Go! Museum on Wheels and events manager, and Mark Bradshaw and Liliana Wara-Goss, visitor service managers. The Carlisle Arts Learning Center’s (CALC) team is made up of Amanda Kistler, administrative assistant, Maureen Madio, education director, Lauren Aungst, ceramics and youth programs, Savannah Manetta, CALC collaborative instructor and Tom Oakes, ceramic technician. Perry County Council of the Arts (PCCA) staff is headed up by Jasmine Coldert, gallery director, Leah Keilman, gallery manager, Missy Smith, communications director, Rachel Barron in charge of art and education, Kathleen Meglio, finance manager and Jacob Smith, gallery assistant.

Bob’s Art Blog Part II, The Year in Art is proudly sponsored by the Amie Bantz Show Live From State College

Art by Amie Bantz

Amie’s guests include a campus full of students at University Park to view her blockbuster exhibit, “Lunchbox Moments.” Artist Amie Bantz had more than a “moment” in 2021 as one of her pet projects Lunchbox Moments shared hundreds of them viewed by art patrons that flocked to the exhibit in August at the Carlisle Arts Learning Center. Now that 2022 has arrived, Amie has taken her powerful presentation on the road to State College at The Hub Galleries Exhibition Cases on main campus in the Robeson Gallery opening Jan. 26 and running through May 15. Highlights include the “Cases Reception” for the artist on Feb. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. when you can meet and hear Amie discuss the evolution of the exhibit. From Feb. 9 to 11, she will lead workshops and presentations with students as well as members of the AAPI communities. The exhibit revolves around a wall of statements depicted on lunchboxes gathered by the artist from a wide cross-section of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. If you happened to miss the exhibit last summer, State College is a short road trip of 75 miles from Harrisburg, well worth the drive to view “Amie Bantz Presents: Lunchbox Moments: Seek Understanding. Share Stories. Stop Hate.” The lunchbox narratives provide storytelling at its best presented to “provide empowerment to marginalized voices in using a platform to raise awareness.” The project is presented in partnership with Adult Learner Programs and Services, Residence Life and the Sustainability Institute. Seven stars out of five; “A Must See Exhibit” (Art WRLD). We now return to our regularly scheduled feature.

The Merry Men of Millworks Manor

The gentlemen artists of Millworks are, in a “manor” of speaking, an eclectic group joined by the common thread of manhood. In an ongoing adventure from their studios, I met quite a group of interesting, innovative individuals.

Art by P.D. Murray

Starting with P.D. Murray, an expressionist painter of movable part works, he takes the notion of a “diorama” to extraordinary heights. His cross-cultural conversations involve a painterly patois all his own. Paul Gallo, one of the Seven Lively Artists, demonstrates why, with his dramatic, outsized oil paintings full of energy pulled from his orbit. John Davis, multimedia artist, is also the art gallery educator and visual art coordinator at the Milton Hershey School. He works in oils, acrylics, ceramics, mosaics and found object art. Caleb Smith, instructor of film and photography at Harrisburg University, captures photos on digital plate and is a driving force behind Moviate. Retired art educator, Richard Souders, is a photo realist of street scenes seen and snapped. Paul Vasiliades, portrait photographer of weddings, branched out to his newfound passion for expansive landscapes through his many travels. Paul Zemiatis and son, Alexander, create scents to soothe and surround one in olfactory pleasures with their Moonrise Candle Co.’s unique fragrances. The latest addition to this group of merry men are the HuckleBuckle Boys, Garrick Dorsett and Zack Rudy who expand their minds on a regular basis to reveal potent poster children of this world and certainly others. Monoprints are their latest offerings digitally or hand-cranked old school.

