I think the best part about the GoggleWorks building is that instead of the letting the building go to waste, it was utilized and turned into a center for the arts. As an “urban explorer”, loosely defined as someone who explores abandoned structures, I see a lot of great buildings abandoned and forgotten, or turned into a vandal’s haven. Most of the buildings that I have encountered are in Pennsylvania, a good handful of them victims of the failed coal industry. Just recently I was able to encounter the Huber Breaker (Maxwell # 20) in Ashley, PA, a coal processing plant. According to the Huber Breaker Preservation Society, this structure is the largest of its kind. Also, they note that because of a “tar coated sheet metal which made the breaker nearly impervious to the elements…architectural tests have proved it to be structurally sound and a fine candidate for present day restoration for future generations to appreciate.”

The worst outcome for this building would be for its potential to be ignored, along with the history that surrounds it. The GoggleWorks building has not only revamped its look and reinvented its use, but the people who work for it also have taken the time to document and preserve its history. Like the GoggleWorks, it would be great to see Huber Breaker be utilized and turned into something other then an eye sore for the local residents.

Some exciting stuff happens here at the GoggleWorks, and we have decided to start capturing it on video! Please check out GoggleWorks on YouTube and look for our new videos! Right now, we are proud to announce that “GoggleWorks presents Hot Glass” is now available. Check it out; it’s a cool compilation of clips from a demo that you can see in person on Second Sundays! We would like to also thank Teeth of Mammals for their permission to use “CalmCoolCollected” in this production. Check it out here!

By Emily Christensen, Assistant Director, Outsider Folk Art Gallery

The closing reception of "Brothers" on May 30, 2008 marked the end to a successful and talent-filled show. It was located in the Rolf and Renate Schmidt Gallery, a beautiful space on the second floor with hard wood floors and exposed brick. The Schmidt Gallery is available for artists to rent, providing opportunities for artists to mount creative exhibitions, as in the case of "Brothers."

GoggleWorks artist Alvin Booth (studio 537) decided to rent the space to exhibit some of his new paintings, and asked photographer Matthew Mazurkiewicz to get in on sharing the gallery. Before long glass artists Nathaniel Walker Dubbs (Glass & Ceramics Studio Manager) and Ben Sharp (Assistant Studio Manager, Glass & Ceramics) jumped on board to share the gallery space. The resulting four person exhibition was an example of artistic interaction and innovation that is a natural result of the open forum for art and artists that the GoggleWorks provides.

"Brothers" displayed the work of four artists from different backgrounds, working in different media, who have come into contact with one another through the GoggleWorks. Alvin Booth, 63 year old Reading native, has been a solid presence among GoggleWorks artists since the arts center opened in 2005. Not only does Booth work prolifically in his studio, but he can often be seen lounging in the café on breaks or talking with staff, other artists, and visitors about art. One of his goals is to engage the residential community around the Goggle Works with programs and events as in the annual block party he organizes. His art is also often community oriented, he has created large "dragon floats" two years running for Reading's Cherry Blossom Festival. Booth's new work featured in "Brothers" combined his alternating styles of crisp geometric abstraction, loose, organic abstraction, and stylized, figurative representation. Pieces like "Life is a Terminal Illness" represent this new direction, where Booth has loosened, but still incorporated, the tight geometry characteristic of some of his other abstractions and incorporated symbolism, figuration, and text.

Matthew Mazurkiewicz, a Wyomissing High graduate, attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City, before moving back to Reading. Mazurkiewicz has been involved with the GoggleWorks from its inception. He extensively photographed the old Wilson Products Factory before, during, and after its transformation into the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, and has mounted exhibitions of his paintings at the GoggleWorks. The photographs Matthew had in the "Brothers" exhibition were taken on his cell phone camera and then blown up to 30 x 40" color prints. The resulting images are extremely pixilated and create a heightened sense of the technology used to create the images, rather than that of the artistic eye often evident in photography. Combined with the seemingly random and desolate subject matter, such as a naked mattress and box spring in an empty room in "queen", Mazurkiewicz's prints evoke a strange, yet intriguing feeling of detachment.

