Tag Archives: Vivi on Verbeke

Bob’s Art Blog: May June Begin?

May 30, 2026 | by Bob MacGinnes

The merry month of May is so far done, it is just waiting for the final rinse cycle—it took so long that it’s already June!

To recap it, it may take a novella to sum it all up. 3rd in the Burg came and went on the 15th, and two days later, I turned 75, a milestone for me! My celebration usually coincides with the International Juried Art Show at the Art Association of Harrisburg, which marked its 98th edition. Awards were just presented last night, so we stopped the presses at TheBurg to include its illustrious winners. But wait…you’ll need to read through to the end as we cut to a commercial break, dim the lights. Gamut Theatre’s 33rd Annual Free Shakespeare in the Park opens June 5 with “As You Like It.”

Art included in “American Identity.” Image courtesy of Susquehanna Art Museum.

A Love Letter to The Susquehanna @ SAM

In a day and age where little of value is regarded as precious, an art exhibit like no other winds its way to the prestigious Susquehanna Art Museum. It is truly fitting as its focus features our own waterway of wonder, the Susquehanna River. “American Identity: Restoring the Susquehanna’s Artistic Legacy” is setting attendance records with one more glorious month left to view it before it closes on June 28. Collector/Curator Rob Evans and the museum’s Director of Exhibitions, Rachel O’Connor, have mounted a show that is a love letter to the Susquehanna’s beauty…one that has inspired artists for four centuries. The exhibit and its subject matter are worthy of a Ken Burns documentary. It incorporates history, geography, literature, artifacts, ephemera, and most certainly all the branches of art. This exhibit will be remembered, revered, and resonate in the years to come with people discussing its impact and beauty in hushed tones. If you only see one exhibit this year, this is the one to see.

At The Top of Her Game: A Tribute to Contrena Baltimore, President of The Civic Club of Harrisburg

When being president today can come with its own playbook, one gives pause and reverently bows their head in thanks when a civic leader rooted in faith and guidance from above lays all the credit at His feet. Contrena Baltimore, president of The Civic Club since June 2022, has served two terms and is now ready to retire.

Contrena Baltimore

During her tenure, the list of initiatives and programs Contrena instituted has created a close-knit team of leaders who have stepped up to make the Civic Club all that it once was and even more, surpassing the mission statement from its humble beginning in 1898. Contrena is quick to give praise to Dena Jangdhari, who was her right-hand aide-de-camp. Contrena shared that, “change, real change is bigger than us.” Every day presents new challenges, but together unified as one body, all can be overcome and Change with a capital C is accomplished.

Proudly, she highlighted the United Arts Council with its stellar board of consultants at the fore, artists all with a laser-sharp focus. She credits the Advisory Council for the Arts, which includes members Reina 76, James and Claire Berlus, Donovan Bailey, Maya Calderwood, Gabriela Gonzales, Kita P and Mohsen Matter. Contrena credits God for all the Civic Club’s growth, showcasing the 2nd Annual Black History in the Arts Events as well as other series illustrating the crucial role women have played during the course of the club’s storied history. She goes on to commend the contributions made by artist Shaun Rae, Rafiyqa Muhammed, and Alex Stilliker for deep and meaningful dialogues. Contrena is the first to acknowledge and thank the tremendous work provided by a “dedicated Board, the vision of our Art Council, and the unwavering support of our members and community partners.”

“To have made history in 2022 as the first African American president is not something I hold as my own, but as a moment divinely appointed. One that reminds me that sometimes we are called to turn the page, so that others may finally see themselves written into the story,” Contrena said. “I stand in awe that God would entrust me with such a calling, and even more humbled knowing that every step forward was taken hand in hand with this community. Together we have shaped more than programs…we have shaped experiences.”

Soon, the torch will be passed to Merry-Grace Majors, the incoming president. Contrena’s closing thoughts serve as a reminder that hope is at the center of it all. “I have a heart full…filled of gratitude, full of faith, and belief knowing the best is yet to come.”

Vivi’s Annual Rites of Spring

When my art journey for TheBurg began, the second blog I wrote was about potter and painter Vivi Sterste, who is as close to Mother Earth as one can get. Eight years ago, I met Vivi, who puts the V in Verbeke Street (where her shop is located), and her partner Jackson Jeb Boyd, photographer personified. In recent years, the painterly side of Vivi has graced the canvas with sure signs of spring. The gorgeous redbud trees that blossom like clockwork near one of Harrisburg’s oldest landmarks, the Broad Street Market, as well as the trees lining State Street leading to the capitol provide all the inspiration that Vivi anticipates annually.

Painting by Vivi Sterste

Recently, I lucked into viewing the video for behind-the-scenes operations of the pottery lab and studio at 258 Verbeke St., housed in the basement. Beyond the creative space, it serves as an art classroom with a potter’s wheel and kiln close at hand. Undeniably, Vivi shared, “That is where the magic happens.” An avid gardener, spring and summer hold a special meaning for her. The lure of the farm show’s weekly market calls to her from May through November, creating colorful still lifes from those treasures found in nature. Her partner Jeb is usually out on assignment, taking powerful photographs of bridges, railroads, and architecture, primarily working in black and white as the subject matter fits the choice dramatically. The beauty of B&W photography is its ability to tell a story with one shot, as the emphasis falls on shadow and light. Jeb Boyd deftly leaves his mark in every frame. Together, this couple is worth meeting and revisiting every chance you get. And now Vivi can add one more “P” to her resume for poet. The following excerpt is dedicated to Jeb of a friendship that has known no bounds for 55 years. “Blissful wakening between the layers of gray clouds…unknowingly natural sights brought on by Spring, again.”

Millworks Artist’s Menu for Spring and Summer

Emily Zebel

Meet the new artist Emily Zebel of Millworks studio #214, who is a real “straight shooter.” Her oil paintings depict everything from a boundless love of animals, the mythology of the West, Native American legend and lore, and the reverence for nature’s gifts executed to perfection with oil paints and brush. Skilled and spiritual in a way of life that once ruled the Plains. Emily’s life as an artist encompasses shape shifting, taking on the lives of her spirit animals: wolf, coyote, raven, bear and horse. Her philosophy reflects a “deep curiosity about the natural world and our place within it.” The paintings come to life, transporting the viewer to mise-en-scene in the rapturous land of campfires, sleeping under the stars, and becoming one with the wind. Each time Emily creates a painting, she inhabits the otherworldly creatures with their own tales to tell. She leaves it all on the canvas. A multidisciplinary artist, her work spans film, photography, narrative, and painting. Emily calls the Bloomsburg area home.

Moving into Millworks studio #322, Kat Dreibilbis is the cat’s meow! Self-taught, this local feline phenom is all about color, fun and story. With those three, it is hard to miss the playfulness in her watercolors or pen and ink, as well as acrylics and graphite pencils. And don’t forget the oils. Kat is also exploring the art of sculpting “as the mood takes her.” She covers a lot of ground and categorically cannot be caged in- “Black Kat Luck” is the name on her card and on the canvas. On a personal note, Kat resides in Duncannon with her husband and two mischievous cats. Feel free to cross her path at studio #322- after all, Kats have nine lives.