The Independents: Artists in Their Own Rite

Art by Jessie Waite

‘Dube, dube, do…what were the chances?’ Carlisle’s own “photographer-will-travel” used the Carlisle Arts Learning Center as her studio in mounting the one-woman show, “Dramatis Personae,” by Nicole Dube. The title is Latin for persons of the play and the exhibit explored the schism of self. The face we show the world each day may be far different than the one we hold inside that waits to come out. Dube dramatically captured the two sides to a ‘T’ for transcendent tableaux as we are all but actors on the stage of life. “I wish that I had Jessie’s girl”—Waite, Jessie is a girl –in fact, I happened upon her abstract art, Jessie Waite’s “Map to Somewhere” this summer on a drive with the top down. I took in the scenery from places found along the way in her vibrant art that was as varied in her paintings as the terrains they depicted. Jessie Waite gave me the map to somewhere special, and I never had to leave the comfort of my easy chair. “Suzanne takes your hand…” sang poet Leonard Cohen. The spelling changes ever so slightly to Susanne Robinson who is not only a congregant at Market Street Presbyterian Church but a fiber artist of great skill able to weave color and narrative content into her richly textured tapestries. As a member of Arts on the Square Gallery, which is the latest addition to Harrisburg’s gallery scene, Susanne’s works may be featured at shows periodically in the coming year. Her rug-hooking art must be seen to be fully appreciated.

“Walden Pond” is a historic landmark found in Massachusetts. Gail Walden Coleman is also an abstract artist but, up until this year, she felt there was one key thing absent from her paintings. By adding water, not from the pond, to the mix, she discovered what set her apart. A splash of H2O released the floodgates of fantasy found in color and context.

“All you need is love” could be photographer Kim Love’s Instagram handle but instead it is “exposure with light.” Ms. Love’s black-and-white photograph titled “Gratitude” added a special quality to the association’s walls for its juried show this summer. It would later be included in the city government’s exhibit of her photography, “The Forgotten City.” The exhibit runs through Jan. 31 at the MLK City Government Center.

Art by Stephen Haas

Stephen Haas turned the house upside down this summer and made it his own with a mural that hopefully will withstand the test of time. Stephen is a muralist, cartoonist and balloonist who flies to and lives on a planet entirely his own. He had a number of coups this year, including capturing the Broad Street Market design award for its T-shirt contest, but he outdid that with a room-sized mural of Calvin and Hobbes for a client. One can imagine Stephen echoing Calvin’s words, “It’s a magical world, Hobbes ‘ol buddy. Let’s go exploring.”

Remember Hailey’s Comet? Haley Harned, photographer and visual stylist, shot a still life image for TheBurg’s November cover and creates art for various publications that are instantly recognizable. She is a Savannah College of Art and Design graduate. Lucy Giboyeaux is a Puerto Rican sculptor, painter and multimedia artist who pays homage to her heritage and cultural customs through her work, including keeping the Taino language alive.

“Whiskey bartender,” Krissy Whiski, shared that 2021 proved challenging at times but still made quite a splash at the Art Association’s “Nothing Pretty” exhibit and even got to travel to deliver her paintings to her clientele throughout the United States.

Art by Jim Caufield

Read all about it! Harrisburg artist landed on the pages of the New York Times with his whimsical hand-wrought forest house, “Not Gingerbread,” made of twigs and found objects incorporating nature through his art as a board member of The Friends of Wildwood and “Art In The Wild.”

Julie Riker, aka “The Camp Hill Kid,” rode out of the West (Shore), to the AAH to kick off 2021 with sidekicks Maureen Joyce, Carden Holland and Peg Belcastro for the Art Association’s first show of the year, “Observations and Experiences” in January. Later in the summer, Julie unveiled a Camp Hill vintage-styled postcard mural for the borough, adorning the law firm of Reager and Adler on Market Street.

Art by Michael McCullough

“The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Art…” close to the Mason Dixon Line, an annual art event every fall, in 2021 marked its 14th go-round of an open house art show in the Fairfield Valley. An eclectic 11 shared the stage by way of picturesque cottages, cabins and castles to Cashtown and points beyond. The Foothills Artists Studio Tour is led by its founder, Jack Handshaw, who brought together crafters, painters, sculptors, jewelry makers, potters a wood turner and fiber artist to amaze and astound visitors. Taking place over the weekend before Thanksgiving, this is a holiday open house you will want to mark on the calendar for next year. The artists Joh Ricci, Rod Stabler, Ann Rupert, Judy Pyle, Geoffrey Thulin, Laurie McKelvie, Geoff Grant, Anne Finucane and Michael and Sharon McCullough graciously set the table visually with a Thanksgiving dinner of art with all the fixings. Maureen Marks Art qualifies for the local “teacher of the year” as she completed another year of children’s art birthday parties and art classes for the younger set at her Linglestown studio. Maureen starts them off early at age 3 and even has adult classes for the kids at heart. Family paint nights are available for ages 8 and up. wwwmaureenmarksart.com.

