Photography Exhibit Opens at GoggleWorks

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) GoggleWorks is pleased to present Eunice Boscov: Street Life, an exhibit of photography by Reading-based artist Eunice Boscov. The exhibit, located in the Cohen Gallery, runs from January 20th through February 29th, in conjunction with the exhibit Printmaking: Carolyn Shattuck. An opening will be held Friday, February 8, 2008, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The public opening for the exhibition will be held on Sunday, February 10, 2008 from 11 am to 4 pm. The show incorporates photographs of people in environments ranging from Udaipur, India, to Xian, China. Throughout her travels, Boscov’s photographs capture little slices of life – each of her subjects is seen in relation to his or her environment, and Boscov’s eye focuses on how the subject has become a part of the surroundings. One photograph shows three women in colorful, vibrant saris talking among themselves. The captured moment of these women in a garden evokes a sense of intrigue while offering a view into the everyday life of another culture. With a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY, Boscov attended extensive photography classes at Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA. She has always been visually drawn to how images are presented, and how people add meaning to an image. “As a street photographer, I’ve always been drawn to the beauty of the ordinary and by the way light transforms and creates visual excitement and meaning,” said Boscov in her artist’s statement. “I’m always excited by the fortuitous harmony of color and form which makes the ordinary poetic and evocative. For me, one of the most compelling aspects of a photographic image is that the beauty in it can represent a duality: it is unequivocally part real and part creation. Here is a bit of the real world which I can celebrate by framing and transforming through the camera’s lens.” The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is a community art and cultural resource center for Berks County and central and southeastern Pennsylvania, and is the largest, most comprehensive interactive arts center of its kind in the country. The mission of the GoggleWorks is “to nurture the arts, foster creativity, promote education and enrich the community.” The GoggleWorks is open Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm. Free parking is available in the GoggleWorks parking lot, accessible from 2^nd, 3^rd or Walnut Streets. For more information, call the GoggleWorks at 610-374-4600, or visit www.goggleworks.org.

Printmaking and Book Arts Show at GoggleWorks

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) Tombstone and funeral urn imagery, photocopies, digital printing, and drypoint. The artwork of Carolyn Shattuck uses all of these. Goggleworks will be presenting her work from January 20 through February 29, 2008. Other featured printmakers in the show will be Evan Summer, Carol Nowak, Curlee Holton, Randy Williams, and Melissa Strawser. The exhibit will be in the Cohen Gallery on the first floor of the building and will be shown in conjunction with Street Life, by Eunice Boscov.

Shattuck will be showing a collection of Book Arts and monotypes. The monotypes are a mixed medium, two dimensional art that combine printmaking with painting, collage, pastels, chalks and other methods. Monotyping is a printing process in which the artist creates the image on a sheet of Plexiglas and then transfers it onto paper using a press. Book Arts are pop-up engineering, a three dimensional art using text and imagery to convey a story. Shattuck finds Book Arts playful and freeing. They give her a chance to work with structure, use her printing skills, as well as have fun telling a story.

Shattuck, a native of Montreal, Canada, moved to the United States in 1971. She and her husband moved to Okinawa, Japan, for three years before settling in New England. A graduate of Bard College, where she received a Master of Fine Arts degree, Shattuck exhibits in her home state of Vermont and nationally. In 2007 she was awarded the G. Richardson Memorial Award from the National Association of Women Artists.

Evan Summer is a professor of Art at Kutztown University. Though he is well known for his landscapes, for the past few years he has been working on insect prints. A recent show at the Reading Public Museum showcased these prints as well as drawings and photographs, all featuring insects.

Curlee Raven Holton has works in the Library of Congress and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Holton is the founding director of the Experimental Printmaking Institute based at Lafayette College in Easton, PA.

Randy Williams of West Harrison, NY, is a professor of Studio and Art Educations as Manhattanville College and an instructor and educational consultant at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He has been given numerous prizes and awards, including a 1982 Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts to the American Academy in Rome. His work has been the subject of more than thirty solo exhibitions and scores of special projects.

Melissa Strawser was born in Reading and has created print work in London and Portugal. She lives and works in Pennsylvania and maintains a studio at Bertoia Studio. Her work can be seen in galleries and among collections throughout the United States

Carol Nowak is a Philadelphia based printmaker. She has received numerous grants and has widely exhibited her work.