Kat Dreibilbis

Millworks Summer Shows

Rachelle Lowe, Judy Kelly, Richard Souders, Pat Frese, Marina Radanovic, John Davis and Kat Dreibilbis—now through June 14 on the main lobby wall. Emily Zebel, Olivia Jean, Jemar Sweets, Steve Barber, Annika Koser and Julie Iaria—June 15 through July 12.

Art by Andrea Finch

AAH Award Winners

The moment you have been waiting for…the envelope, please. Now for the winners of the 98th International Juried Art Show at the Art Association of Harrisburg. First place winners are Susan Benigni-Landis, Jessie Waite, Aubrey Maurer, Anni Matsick, Dana Sink and Michael Hower. Second place winners feature Zoe Shelby, Angela Tong, Harold Zabady, Greg Rohrer, Mary Eileen Carson and Michael Dugger. And Best of Show goes to Andrea Finch. Congratulations to all the winners-you are now international stars!

June Art Events:

“Birdie Told Me”

Joan Maguire is the bird on the wire overlooking Hershey Art Gallery and Gifts located at 1077 Swatara Rd. in Hershey. Having just returned from four months in Cuba she is chirping about the reopening for summer of her newly renovated gallery and studio. It will feature international art, and word is the menu of art will leave you quite satisfied with a collection fit for every grad, dad and art lover. From original paintings, prints, cards, jewelry and more, Joan has it in store!! Circle June 5, 6 and 7 on your calendar and drop in from noon to 4:30 p.m. to celebrate any occasion.

Before or after, drop in at one of our favorite Hershey restaurants for brunch or lunch all close to the Gallery. I recommend Stacks, Savory Cafe, and First Watch.

Where Do All the Artists Meet?

The 13th just may be your lucky day (in June that is). Announcing Camp Hill’s Annual PLEIN AIR art day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stroll the Market Street Boulevard for a day of art, music, shopping, and “sipping and supping.” You, yes, you, and the entire community are invited. Meet the artists, clean their brushes, buy them an espresso-you get the “picture,” but only if you buy one. THE ART IN THE OUTDOOR’S GANG will be there. Look for Donna Barlup, Lina Ferraro, Julie Riker, Susan Benigni-Landis, Jonathan Frazier and Paul Nagle.

3rd in The Burg, June 19

A SPECIAL CELEBRATION for JUNETEENTH
Taste of Black Harrisburg Cultural Food Festival & Block Party

A special shoutout to Ted Walke whose Gallery at Second (606 N. 2nd St.) reopened for 3rd in The Burgs through the fall. Ted is the owner and proprietor of a hidden gem in Harrisburg. Gallery at 2nd is world class in its presentation and could be found in major metropolitan cities. Think San Francisco, New York City, Los Angelas and Miami. Not only is the art amazing, but Ted is also a veritable wealth of art knowledge. After shopping the gallery stop next door to enjoy great food and a drink at Men in the Kitchen.

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Creative Shopping: Artist-owned galleries offer unique wares, personal experiences

October 30, 2025 | by M. Diane McCormick

Carlee Seele

Two blocks from the Susquehanna River, on a street whose Dutch translation is “dweller by the waters,” the potter whose name means “lively waters” realized that the letters of her gallery name—Vivi on Verbeke—fit perfectly in her storefront window’s 13 leaded-glass panes.

“And here we are, and we’re like everybody’s grandparents,” said Vivi Sterste. “And it’s great, because I meet people.”

In an age of mass-produced décor and e-commerce, artists can’t just dream up art. They must also get it into the world.

Three Harrisburg-area artists—Sterste, visual artist and poet Julia Mallory, and jewelry artisan Carlee Seele—pour their creative sparks into their work and into the galleries they fashioned for reflection, gathering, learning, shopping, and passing on knowledge to new generations of makers.

Galleries Born

Sterste founded Vivi on Verbeke in 2013 because it all came together—motoring with her partner, a Verbeke Street storefront for sale, a book on her favorite potter falling off the shelf around the corner at Midtown Scholar Bookstore.

In her boho, brick-walled gallery, the daughter of Latvian refugees from Soviet brutality picked up a mug. It depicts a scowling, orange-faced man on the front and a single word, “Ick,” on the back.

“Who does that remind you of?” she said. “We can’t get too political.” She then added, “I make what I feel like making at the time.”

In other pieces, the great beauty she finds around her—river currents and sunsets—shimmers through a lustrous glaze. Photos by her partner, Jeb Boyd, revel in the loveliness of the unexpected.

Boyd used to tell Sterste, “People don’t understand. There’s so much beauty in Harrisburg.”

A few Midtown blocks away from Vivi, Julia Mallory opened Ten Oh! Six in 2024. Born and raised in Harrisburg, Mallory is a poet who, around 2020, dove into collage and painting.

“I needed another way to say the things that I needed to say,” she said. “I feel like visual art has allowed me that range to do so.”

She’s happy to explain her poetry, but art patrons are welcome to “make whatever you want of it as a viewer.” Ten Oh! Six displays collages inspired by a second reading of Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon,” and an exhibit titled “Generational Possibilities” of her acrylics, black swirls on bright backgrounds sliced by ribbons of color.

“I honestly think it is capturing something that defies our traditional use of language,” she said. “You can’t reduce it to a single understanding.”

Across the river, in revitalizing New Cumberland, Carlee Seele owns Moss Creek Art. Around 2008, she was a practicing dental hygienist who took a jewelry class when she couldn’t find a medallion she had in mind. Her dental instruments? Handy for carving details.

“I still use all my dental instruments,” she said, pointing to her small worktable behind the Moss Creek Art counter. “Of course, they are nonhygienic now, but I still use all of those things to do the precision work.”

As jewelry making and glass art consumed her home, her husband kindly suggested that she accept a friend’s offer of a building for rent. Moss Creek Art opened its doors in 2019.

Custom work kept the gallery open through COVID.

“We will scrap,” Seele said. “We will redesign. We will repair.”

Seele’s primary business line emerged from a customer’s request that her late husband’s ashes be incorporated into custom jewelry. A gallery corner displays wine glasses, walking sticks, beads and jewelry—all the ways that glass can be fused or kiln-fired to cradle the cremated ashes of pets or family members.

Working with the ashes of children “eats me up the most,” but Seele is “providing a service, a connection for people with their passed-on loved ones so they can carry them around, and it creates an emotional bond.”

Business of Artistry

Seele complements her work with curated pieces from skilled local artisans, for appeal to a wide variety of tastes. One woodworker infuses wood with flowing streams of color, while a woodturner creates meticulous segmented vases and pens.

A former patient of Seele’s started by making intricate boxes before adding hats adorned with hand-burned designs.

“I sell her hats all day long,” Seele said. “She’s one of our local artists. She’ll be here forever, hopefully.”

In the online retail age, local galleries win on their own turf, Seele said—at the spot where customers want pieces from the artists they meet.

“My tagline is, ‘A piece of me becomes you,’” she said. “You can go to any artist to get whatever, but you gravitate toward that person because of what they represent.”

Mallory established Ten Oh! Six for the display and teaching of art but maximized it as an open-concept space devoted to the needs of the community, “using creativity as a means of transformation.”

Workshops have immersed participants in collage, poetry and dealing with grief. Soul Salons exhibit the works and letters of two Black icons who share birthdays, such as poet Sonia Sanchez and Otis Redding (Sept. 9).