On the Road Again: Millworks Redux

Art by the HuckleBuckle Boys

Millworks artists took advantage of the glorious fall weather, anticipating the upcoming holiday season when they took their art on the road this year. Pamela J. Black was a featured artist at Nemacolin Luxury Resorts at their Laurel Lane Gallery located in Farmington, Pa. Her show, “Changing Seasons,” was a highlight for the resort’s holiday season. Reina Wooden (R76) headed off to the Steel City to show her abstract originals in Pittsburgh. The HuckleBuckle Boys Zack Rudy and Garrick Dorsett headed out on I-78 to Easton for a special reception and show featuring their “The Wandering Ox” at Hemlock Art Space and Gallery in the downtown district. Their one-of-a-kind art was appreciated by an urbane crowd of hipsters.

It’s Your Thing

Millworks art director, Tara Chickey, orchestrated The Odd Ones Bizarres throughout the year and the indoor show, held Thanksgiving weekend, played to a packed house of patrons. Lined up, the love was obvious for all the odd ones that inhabit the Millworks studios and what they created. La Cultura continued its venue of variety, opening its doors consistently throughout the year for creatives, artists, poets, businesses and entrepreneurs to showcase their special events. Elyse Irvis continues to hold and highlight what is timely for the city’s professional needs. One such business, Vintage Wasteland, takes advantage of La Cultura’s vantage point with access to shoppers looking for retro clothes, accessories and special finds on a regular basis. Fashionista Jazmine Soberanis is a leader locally in “thrift resale” for the stylish public.

Owner Makayla Burton of Derry Street’s art gallery and ice cream coffee shop, The Tiger Eye, recently adjusted the shop’s hours to take advantage of art patrons coming out on the weekends for fresh jewelry, paintings, home fixtures and more. The art is featured on a rotating basis from her sweet roster of artists that rival the temptation of her Hershey’s ice cream choices.

Instagram handle “dirt petal”…an advice column for the followers of organically dyed wearable goods features the work of Jovana Sarver. Her galaxy of glamorous botanicals blossoms on her creations. Dear Miss Petal, please advise.

And that’s the year in art!

Bob’s Art Blog: The Year in Art 2021

January 17, 2022 | by Bob MacGinnes

January brings annual “Best Of” lists, and Bob’s Art Blog fondly looks back in reviewing the myriad moments of art in 2021. The intention is to cover as many exhibits and artists as possible in this two-part blog. Categories abound, so I hope you enjoy hopscotching down memory lane. Even the Art of Vegetables, The Art of Making What’s Old, New Again and the Justice League of Art were covered.

Art in the Wild & Blue Yonder

Art from Art in the Wild

April heralded the return of Wildwood Park’s art opus, “Art in the Wild.” Seventeen installations were created, featuring 21 artists for the ninth edition. Carlisle newcomers came away this year’s winners with art activist Carrie Breschi and fiber artist Carol Reed, both of the Carlisle Arts Learning Center, taking first and second place. Veterans of all nine years, Beau and Jana MacGinnes and Aubrey McNaughton, as well as returnees Eve Gurbacki, Jill Lippert, Brook Lauer, Kareena Stellar, Chip Hitz, Richard and Maria Cary Joel, Lorayn McPoyle, Stephen Reinhart and Isabel Patterson comprised two thirds of this year’s participants.

The year 2021 marked the third edition of Sprocket Mural Works’ Mural Fest that ran from May through November, bringing the organization’s mural count to over 50. Thanks to the Sprocket team led by Megan Caruso and Jeff Copus, as well as over 300 volunteers and the ever-growing roster of marvelous muralists who continue to grace Harrisburg and York’s skylines.