"Brothers" was the premier GoggleWorks exhibition for glass and metal artist Ben Sharp, who has been working at the arts center since February 2007. Originally from Gainesville, FL, Sharp received his BFA from Alfred University and has worked as a glassblower in Corning, New York, Wheaton Village, NJ, New Orleans, LA, Portland, OR, and Alaska among other places. While working at the GoggleWorks as Assistant Studio Manager of the Outdoor buildings, which include Hot, Warm, and Cold Glass, Ceramics, Jewelry and small Metals, Sharp also has a metal-working artist's residency at Kutztown University. Sharp's skill as a metal worker is evident in the stainless steel stands he made for his sculptural glass work in the show. Pieces like "Echo Reflection," and "Reaction" not only combined his intricate skill as both a glassblower and a metalworker, but displayed his interest in the scientific properties of these materials, and their existence in the fields of space-time and energy which suspend them. But just when you thought he was getting all serious and scientific, you notice that the giant (6' x 4' x 4'), interactive sculpture/game of "Paper Scissors Stone" (aka rock, paper, scissors) made from cast bronze and welded steel, is also one of Sharp's pieces.

Nathaniel Walker Dubbs has been working at the GoggleWorks since 2006, when he started out as an intern in the outdoor buildings, then worked his way up to assistant and finally to the manager of those studios, a prestigious position for this twenty seven year old sculptor from Hellertown, PA with his BFA from Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. Dubbs has a background in Industrial Design which is reflected in the imagery used in the current body of work he displayed in "Brothers." Dubbs presented brightly colored hand blown glass platters that are mounted to the wall. Each platter presents an image which is in some way related to Industry or Technology, be it the silhouette of the skyline of an Industrial City (as in "Pretzel Town"- yes, that would be Reading), or an "Oil Derek" or "Crane". The intricate images are achieved through a reduction-print process which Dubbs innovated using the equipment available to him at the GoggleWorks. Dubbs used digital images, printed out on vinyl using a special cutter, to create a mask which he applied to the glossy black surface of his platters. He then sandblasted the platters, revealing a layer of bold color underneath the black in the places where there was no vinyl masking. The finished platters present pictures of an industrial landscape which many people see everyday without paying much attention to. Elevating this imagery to an almost iconic status by placing it on flashy glass platters, Dubbs seemed to be inviting such reflection.

"Brothers" was the type of exhibition that can only spring up out of the true interaction of artists working in close proximity to one another on a regular basis, where they can set up a show like this through casual word of mouth, which is exactly what has happened here. It is the type of show that could not have been conceived in the mind of a curator, or gallery director, but only in the minds of artists and friends, as a byproduct of true artistic activity.

Now is probably the best time to check out the two part gallery show at the GoggleWorks, Audubon, the bird artwork of John James Audubon, and The Natural World: Through An Artist’s Eyes, a juried exhibition of nature-inspired works. With spring finally here, but with it pouring cats and dogs outside for good portions of the week, it seems like the perfect opportunity to get out of the rain and see nature though John Audubon and other talented artists’ eyes.

The Audubon gallery, on donation courtesy of John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, displays prints of some of the birds that Audubon drew from living examples, as opposed to many of his peers who sketched from dead specimens. The way that he portrays the birds, bugs pinched in their beaks and defending their nests, brings out the detail and reality of nature that we sometimes are too busy to see.

The Natural World: Though An Artist’s Eyes is the perfect compliment to the Audubon exhibit.  This portion of the show puts on display many local and regional artists’ interpretation of nature. Everything looks fantastic, and what I love most about it is the mix of different mediums. There are a lot of excellent paintings and photography, but also look for other works like the Rams by Angela Ferrarello or The Memory Farm by Heidi Mau. Both are extremely different yet so complimentary to the show’s title.