Art displays warm the former storefront into more than a multi-purpose room.

“People comment on the energy of the space,” she said. “They love the way that it looks in here. They love the so-called good vibes. It is very inviting.”

Creating visual art, writing poetry, managing a business, and earning a livelihood “is a lot,” Mallory admits. “Even balance requires movement. You just keep at it.”

A consumer who spends $50 on a box-store print could put the same money toward a local artist’s print, but artists also bear a responsibility for making their work accessible.

“We have to be engaging so people recognize the availability of the work,” Mallory said.

Sterste often gets the question, “How’s business?”

The answer: “I’m an artist. I do what I do. We create this space to share with people, to engage with people, to inspire people.”

Teach the Future

In 2022, Mallory held a program exposing teens to art-making and careers, “just to introduce them to the possibilities that exist in the creative trades,” she said. “I remember shipping my first originals to people and thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is a whole thing. There’s a whole process.’”

Seele’s gallery blends high-caliber artists with “a little hub for helping out new artists,” from high school students to retirees getting out of their comfort zones. Knowledge of the business of art, such as buying supplies wholesale, must be passed on.

“AI is not going to make this stuff,” Seele said. “We have to push the craft and teach it to someone else. We have to teach the future.”

Sterste, a former teacher, tells young artists who visit her gallery, “You can do this. You can start saving your money.”

“Most of the stuff we create or they say now ‘repurposing’ or ‘recycling,’ we’ve been doing forever,” she said. “You can do collaboratives. You can get together. Share the rent.”

Creating Community

Asked how she juggles art, family and business, Seele laughed.

Her daughter helps around the house. Her husband, Phil Seele, is Mr. Fix-it for things like the kiln. Her mother, floral designer Sandy Osterlund, creates the gallery’s elegantly natural décor.

“We’re creating a little creative hub for people to come and experience small-town shopping and bringing the community together through events,” she said.

Mallory plans Kwanzaa celebrations and writing workshops as the year ends. She draws her energy from people who “have a different curiosity” and pop into Ten Oh! Six for book clubs, films, art, healing and “building the things you want to see in the world.”

“People are looking for outlets for things of a little different flavor than they might not get otherwise,” she said.

Sterste is accustomed to switching her brain from business to art. She quotes author Joseph Campbell: “Where you stumble, there lies your beauty.”

And she finds joy in her chosen location, there amid Midtown Harrisburg’s “dynamic, suffering, misfit group of really interesting people.”

“Wherever we go, whoever we meet,” she said, “there’s something if you keep open to it.”

Moss Creek Art, 315 Bridge St., New Cumberland. www.mosscreekart.com.

Ten Oh! Six, 1006 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, www.tenohsixstudio.com. See Facebook for events.

Vivi on Verbeke, 258 Verbeke St., Harrisburg, Facebook.

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Bob’s Art Blog: Holiday Art Outposts (A Gallery Gift Guide)

December 2, 2024 | by Bob MacGinnes

For that hard to buy for person on your holiday shopping list there is the exhilarating, often unexpected gift of a work of art. In some ways, it’s a roll of the dice but always more welcome than a fruitcake. Santa experiences the same rush of adrenaline every time he goes down the chimney, never knowing what’s waiting at the other end. To simplify your art search, here is a bag full of places, sampling galleries across central Pennsylvania. Support your local artists whenever possible. From Perry County to York, Lebanon, Lancaster, Carlisle, Boiling Springs, Camp Hill, Hershey and of course, Harrisburg.

Art at Perry County Council of the Arts

Headed north to Newport finds Perry County Council of the Arts bursting at the seams. On the square at 1 N. 2nd St., PCCA takes a wide-angle lens with its expansive holiday windows showcasing the range of giftware, from pottery to jewelry, sculptures and artisanal clothing. Erin Sparler, gallery manager, revealed “PCCA is home to over 170 artists. In addition, 200 hand-crafted items just arrived, perfect for that special someone. A holiday treat for the season is a series of ‘Unboxing’ videos online.” Special featured artist for December is Deborah Smith whose exhibit ‘Hand-hooked Wool Rugs’ is hung at the gallery from now through Jan. 8. Be sure to hitch up your reindeer to see the wonder of it all.

Checking in with the Lebanon elves, Melody and Eric, of Lebanon Picture Frame and Fine Art Gallery located at 847 Cumberland St., shared they are “celebrating 25 years in business anchoring a town known for its bologna that art plays a part at the very heart.” This Friday, Dec. 6 is the opening night reception, from 5 to 8 p.m., for First Friday in Lebanon. A half dozen local ceramic artists light up the kiln for “Fired Up! A Celebration of Wood Fired Ceramics and Friendship,” on view through Feb. 1. The gallery is a gem with its magical layout and visual tour-de-force inside with offerings from A to Z. It’s well worth the drive, especially on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays with the Lebanon Farmers Market open close by.

You would think it was still baseball season in York and Lancaster with double-header art venues close to each other. The White Rose City of York finds Venture Gallery holding court on the corner at 128 E. King St. with its levitating art. Susan, Karen and JoAnne await your arrival with your art requests, from jewelry to felted pieces, treasures of handbound books, and paintings. All one needs to do is Venture a guess and you will probably find it there. Next door at 126 E. King is Hive founded by the art queen bee herself, Susan Scofield. Excitement abounds as the buzz about town…holiday gifts start at $2; you read it right. The caveat, think of all the gifts you could buy at that price. And if there is any art from Alana Beall, that’s a deal, you should buy with zeal.

With gifts on your list, make a beeline to Hive.

The Red Rose City of Lancaster boasts two blockbuster galleries on Queen Street, one recently opened, The Lancaster Art Vault at 100 N. Queen, and one soon to close, EsoArts at 317. Lancaster Art Vault’s owner, Victoria Abadir brings a special insouciance to the art menu at her establishment. Lancaster’s new kid has a hip representation with a young vanguard of artists from points within Lancaster and beyond. Harrisburg transplant, Amie Bantz is featured through the end of the month and art icons like the Huckle Buckle Boys have shone their lineup of characters on its walls. It is fast becoming the go-to place to show and see art.

The phenomenon EsoArts shown as bright as Sirius for its two-year existence in Lancaster and will close its doors for good on Dec. 15. We wish them the best.

Headed to the capital, Harrisburg, the beltway to I-81-South lands us in Carlisle at the Carlisle Arts Learning Center for its annual Holiday Gift Gallery. They fill the entire downstairs floor with giftware, from paintings to ceramics to jewelry and more. Cathy Stone, executive director, promises the best selection to date. Artists from all over Cumberland County pulled out all the stops at 38 W. Pomfret St. for spectacular holiday shopping.

Village Artisans Gallery

From CALC to Boiling Springs is but a short jaunt to one of the pioneers of art galleries in our area and may very well be the gold standard by which all others are measured. Village Artisans Gallery found at 321 Walnut St. has been a landmark stop for 29 years, with its founder and curator owner, PJ Heyman, at the helm. She has passed the baton to the new owner and artist, Richelle Dourte, a jeweler of renown. The setting is unique, as it is housed in a church dating to 1875. Nationally “recognized as a treasury of American craft and artistry,” at the Village you will discover a plethora of artisanal crafts from artists across the United States. You will find blown glass, pottery, turned wood, wrought iron, hand-loomed apparel, jewelry and fine art. Ms. Dourte promises to continue the successful path that PJ forged for almost three decades and invites the public to meet her and see what new is in store.