Director, Director: “Action” from the Top

Photograph by Kim Love, part of AAH’s Community Exhibition Program

Art Association of Harrisburg: For a Harrisburg landmark institution approaching its century mark, the AAH has benefited greatly from the stellar leadership of Carrie Wissler-Thomas and her 42 years at the helm as CEO and president. When one considers that she has commandeered this “art monolith” for almost half its existence, it becomes all the more remarkable. It is through her vast experience that Harrisburg has been shaped by vehicles of her implementation like Gallery Walk, as well as new initiatives like the Community Exhibition Program.

Susquehanna Art Museum: As Alice Anne Schwab enters her seventh year as executive director of the only dedicated art museum in central Pennsylvania, SAM continues to provide timely and topical exhibitions under her tenure. Drawing upon her richly diverse resume, including institutions like the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, SAM’s commitment to culturally inclusive exhibits and events has flourished.

Carlisle Arts Learning Center: Executive Director Becky Richeson’s guidance has proved invaluable in steering the Carlisle art scene at CALC to become a leading nonprofit organization. Starting her ninth year at CALC, Richeson has led this art magnet as it proudly anchors Pomfret Street’s corridor of commerce, serving as a cultural hub for Carlisle residents.

Kicking Off Spring in Style

Designer Carley Furlow took the show’s title to heart, “Figuratively Speaking,” at the AAH in March. In a nod to the first full year of the pandemic, she fashioned a blouse out of black COVID masks and a skirt out of newspapers. Whoever said old news is just that hasn’t strutted the catwalk.

Art by Tina Berrier

Meanwhile the art director at Millworks, Tara Chickey, mounted the first new show for spring on Millworks’ lobby walls with a fab four of female impressionists and a guy thrown in for good measure. This erstwhile group made quite a statement, from Pamela J. Black’s palette gushing garden greens and cherry tomato reds to Tina Berrier’s cultural communiques with wildly imaginative interpretations of indigenous tribes. Amie Bantz paid tribute to her Korean heritage with on-point folk art. She took cues from the past and put her own unique spin on recognizable motifs, making magic happen. Tristan Bond let his imagination run wild with fantasy paintings, incorporating his interest in Manga and comic art. Not to be outdone by her colleagues, Chickey reached for the stars with a sunset-washed palette, simmering in shades of soft pink and turquoise, which follows a dancer’s dream.

Shows of the Year

Art by Stephen Dolbin

The Carlisle Arts Learning Center started spring with “I’m Fine,” a community-wide project that addressed mental health. Late summer found a blockbuster again at CALC, both upstairs and down. “Left Behind,” a two-man show from photographer Michael Hower and sculptor Stephen Dolbin, was impactful beyond words. The visual and tactile impressions made by these talented men paid testament to time immemorial, with a nod to society’s decay and discarded past. In viewing “Left Behind,” Stephen’s art made one consider the Native American’s role on this planet in paying tribute to the indigenous tribes as well as the birds of the sky and beasts of the land. Coupled with Michael Hower’s thought-provoking “Abandoned,” a series of photographs, this made for a powerhouse presentation.

Art by Amie Bantz

Art impresario, Amie Bantz mounted “Lunchbox Moments” in the upstairs gallery to an overflow crowd of patrons. Bantz took literal quotes from the Asian and Pacific Islander communities and presented them on lunchboxes to share the potent and poignant views that many from this population dealt with as kids in the school cafeteria. Often, heartbreaking and hurtful barbs were directed at them. Having grown up with years of negative comments about her traditional lunch fare, Amie knew that the feelings of shame were shared community-wide and the hundreds of lunchboxes mounted on the wall attested to that. The artist herself stated, “The only way to reduce hate is if we find common ground.”

St. Stephen’s Riverfront Gallery produced a heavenly body of art, receiving commissioned works from 28 artists throughout the country for its show, “Decolonizing Christ.” The art depicted Christ as a person of color and demonstrated individual interpretations both of this realm and beyond our earthly grasp. Lori Sweet, artist of distinction, won the Bishop’s Award for her beatific painting, “The Healer.”