Basically, go check it out. It is a great opportunity to get out of the rain, get a closer look at the nature that is right outside your front door and to get inspired.

If you haven’t been to the third floor lately, you should definitely check it out. The VIST Financial Gallery has a collection of Manga on display. The collection has books and magazines from 1931 to the present. It is the personal collection of GoggleWorks artist Alan Cernak. Much of the work was collected in Japan where Alan has spent a good deal of time.

There is student made Manga displayed on the wall outside of the VIST Financial Gallery. It is fun to see what local kids have some up with. We have some very talented kids in the area.

Spring is here and it is time to wake up from your winter hibernation. What better way to get back into the swing of things than to take a class here at GoggleWorks. The catalog for the spring classes is out and registration has started.

Classes range from one day to eight weeks, and there is something for everyone. Children, teens and adults… there are even classes for families to take together. Check out our new Kiln Formed Glass class and out new bilingual writing classes.

You can find more information here: http://www.goggleworks.org/pdf/spring2008_web.pdf

I don’t know about you, but I don’t get to the movies enough. The pitiful thing is that I work in a building with a movie theater in it.

I love foreign movies. Movies provide us with a great showcase of culture. I watch Gerard Depardieu or Pedro Almodovar to see France or Spain. But the movie I am looking forward to the most this year is from halfway around the world, from a culture I know very little about. Even more surprising… it’s a cartoon.

The movie is called Persepolis and it is the story of an Iranian girl growing up during the Islamic Revolution. You can find more information here: http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/persepolis/

Persepolis will be playing in the GoggleWorks theatre from March 7 through March 13. There will be shows every evening at 7 pm and matinees at 3 pm on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Since there are plenty of opportunities, I’m going to see this one. I hope to see you there.

At least once a day, I run into Alvin Booth. For those of you that haven’t had the pleasure, Alvin is possibly the most gregarious and funny man you will ever meet. He always has a smile on his face and a joke on his lips. He never fails to brighten the gloomiest day.

When I ran into Alvin this morning he asked if I had seen the neighborhood people and what I thought of them. He smiled at my completely confused look and led me to them; a series of paintings hanging outside The Store. In them you’ll find grandparents, party people, and the guys you grew up with. I look at them and I see home. What do you see?

Excitement is in the air here at GoggleWorks. In just two weeks, on Frebruary 4th, the After School Arts Program (ASAP) begins its spring session. This program is near and dear to the hearts of many of us who work here.

ASAP is an arts-based program that was developed to prevent and reduce the incidence of juvenile delinquency, crime, and other problem behaviors in at-risk youth during after school hours and in the summer months.  The arts-centered program includes life skills training that will develop and/or strengthen the positive bonds of youth to their families, schools, and communities.  Art is used as the tool to nurture critical thinking, individual power and creativity.

We would like to thank Conestoga Telephone and Telegraph Company, a subsidiary of D&E Communications, Inc. for sponsoring ASAP for the past two years.

Last night I took the opportunity to visit Gallery 908, a wonderful little gallery in the heart of Reading. Glen Speirs, part of the husband and wife team that runs the gallery, gave me the tour and then spent some time talking with me about art and Reading.

As Glen put it, there is a wave of art rolling across the city. I had to agree with him. We have the symphony, we have the new theatre at RACC, we have new galleries popping up all over the metro area, we have the Reading Public Museum, and, of course, we have GoggleWorks.

There is no doubt that art enhances the community. Not only does art bring beauty, it brings money. People come to visit communities with a strong art foundation. And, Reading is creating a strong art foundation. We at GoggleWorks are passionate about being a part of it.

The holidays are over and, though we’ll miss the parties, we are ready to start a new year at GoggleWorks. Check our calendar for upcoming events, sign up for a class, or visit us on Second Sunday. We look forward to sharing 2008 with you.

We are happy to announce that our online catalog has been viewed or downloaded 1,670 times and we have 136 registrations for winter classes this year.

Please see our catalog for a list of available courses: Click here!