Next stop…to 2010 Market St. in Camp Hill, Gallo’ry on Market. Its owner, Heather Ebersole showcases art filled to the brim and hand-picked with paintings galore. Featured artists for the month of December are Paul Gallo, Bob and Barb Buchanan, and Richell Castellon. When visiting the gallery be sure to view Ralph Hocker’s hand-painted stones and carved Santas. Arriving in New Cumberland at 190 Reno Ave., Smith Fine Art Gallery hears the patter of hooves on the roof meaning new art is coming down the chimney. Mallory Shelley, one of Debbie Smith’s elves shared, “A special delivery of paintings from Susan Getty and Lorenzo Ignacio have safely landed on easels for purchase.”

Art at Gallo’ry on Market

Four minutes across the river at 21 N Front St., one will find the art institution soon to celebrate its centennial—Art Association of Harrisburg. Carrie Wissler-Thomas, president, noted gallery sales manager, Nate Foster, has their sales alcove overflowing with prime choices to fit most budgets including a passel of Santas. Just up the street at 608 N 2nd where you will find Ted Walke’s Gallery at 2nd, you will need to schedule an appointment with Ted to view his two floors of surrealistic lowbrow art. Take a Walke on the wild side. Just a few blocks away, Ten Oh! Six Gallery and Studio finds owner/proprietor, Julia Mallory, with her studio stocked with gifts of art, books and more at 1006 N 3rd St.

Vivi on Verbeke

Vivi on Verbeke’s holiday window captures old-world charm with a nod to the whimsical, featuring an angel teddy bear front and center. New for the season are clay ornaments to “spruce” up the decor a notch…stars, gingerbread men and trees. This year’s theme is pure vintage, “How Will You Earn Your Wings?” Drop in for a step back in time and chat with Vivi and her partner, photographer, the irrepressible, Jackson Boyd. If you see a resemblance to Mr. and Mrs. Claus, you’re in the right neighborhood at 258 Verbeke.

Doors away at 340 Verbeke St., you will come upon Millworks and its gallery found on the lower level with “giftables” from all three dozen in-house artists.

Last, but certainly not least, we travel to Hershey. Hershey Gallery and Gifts is found at 1077 Swatara Rd., just two miles away from the Hershey Hotel. This holiday season celebrates its second year in style. Stunning watercolors by owner, Joan Maguire are the icing on the cake with artisanal soaps, bath salts, handcrafted wares, cards and jewelry that offer shoppers an array to choose from. A birdy told me, actually a partridge in a pear tree, that artist and soap maker, Jana MacGinnes, will be manning the gallery this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with some surprises in store. Now that is someone I would like to meet!

“It’s that special time of year, all bundled head to toe…let’s give art, get some back, the more you give the more you’ll have.” With my sincerest apologies, Mr. Bublé, there is nothing more delightful than to receive an unexpected gift of art at the holidays given with love or even better yet, to be the giver. The Painted Word for the Burg’s December issue highlights one of Santa’s workshops in Dillsburg. In fact, it’s Larry Lerew’s gallery that serves as the inspiration for this blog. Please support all the creatives that surround you no matter where you call home. Happy Holidays!

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Bob’s Art Blog: Gallery Walk #36, in the Books

September 10, 2024 | by Bob MacGinnes

An award-winning work by Andrea Finch at AAH

“Blue skies smiling at me, nothing but blue skies do I see.”

The report from the front is in on Gallery Walk #36, held on Sunday. The weather proved to be a huge factor for the event as it was sunny, breezy and felt like the first day of fall. Art was everywhere you looked, especially on all the Gallery Walkers faces (picture yourself here) with art in their eyes.

The day started at the Art Association of Harrisburg, that bastion of brilliance and boldness with bravura brushstrokes a-plenty. CEO Carrie Wissler-Thomas and director of exhibitions, Nate Foster, had stars forming a halo over their heads as they walked on cloud nine over the unveiling of the “Heroes and Heroines” exhibit. Awards were handed out from Wissler-Thomas and its board president, Travis DiNicola. Best-of-show went to Sarah Jacobs for her work, a nod to Ophelia. A standout piece of textural interplay came from Andrea Finch, which took a second prize. AAH counted a record number of visitors, topping 300.

Checking in with Vivian Sterste-Brandler and Jackson Boyd of the Vivi on Verbeke outpost, they shared, “We had tremendous tourist traffic all day long with clients still shopping even after the closing bell rang at 5. Many new faces, collectors and young artists kept the gallery open going into overtime through 7 p.m., which was fine with us. I reckoned over 100 visitors passed through our doors for a record turnout.”

The colorful backyard at Vivi on Verbeke

Civic Club President, Contrena Baltimore and art adventuress R76 (you know you’ve arrived when the public knows who you are by a letter and number) staffed the battlements at the Overlook Mansion with visitors as the tally grew to double digits. Art vendors included Prittyfy, Witmer Wood, Toro Comics, Bootleg, Iquan Summers, Carrie Feidt, Art by Elliot, Tom Walsh and King Prolifik. Reina shared, “The Civic Club offered a variety of art experiences throughout the day. I pointed the way with guests as to the direction creativity was taking in the City of Harrisburg. My mantra ‘Artists Unite’ applies to everything I support. Art is bringing a fresh energy to our communities.”

Ted Walke (“talked the talk” and you know the rest…) at his Gallery at 2nd (608 to be exact). Ted shared, “Many visitors enjoyed ‘talking art’ and were happy to immerse themselves in the city’s art venues. I thought of myself as a ‘link’ in a chain. That is, making sure to direct visitors to both the Civic Club and the State Museum as their next stop. I would have to say that, with the turnout I saw, it was one of the most well-attended Gallery Walks in my 14 years of participation in this annual event.”

Julia Mallory of TEN OH! SIX found the day full and rich with art lovers for her very first Gallery Walk at her studio on 3^rd Street. Art friend Cody spent the entire day at the gallery and reported a strong turnout. Featured artists were Bryan “King” Prolifik and Cheryl Peoples. Julia stated, “Gallery Walk was an incredible opportunity for us to connect both with existing friends and new supporters which demonstrates the power of what is possible when art and community collide.”

When you make a list, you better check it twice! Artist Craig Bomberger of the hand-painted silk scarves soirees, had two stops to make for Gallery Walk. “Check to make sure my art is hung in the best possible light at the LGBT Center. Secondly, set up my live painting demonstration providing in-house poetic painting for the Historic Harrisburg Association, which also featured members of the AAH who displayed their work.”

Artwork by Craig Bomberger at the LGBT Center

It turned out that Mr. Bomberger got to meet a lot of Harrisburg history buffs all afternoon. In fact, Executive Director David Morrison greeted visitors to this resource repository with a warm welcome and tour of the rich history our beloved city entails. In speaking with Mr. Morrison, he related, “The Center was so busy throughout the afternoon that there was no time to take pictures. But there were plenty to be seen from archival photographs showcasing the tapestry of time since the city was founded in 1719 by John Harris.”