Art by Kelly McGee Curran

At the same time, Kelly McGee Curran mounted her “Purify” show in a series of paintings for the Millworks exhibit that was a year in the making. The spiritual tribute to her native heritage shown forth as her journey resulted in a spiritual quest to obtain a level of purity in spirit.

The Art Association boldly brought “lowbrow art” to its main gallery walls with a quartet of four “artistic gunslingers” who shook up the status quo with the exhibit, “Nothing Pretty.” Desperadoes Krissy Whiski, Tina Berrier, Sean Arce and Ted Walke faced off with sheriff Carrie Wissler-Thomas and gallery curator, Rachel O’Connor. Who was left standing at the end? They all rode off into the sunset together.

Curator, Wherefore Thou Art?

Shows of the year become just that under the skillful hands of the gallery curator and in the unique paring of artists and themes. In recognition of Black History Month, the Susquehanna Art Museum’s director of exhibitions, Lauren Nye, continued the museum’s tradition of showcasing the legacy and breadth of the African American experience, with art pertaining to the history of the African diaspora. From Romare Bearden and Alma Thomas to the museum’s “Sun + Light” exhibit in February by South Carolinian artist Charles Edward Williams, Nye featured the cultural contributions of the Black community.

Lauren Nye, Susquehanna Art Museum’s director of exhibitions

Rachel O’Connor, curator at the Art Association of Harrisburg, was cooking on all four burners at the city’s longstanding art institution. She started with the 93^rd Annual Juried Exhibit, then came “Nothing Pretty” at the AAH, and she closed out the year in grand style with “Situated: Confronting Identity.”

Cathy Stone, curator at the Carlisle Arts Learning Center, waited over half a year before the first artist reception was held, but it was well worth it. A blockbuster doubleheader at the gallery, both upstairs and down, opened in August to a packed house. “Left Behind” and “Lunchbox Moments” made for an over-the-top visual knockout punch. Stone is adept at creating unique parings, often juxtaposing disparate artists to create a frisson that complements each other perfectly.

Masters of the House

Jackson Boyd and Vivian Sterste

Gallery owners Vivian Sterste and Jackson Boyd celebrated eight years in Midtown at their Vivi on Verbeke art haven. There is a balance between the two partners, with Vivi’s pottery and paintings seesawing in tandem with Jeb’s photography as the gallery’s main focus. Vivi’s “River Series” mugs pair perfectly with Jeb’s images of bridges and the Susquehanna River. A highlight of the gallery has been community paintings completed by neighbors and friends that are part of the Broad Street Market.

Gallery at 2^nd reopened for July’s 3^rd in the Burg for a four-month run and will resume hours sometime in April. Owners Ted and Linda Walke filled the studios with the art of sculptor Chad Whitaker, mixed media artist Keegan Beinhower, cartoonists Sean Arce and Rance Shepstone. Adding a female trio of Johanna Martin, Angelica Rios and Ashley Russo helped to bring a different perspective to the fall season.

An important addition to Harrisburg’s gallery scene, Nyeusi opened the day before Gallery Walk in September, and its reception has been overwhelming. Partners Dr. Dale Dangleben and Michelle Green have dedicated the gallery to African, Caribbean and African American art. The upscale gallery features many local artists as well as global contributors to this sparkling gem. Cultural events are a mainstay on the calendar monthly.

Art by Paul Nagle, showcased at Metropolis Collective

Metropolis Collective of Mechanicsburg is often considered the alternative gallery whose reputation is synonymous with the avant-garde and cultural cognoscenti who march to a different beat. Its discordant rhythm comes from Richard Reilly, rock and roller, as well as Hannah Dobek, gallery director and artist in residence. Together, they unleash musical performances, artists a plenty and their own brand of hipness. 17 W. Main St is the address for finger-snapping beat approval.