It was a great sign for Harrisburg artists to have the tremendous outpouring of support that was shone throughout the day with a record number of art lovers, gallery walkers, and first-time visitors to the city. A huge thanks to all on both sides of the aisle on the avenues of art and behind the counters both. Harrisburg’s creative community basked in the limelight.

When you get right down to it, is there anything more beautiful than the person to your right or left, in front or behind you…there is beauty in everyone if you take the time to look.

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Bob’s Art Blog: The Originals and Holiday Gallery Gift Guide

November 28, 2023 | by Bob MacGinnes

P.D. Murray

“The Originals” sounds like it may be a Pixar movie arriving right before the holidays, but, in truth, it is a tribute to the current trio of artists who recently unveiled their Oscar-worthy art exhibit in the Millworks lobby, right on time for First Saturday, Dec. 2. To be an original, one must truly be a “1” of a kind. To be original is to break the mold. Over the years, it has afforded me great joy to write about all the Millworks artists, past and present. They are a community that ardently supports each other, shares an unbreakable camaraderie, and celebrates one another’s successes.

Artists, scalawags three, hold a special place in my art blogs, having written about them on numerous occasions, and now is the perfect time to introduce the new kid–but hold tight for a second. The trio is synonymous with “unique.” Prolifically profane at times, prescient posturing for others, but always on point, P.D. Murray is poised for permanence in the “Painting Pantheon of Poetic Paleontology.” His library of characters is overflowing with quirks and twerks, works with perks, and even “gherks that irks” (sour pickles). Pucker up, P.D. Murray. This is your life!

Huckle Buckle Boys

“Beep beep!!” A P.D. Murray mainstay, “Roadrunner,” like a gust of wind whooshing by in a flash, is on his way to see Garrick Dorsett and Zack Rudy, aka The Huckle Buckle Boys. Shortened to HBB, the Boys, over the years, have dealt in outrageously outre originals, spaceships and intergalactic travel, birds wearing masks pre-COVID precognition, and, of late, niche numerological navigation. Starting with the number “6” in a series of pattern forming methodologies within their current framework, mathematicians both, Garrick and Zack, crack the code, revealing that “doubling” continues ad infinitum.

R-Lo

Brand new to the Millworks mix, hanging art on the lobby wall, is a major force to be reckoned with…Richard L. Hernandez, better known as R-Lo. The “R” is key and points to the artist’s medium of choice, charcoal. The mystical gravity that pervades charcoal drawings is the interplay of dark against light, as ancient as cave paintings and the Pyramids, the elemental pull of creation comes full cycle in studies employing charcoal. From the first mark on the paper, the work starts to evolve as the velvety tone and texture of soot swirl in a brush with imagination. The components of energy and expressive freedom join in a seesaw of give and take, striking the balance in dusk and twilight shadings. R-Lo takes the Midtown art audience, caught in a whirlwind hurricane on a wild ride, bringing them to its very center at the eye, tossing caution topsy-turvy, tumultuously escaping, coming out on the other side safe but greatly moved and enlightened. Humble and hesitant to recognize his own immense talent, R-Lo’s art bridges the temporal and the eternal, depicting mankind’s struggles of the here and now played out on a grand scale. The paper canvases are wall-sized and dramatically draw initiates new to the medium into the mainframe’s depth as the seductive smears and smudges surrender to surround the senses scintillatingly surreal. R-Lo naturally draws comparisons to the great master himself, Leonardo, both in symphonic symbolism and as a supernal being. Richard’s star will shine bright in the firmament in the years to come.

Millwork’s current show runs through Dec. 10 and sets the holiday table with this unforgettable group of “Originals.” Be sure to stop in to see them and all the other Millwork’s artists in their studios and for First Saturday. View Murray, Dorsett, Rudy and R-Lo. And while you’re at it, break the mold this holiday season and pass on the fruitcake. Try something original instead.

Art for purchase at Vivi on Verbeke

Art Gallery Gift Guide for the 12 Days of Christmas, 8 nights of Chanukah, 6 days of Kwanzaa

Art Association of Harrisburg, 21 N. Front St., 717.236.1432
Specializing in paintings, statuary and assembled objects
Contact Nate Foster, Gallery Sales Director

Carlisle Arts Learning Center, 38 W. Pomfret St., 717.249.6973
Holiday Art Market, an entire gallery devoted to gifts galore.
Contact Amanda Kistler, Giftware Guru

Pat Craig Studios and The Pond, 30-32 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle 717.245.0382
Award-winning gift and custom framing store, hand crafted jewelry, cards, socks, and fine art and prints.
Contact Pat Craig, owner

EsoArts, 317 N. Queen St., Lancaster, 717.696.2093
Artisanal crafted goods from art to jewelry to upcycled clothing and even a tattoo parlor.
Contact Andrew Silvius or Zachary Walter, owners

Hershey Art Gallery and Studio, 1077 Swatara Rd., Hershey, 717.580.1614
Specializing in watercolor paintings, repurposed metal sculptures, charcuterie boards,
Culinary salts, bath salts and botanical soaps, jewelry, fabric art, prints and cards.
Contact Joan Maguire, owner

HIVE artspace, 126 E. King St., York, 917.971.7456
Paintings, cards, tree ornaments, jewelry and gift items
Contact Susan Scofield, owner

Millworks, 340 Verbeke St., Harrisburg, 717.695.4888
Visit 36 artists on 3 floors, shop main floor gift boutique for art, clothing, jewelry, pottery, home goods, and stained glass
Contact Art Director Tara Chickey

Nyeusi Gallery, 1224 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, 717.421.4630
Specializing in Black art and art of the Caribbean with artwork, statuary, masks and books
Contact Art Director Steve Barber

Smith Fine Art Gallery & Custom Framing, 190 Reno Ave., New Cumberland, 717.774.4301
Specializing in fine art, featuring 30 local artists and custom framing, conservation and restoration.
Contact Debbie Smith, owner

Venture, 128 E. King St., York, 717.495.9992
Royal Square Arts District purveyor of fine gifts
Specializing in artisanal paintings, pottery, paper, felting and handbound books
Contact Susan McDaniel, owner

Village Artisans, 321 Walnut St., Boiling Springs, 717.258.3256
Gift gallery 200 nationally known artisans
Specializing in blown glass objects, pottery, jewelry and giftware
Contact P.J. Heyman, owner

Vivi on Verbeke, 258 Verbeke St., Harrisburg, 717.961.9826
Specializing in pottery, photography, paintings and handmade gift items
Contact Vivian Sterste or Jeb Boyd, owners

Photos by Jana MacGinnes

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Bob’s Art Blog: Abracadabra & Presto Change-o

September 11, 2023 | by Bob MacGinnes

The magician stepped out onto the stage with all attention on him under the spotlight. He tapped his wand three times on the black top hat and said loud and clear, “Abracadabra.” What took place next you can see now on the main floor at Susquehanna Art Museum in its “Transformative Craft,” an “understated powerhouse” of an exhibit for the next 30 days. If that sounds like an oxymoron, you will soon learn as to why.

“Supplication” by Jordan Bashore

For Susquehanna Art Museum’s 8^th annual juried art exhibition, 24 artists from around the country brought their exceptional skills up to the challenge with their interpretations of what transformative craft entails. In every case, each artist brought critical thinking and ingenuity to the foreground, parlaying positive change in approaching their medium and object reimagined. When the creation is no longer that of its conceptualized norm due to addition, alteration and amelioration, the completed result rises to a whole different plane and idea of beauty reflected in its new state. In other words, when is a chair more than a chair or a textile becomes a photographic keepsake? They are but two of two dozen excellent examples selected from over 500 entries nationwide juried in that made the cut for the exhibit. “Transformative Craft” is born again as a brand-new entity. The tightly compact number of selections is given free rein in the wide-open space of the museum’s ground floor as well as the DeSoto Family Vault. By intentional choice, each objet d’ art shines forth on its own, shared Executive Director Alice Anne Schwab. The narratives that accompany the art share the artist’s arrival at its finished state, critical to the viewers overall experience. The backstory lends insight to the deeper meaning of transformation.

Highlights of the show include Travis Townsend’s “The New Ship of Progress,” a craft of wood and mixed media that pays homage to the Chinese “junks.” These sea vessels were used for trading and housing as well as pirating, originating during the Han Dynasty. Townsend’s vessel is worlds apart from those of yore. He incorporates compartments and apparatus necessary for adventures of the subconscious mind. Conceptually colorful and artistically executed, “Progress” creates the means to an end that appeals to all the senses. Of local interest, Jordan Bashore of Harrisburg marries “textiles, tulle, and acorns,” according to the artist, threading a needle of continuity throughout her work in “Supplication.”

“drifted over the tide (2)” by Morgan Ford Willingham

On a smaller scale, Morgan Ford Willingham’s “drifted over the tide (2)” entails a “cyanotype with hand embroidery on found textiles.” Her skilled craft as a photographic master allows for a union of mediums shining forth in subtle nuances. The subject matter explores the relationship between mother and daughter in an incandescent image that is as haunting as it is healing. The beauty of an intimate object, both personal and universal, brings the viewer to bear on the gravitas of a parent’s love for a child.

The exhibit runs through Oct. 15. 3^rd in the Burg this Friday night provides the perfect opportunity to view the exhibit before its gone.

Robert Childs and Carrie Wissler Thomas

Presto Change-o! (To change quickly from one thing to another, used originally as a magician’s command.)

Wrapping up Gallery Walk 35 this past Sunday afternoon saw the curtain come down on what may be viewed as the best Gallery Walk ever. Thanks to its illustrious leader, Carrie Wissler Thomas, CEO of the Art Association of Harrisburg, and Rachel O’Connor, curator, both had more than a few tricks up their sleeves to pull off such a stunner! Twenty venues, hundreds of artists and hordes of gallery-goers all contributed to a memorable day of art. Curator O’Connor dialed up this year’s theme, “Art Is,” an open-ended dialogue to demonstrate all the facets of the discipline of art with no wrong answers. It is subjective by nature as everyone has their own take on the subject. Evidence was everywhere with more than just “the usual suspects” in the lineup. Museums and murals all added up to lasting memories that will carry us through to next year’s Walk.

“Floating to the Chesapeake” by Kathleen Joffrion, at AAH

Reporting From the Front Lines: Starting at the AAH for Gallery Walk kickoff at noon, the foot traffic was like an art stampede. The amazing thing, the first sale of the day was to a well-known art collector from Winchester, Va., who purchased a Marjorie Taylor painting as an investment. Art patrons also drove in from Fredrick, Md., after seeing the billboard on Route 81 advertising Gallery Walk. Word is out, (literally). Judging by the head count for the first hour at the AAH, edition #35” could be a record setter. The weather tried its best to rain on the parade and, for a while, it did. However, the day would not be deterred nor the art lover’s determination. Rainy day and all umbrellas got their workout. And there were unexpected winners.

“Night Fall on the Farm” by Josephine Alexander, at AAH

Perhaps the most appreciative audience were the ducks on Front Street traveling to the Civic Club of Harrisburg for a special group of artists that included an AAH art instructor, Carrie Feidt. By 2:30 p.m., at the halfway point of the event, the storm passed over with “nothing but blue skies from then on.” In speaking with Vivian Sterste, who marked 10 years at her Vivi on Verbeke studio along with partner Jeb Boyd, reported various artists shopping her studio during Gallery Walk, which included Victor Capecce and Craig Baumgardner, artists showing their works at the AAH. Vivi went on to say that there are “new possibilities in the infinite to be discovered.”

Segue to Chantal Eloundou at her Nyianga Store who stayed open later than the 5 p.m. closing bell as she still had customers visiting her boutique. And if that wasn’t enough, the second annual “impromptu after party” took place at Millworks. It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere. Tara Chickey, art director, revealed “the day mirrored the weather with the foot traffic’s ebb and flow dependent on Mother Nature.”

In case there is any doubt, let me assure you that two Pauls are better than one. Paul D. Murray, gonzo artist in residence, echoed Tara’s words as the rain clouds played a part behind the scenes, but when the sun came out, so did the art audience. Paul Gallo, lively and quick, (one of the seven lively artists) joined the after party, stating that “Gallery Walk brought out new faces, curiosity seekers, and a fair amount of folks enamored with art.” The other Paul, ping ponging back to Murray, referenced a painting Paul G. did a few years back depicting a sci-fi galaxy featuring a functional, not flashy, spaceship entitled, “Searching.” Yachiyo Beck took that as a cue to join in returning to Millworks after spending five hours demonstrating her painting at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church. Ms. Beck briefly announced, even with the gray skies, last year’s attendance was eclipsed at the church with visitors and onlookers. Artist Judy Kelly rejoiced that the day brought a great experience, one worthy of sharing with the world.

It is the special moments we share in life as part of a bigger picture that matter the most. When we feel connected to a likeminded group (like Judy Kelly’s visit from four college-aged girls who met on an app), which brings strangers together to share activities as simple as going for a walk. It is so obvious. Judy truly relishes the joy in the every day. Those times are remembered long after the event has taken place, put in a memory bank that grows with each passing year. Such is the stuff dreams are made of…

September Art Events
Friday, Sept. 15, 3^rd in the Burg
Saturday, Sept. 16, Hummelstown Art Festival, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Photos by Jana MacGinnes

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Bob’s Art Blog: Harrisburg Gallery Walk Sneak Peek, Part 1

July 17, 2023 | by Bob MacGinnes

Harrisburg Gallery Walk, Sunday, Sept. 10, is just seven weeks away.

The Art Association of Harrisburg’s 35th edition promises to be the best one yet as the cohesive theme centers on what “Art Is…” With twenty venues, including one that spans a mile in either direction, the possibilities for art are endless. A sneak peek behind the scenes points to celebrations of all sorts, especially anniversaries a-plenty. For now, let’s get a glimpse of the little shops around the corner, which will also participate in this 3^rd in the Burg Friday.