Maestros of Midtown

Anyone who lives in Harrisburg knows there is only one true maestro and that is Stuart Malina, long-time conductor of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. I affectionately named a contingency of emerging artists the “Maestros of Midtown.” The diverse group, always in flux, occupied the venerable Civic Club four times over the course of the year with seasonal art shows. Initially led by Reina Wooden and Charlie Feathers, the leader’s baton got handed to Brad Maurer of The Cercus insect cartoons.

The “Maestros of Midtown” at the Civic Club

The consistent core group was comprised by Harrisburg Magazine’s co-artist of the year, Bethany Nicholle, painter Grace (colorursoul) Robinson and mixed media artist, Nora Carreras. The full roster included no less than 31 members, equal to, say, a small symphony. There were a number of repeat performers in the orchestra including Claudie Kenion, sculptor Chad Whitaker, painter Jonathan Frazier and photographers Larry Washington Jr., Jelani Splawn and Jemar Sweets. Entrepreneurs Darius Davis, Quincy Yates and Jamie Earle all enhanced the mix of products offered.

Art by Nora Carreras

Keegan Beinhower and the HuckleBuckle Boys, Zack Rudy and Garrick Dorsett, brought their own unique brand of art. Douglas Beard created artisanal lamps, and painter Tyler Minnich demonstrated his work in progress. Beyond the aforementioned female artists, the other mainstays were Carrie Feidt, painter, Jeannine Marie (savagehabitexchange.com) and her upcycled clothing, Nicole Herbert and her ceramics, Lily Roque and Ghost Bae tattoo artists and painters, joined by artist Ruby Doub. A special guest appearance was made by “La Petite,” Estella McNaughton with her one-of-a-kind clay bead bracelets.

3^rd in the Boro: Forecast; A Wintry Mix VI

Detail, “January” By Hannah Dobek

The letters “HD,” the abbreviated form for “high definition,” also are the initials for Hannah Dobek, gallery director for the Metropolis Collective in Mechanicsburg. In her case, HD means highly detailed as she is always thinking of the slightest ingredient needed to complete the bigger picture. For the Metropolis upcoming annual event on Jan. 21, the entire frame almost comes into focus for a 3^rd in the Boro evening at 17 W. Main St., from 7-11 p.m. And yet due to her penchant for holding back surprises, the art previews for “A Wintry Mix VI: Tangled Up In Blue” only reveal portions of the art selected. Hannah shrewdly shared “glimpses as in detail shots only…because if we show the entire piece people have no incentive to come see the work in person.” For this Friday’s event, masks will be required with social distancing strongly urged. The show’s title borrows from Bob Dylan’s 1975 hit song “Tangled Up In Blue,” the featured cut from his 15^th studio album, “Blood on the Tracks.” The attention to detail in framing the event in its entirety is what sets Ms. Dobek apart from other gallerists. Her partner in chime is the musical half of the duo, owner Richard Reilly, who commandeers the backstage. Performing her poetry and song ballads is the modern folk singer, Donna Jean Foster. She has produced an album rich with high production values showcasing luminescent lyrics with a voice that puts the message and mood across in perfect harmony for the uncertain times we live in.

Detail, “Stupid Snake, You’re the Boss” By Jamison Eckert

“Tangled Up in Blue” offers the clue that the show’s theme centers around the color and, knowing Hannah, it will cover all the bases. Beyond the color, there is feeling blue, turning blue in the cold, nothing but blue sky and ocean blue, with all artist submissions needing to address an aspect of the color or mood. Creatives featured in the show include local artist of renown, Paul Nagle, and also throughout the continental U.S. They include Alexis Manduke, Emily Paige, Jude Screnzi, Jamison Eckert, Nina Rubin Mantione as well as artist-in-residence, Hannah herself. Ms. Dobek often finds herself in the universe of David Lynch, so will she be wearing “Blue Velvet” for the show? The original song was released in 1963 by Bobby Vinton and covered recently by Lana del Rey. Very possibly, when the doors open at Metropolis on Friday evening, perhaps blue velvet curtains will be drawn back to reveal art that is “tangled up in blue.” Don’t be left out in the blue as there may be a sense of loss for missing out on a surefire way to start 2022.

Stay tuned for Part II coming soon.

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