Nyianga Store

Brand new to Gallery Walk this year is a one-of-a-kind boutique where one enters the exotic land of Cameroon, a country rich with cultural treasures. It is represented in all its glory at Nyianga Store, presided over by its owner, Chantal Nga Elondou. The clothing of her native land, colorful and bright, can outfit the entire family. Lightweight and perfect for three seasons wearing, the patterns lend themselves to international travel recognized worldwide. Jewelry and leather goods accessorize the wardrobe in a resplendent style. Chantal shared, the store represents a stage “where fashion meets nature.” In addition, artisanal beauty products are ever present. You can stop by the boutique, at 1423 N. 3^rd St., on 3^rd in The Burg until 8 p.m.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore

When one starts to go down in a sea of books, you want David Kern, Midtown Scholar Bookstore’s bibliophile expert-in-residence to set the ship aright. David is the lighthouse of the book world, shining light on the precious cargo of rare books and fine prints at 1302 N. 3rd St. He is the light at the end of the tunnel regarding all things book related. Midtown Scholar has recently partnered with a new merchandiser, Carpe Librum, to create cards, T-shirts, totes, bookmarks and buttons. The new cache may arrive in time for Gallery Walk to kick off the fall season. Midtown Scholar expanded almost a year ago with the addition of George’s Collectibles. The adjacent building houses over 10,000 items including maps, prints, lithographs and ephemera. The building dates to 1901, once home to George’s Apothecary.

Nyeusi Gallery

Just up the street from Midtown Scholar is Nyeusi Gallery, located at 1224 N. 3rd St., the only Harrisburg art gallery dedicated to Black art. It encompasses African art and art of the Caribbean through paintings, sculptures and more. Steve Barber is the art director at Nyeusi, and there is no one more qualified, as Steve has been an artist for most of his life. His buoyant paintings speak to his upbeat personality. They reflect a philosophy to gallery visitors of positivity and inspiration. Educating the public on Black art is one of Steve’s special missions. Nyeusi provides a bold statement of beauty unbound in creating a space for many local Black artists who are showcased through guest appearances at the gallery.

On Verbeke Street, near the Broad Street Market, the ever-changing window displays at Vivi on Verbeke draw in visitors. Vivian Sterste and Jackson Boyd are the gallery’s proprietors. Vivi is a potter of renown and her partner in life and business is photographer par excellence, Jackson Jeb Boyd. Both artists are award winners, together ruling the roost for 3^rd in The Burg until 11 p.m. The gallery is a throwback to art havens of the ’70s. Think Haight Asbury District in San Francisco. When you visit them, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. When customers adorn their homes with pottery, paintings and photos, it encourages the best advertising, through word of mouth. Vivi on Verbeke is a gallery where hanging out is a regular activity of the day with patrons becoming longtime friends.

Vivi on Verbeke

Harrisburg’s best-kept secret may well be Ted and Linda Walke’s Gallery@Second, found at 608 N. 2^nd St., specializing in alternative art. The brownstone building blends in with others in the neighborhood disguising what lies inside. The gallery displays pieces by Ted, a lowbrow art specialist, running wild with surrealist fare of his own making. In pen and ink etched in great detail, he abandons any semblance of realistic portraiture, allowing a fervent imagination to kick in, creating “characters” wild and woolly.

Gallery @ Second

Joining Ted for Gallery Walk is fellow surrealist, Krissy Whiski, a legend herself. The two artists carry reputations worthy of gunslingers for hire, brushes and pens blazing wherever they go. Krissy creates with childlike wonder, imagining rainbows, sunny skies and clouds of white. You can catch Gallery@Second on most 3^rd in The Burg nights. July’s featured artists include Chad Whitaker, and his soft sculptures, and Keegan “Atomic” Beinhower, who creates futuristic renderings in metal and cast-off parts. To sum up Gallery@Second, it fills a special niche for art lovers of a certain itch who like their art surreal with otherworldly characters.

See you in September for The Burg’s special art issue for more on Gallery Walk.

The Art in a Garden

Twelve years in the making sounds like a Hollywood blockbuster or the epic book to end all books. In this instance that’s the time it took to cultivate a garden of sumptuous significance. Those born with the proverbial green thumb may have that special talent or fall in love with the therapy of digging in the dirt. For master gardener, Sunah Orwan, it is a little bit of both. Korean-born, she has always loved flowers and plants as far back as she can remember. “Taking something from seed and nurturing it through the natural process, growing a small bud into a flower, is nothing short of miraculous. The recipe is simply, sun, water, soil and love,” she said. Hers is a labor of love that is contagious among her neighbors and friends as Sunah is always willing to lend a hand to those seeking guidance and generously gives her favorite plants to others. Celebrating 40 years together as a couple, Sunah and her husband, Jerry, allocated a major portion of their property for her to create a garden like none other. Visiting this special sanctuary of flowers and plants, the visual impression is a lasting one, a testament of the beatific flower gardens of Japan. Bountiful bouquets span the seasons with irises, calla lilies, heliotrope, nasturtiums and cone flowers, adding to Sunah’s sea of serenity. Gardening is what gets her up in the morning and gently calms her at night as she surveys her kingdom of flora and fauna surrounding their home. Jerry admires her dedication to the art form as it is a major part of their lives.

The symphony played in a garden is ever present with the melody provided by the flowers, each adding their special notes. The plants supply variety with sharps and flats, the bee is the conductor alighting to and fro from flower to plant and back again. One must listen closely with all the senses as perfect harmony is achieved through the silence of nature… working together as one, just like the good gardener decreed.

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Broad Street Market vendors, city residents gather, grieve following devastating fire

July 10, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda

The heavily damaged 6th Street side of the Broad Street Market

Shocked. Devastated. Heartbroken.

These were some of the words heard on Monday morning, as clusters of Harrisburg residents and business owners gathered in the courtyard of the Broad Street Market, almost not believing what they were seeing.

An overnight fire destroyed a large portion of the 150-year-old brick building, which was entirely missing its roof on the 6^th Street side. Charred embers were piled up outside, remains of the structure and whatever had been inside.

“It was shocking,” said Lhayana Dallas, owner Honeybush Raw Smoothie Bar, which has a stand in the market building. “I live down the street. So, when I heard, I rushed over and just started crying.”

Tanis Monroy, the market’s executive director, stood outside and shook his head. He had only been on the job a short time when one of the worst days in the market’s long history hit.

Monroy said that he heard about the fire in the early morning hours when he received multiple calls from nearby residents and market security.

The interior of the fire-devastated Broad Street Market. Photo: Julia James

“I’m very devastated,” he said. “Even though I’ve only been here for seven months, I feel like I lost a part of myself today.”

It was too early, he said, to know what caused the fire or what the next steps would be. First up—a meeting tonight to brief vendors as a group on the situation.

“Imagine what people who have grown here and have been coming here for generations feel,” he said. “It’s a huge loss.”

Vivi Sterste is one of those people. She said that she’s been coming to the market her whole life and recalls, at just 3 years old, holding her mother’s hand while she shopped for groceries. Sterste now lives a block away from the market, where she runs her art gallery and shop, Vivi on Verbeke.

“I’m in shock,” she said. “The trauma of this will affect everyone.”

Sterste likened the market to an old, beloved friend, as well as a critical space for the community—one of the few places in Harrisburg where everyone gathers to shop, meet and enjoy themselves. Because of this, she feels confident that the market will rebuild better than before.

“People will come together,” she said. “Something good will come out of this because it has to. There are just too many good people around here.”

A Broad Street Market vendor removes items from the courtyard side of the building.

In fact, several residents mentioned that the rebuilding process could give the market an opportunity to upgrade the building, perhaps even add air conditioning, long desired by both patrons and vendors.

“The market’s been around for more than 140 years,” said Andrea Grove, owner of Elementary Coffee Co., which has a stand in the market. “We’re going to figure out a way to rebuild from this. This is our home.”

Fortunately, Grove has a standalone shop on North Street, which will help, she said. She feels especially bad for the vendors who depended on their market stands for their sole income.

“We have to make sure they survive,” she said. “Otherwise, it’s a huge loss for the community, and, obviously, they don’t have a place to do business anymore.”

On behalf of Historic Harrisburg Association, Executive Director David Morrison described his organization’s mood as “incredibly sad.”

“We will do all we can to help bring about the restoration and preservation of this beloved architectural, cultural, and economic landmark that has been a food oasis and an anchor institution in Harrisburg since 1860,” he said.

Cate Rowe stopped by the market on her way to work to see the devastation for herself. Reminiscing, she riddled off a long list of her favorite items and vendors, which she usually bought during Saturday morning shopping trips: turkey jerky from Hummer’s Meats, coffee at Elementary, peanut butter fudge at Sweet 717.

But, more than the food, she agreed that the real tragedy is the effect on the people of Harrisburg.

“It’s a real loss to the community, because this is where the community would gather,” she said. “People would eat together and just enjoy each others’ company.”

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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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Bob’s Art Blog: The Poetry in October

October 18, 2022 | by Bob MacGinnes

“Pot of October” by Jovana Sarver

The English poet, Gordon Sumner, queried, “Will you be my love upon the fields of barley? Many years have passed since those summer days…”

Over the course of Bob’s art blogs, it has become common knowledge that I have an unabashedly amorous affair with the month of October–the most beautiful of the year for those too enamored with autumn. It seems to be the most fleeting month as well, gone almost as soon as it arrives. October brings with it life-affirming themes, even though it is a season of transition from warm, golden days to those that change the landscape around us, blanketing the earth for the days ahead of winter.

“Water of Life” at St. Stephen’s Riverfront Gallery

“Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink…” Thus penned Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his epic poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” in 1798. Little did Coleridge know that, almost 225 years later, the world would be facing drastic climate change. Hurricanes, floods, apocalyptic rain and the list goes on prove that he was a soothsayer of circumspect consideration.

St. Stephen’s Riverfront Gallery’s current “Water of Life” exhibit touches upon those topics, among others, in a tightly juried show of 23 works from 14 artists. Not to dismiss global alarms, the gallery also pays notice to the roles, both sacred and secular, that water plays in the everyday world, adding a few cautionary tales to the mix.

The exhibit does an exemplary job of the artist’s dilemma in bridging sacred and secular worlds as often they appear to be in direct conflict. In religious terms, water is spiritually linked to purity and baptism, being born again in water resurfacing as a new child in faith, washed clean of sin. Unique works from photography to collage to paintings, water is the focus foregrounded in the viewer’s collective conscience. In this exhibit, less is truly more with each selection standing apart brilliantly.

The jurors awarded local artist Lori Sweet with “Best in Show” for her acrylic painting, “Baptism: The Blessing of Water,” which depicts “a woman holding a bowl of water flowing out into the world.” The woman is caught between the worlds of the seen and unseen, offering blessings to both.

Julie Riker, well-known plein air painter, embraces “alla prima,” which means completing the work in one session, which she feels “keeps the surface fresh.” Julie was honored for her painting, “The Color of Water,” given the jury’s “Award for Excellence.” It is an oil on canvas that features rushing blue and white water by a lakeside shore, shimmering to its very bottom where life is present in the everyday order of nature.

“The Color of Water” by Julie Riker (photo: Jana MacGinnes)

Jonathan Frazier’s “Susquehanna Light” is another representation of plein air painting at its best. Jonathan captures an “exquisite sense of colors that abound in our local landscapes as the light changes over the course of the day.”

“Susquehanna Light” by Jonathan Frazier (photo: Jana MacGinnes)

Craig Bomberger, local art teacher, takes a tongue-in-cheek approach with his acrylic on canvas, “Opening Up to the World,” with a “bright and vibrant” palette of colors capping off the body of water with a wide-eyed character, perhaps symbolizing that we are intertwined with nature. Both bubbly and buoyant, it lifts the spirits of onlookers.

Half of community-minded art couple of Vivi on Verbeke, photographer Jeb Boyd offers a grand scale black-and-white study entitled, “Viaduct Vista: Steamy Susquehanna,” a dramatic shot of the conduits of calibration, channeling the ebb and flow of the great river. Partner Vivian Sterste-Brandler’s painting, “Spiritual Retreat at Fuller Lake,” offers insight as to how water can restore and heal just by being near it.

Daniel Petruzzi mixed his loves for art history and philosophy, bringing an amalgamation of methods and meanings to the foreground in his work, “The Maintenance of Empire.” This multi-media work-on-paper won the “Cathedral Prize” and is a testament to the dualistic themes of control and surveillance.

“Water of Life” can be viewed at St. Stephens Riverfront Gallery through Nov. 20 on Sundays from 12 to 3 p.m. For a relatively small exhibit, “Water of Life” makes a powerful statement on many levels and may just surprise you like a wave at the beach that comes out of nowhere.

Artist Spotlight: Carrie Feidt

Artwork by Carrie Feidt

In a world that can appear constantly to be wearing a frown, it’s refreshing to see a smile turned upside down. Art can move us in many ways, connecting on levels with our inner child. There is art, pure and simple, that just makes us smile and warms our heart. More often than not today, that can be just what the doctor ordered. Carrie Feidt is such an artist who has honed her craft for over 10 years, and, in doing so, has brightened the homes of many local residents. She creates mood boards with her paintings, taking the viewer to a seaside landscape or down a dark, spooky alley with only a flicker of light. Other avenues feature frolicking kittens or holiday-themed vignettes. Black- and-white images in her photography offer local points of interest. Carrie’s works have been featured at the Ned Smith Nature Center, the Civic Club of Harrisburg, Millersburg Art Association and at regular plein air sessions she holds throughout the area. For many artists, “edgy” may be their focus, but for Carrie Feidt, sweet and innocent wins the day. As I’ve read, never underestimate the social awareness and sense of reality in a quiet person. They are some of the most observant, absorbent persons of all. Carrie’s fall events are:

~The SoMa Block Party (S. 3rd St., Harrisburg) on Thursday, Oct. 20 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

~3rd in the Burg in SoMa on Friday, Oct. 21, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Sip @17 (17 S. 3rd St.)

~Face painting at the Capital Area Intermediate Unit’s Fall Fest on Oct. 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

~Live painting at the Ned Smith Center for Nature

~Art’s Veteran’s Day Gala at the Country Club of Harrisburg from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

People who are interested in the paintings can reach Carrie by calling or texting 717-350-1072, or by emailing [email protected].

Post Script

There is great poetry in October. It’s evident everywhere you look, and the brisk weather takes the eye to the skyline as the trees shed their blanket of nature’s beauty. The magic of the month becomes ever elusive, capturing the joy of little faces on its very last day.

“I swear in the days left, we’ll walk in fields of gold.” ~Gordon Sumner, better known as Sting

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