The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is a community art and cultural resource center for Berks County and central and southeastern Pennsylvania, and is the largest, most comprehensive interactive arts center of its kind in the country. The mission of the GoggleWorks is “to nurture the arts, foster creativity, promote education and enrich the community.” The GoggleWorks is open Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm. Free parking is available in the GoggleWorks parking lot, accessible from 2^nd, 3^rd or Walnut Streets. For more information, call the GoggleWorks at 610-374-4600, or visit www.goggleworks.org.

Join the GoggleWorks for Second Sunday Open House in January

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) Visit the GoggleWorks’ Second Sunday Open House on January 13, from 11 am to 4 pm. The GoggleWorks welcomes thousands of guests each month for an all-day event full of gallery presentations, artist demonstrations, musical and theatrical performances.

This month in the Cohen Gallery on the first floor, GoggleWorks presents the annual GoggleWorks Artists exhibition. There will also be a musical performance by Little Sister from 12 to 3 pm.

In the Rolf and Renate Schmidt Gallery on the second floor, visitors will see the Paula Winokur Exhibition. This exhibit runs January 1through January 29.

The Leesport Bank Artist Gallery, located on the third floor, features “New Horizons” artwork by Sharon Giles and Rachel Sholly. This exhibit ends on January 29.

The GoggleWorks presents Shirley Newton and Heidi Reuter as the January artists of the month in the lounge and elevator areas on the second floor; Sandi Giannini and Lindsay Deery will also be featured in the third floor lounge and elevator areas. These exhibits will be displayed from January 1 until January 29.

Jim Bloom: Recent Works exhibit will be shown in the Outsider Folk Art Gallery (Room 504) from 11 am through 4 pm. The exhibit will be showing through February 29.

The ACOR Gallery will be showing Student Artwork from 13th & Green Elementary School and 16th & Haak Elementary School from January 1 through January 31 and "Wintry Mix" featuring artists Marlene Boon, Nathen Davis, Shirley Newton, John V. Halstead and Edward Terrell and Guest Artist: "Youth of Today" Dreames through January 30.

In the Hot Shop from 1 to 4 pm, there will be Glass Making Demonstrations by the Hot Shop Staff.

Also in the Hot Shop from 12 to 4 pm, visitors can take a walk in class. There is no experience required; the class cost is $35.00 and those who are interested can register at the front desk.

In the Ceramics Studio, there will be Wheel Throwing Demonstrations from 12 pm to 4 pm.

The Berks Classical Children's Chorus will hold an open rehearsal from 2:30 pm to 4 pm in room 420.

Those interested in lampworking work can visit Building 6 and watch a lampworking demonstration from 12 pm to 3 pm.

In the GoggleWorks Film Theatre, there will be a free showing of “Beethoven’s Hair” presented by Bullfrog Films at 12 pm. There will be a movie discussion immediately following the film. “Margot At The Wedding” will be playing at 3 pm and 7 pm.

Courtney Diener-Stokes will be giving a free lecture in room 322 from 1 pm to 2 pm.

From 11 am to 4 pm, Steve Weber will be demonstrating wood carving in the Wood Shop.

In room 318, GoggleWorks staff member Sheila Shuman will be running a Make and Take Project benefiting the GoggleWorks After School Arts Program from 12 pm to 3 pm. Donations will be accepted.

From 12 pm to 4 pm, the Berks Genealogical Society will be giving a free tour of their library in room 413.

The GoggleWorks Store will be having an after-the-holidays sale from 11 am to 4 pm. Sale items will be located on a table in front of the store.

Visitors can sign up for a 1 pm guided tour of the GoggleWorks at the Information Desk.

All day, the GoggleWorks Artists will be in their studios to talk with visitors about their artwork, classes and more. Stop by Studio 305 to see Steven White’s new gicleè prints, which he will be signing throughout the day.

The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is a community art and cultural resource center for Berks County and Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania, and is the largest, most comprehensive interactive arts center of its kind in the country. The mission of the GoggleWorks is “to nurture the arts, foster creativity, promote education and enrich the community.” The GoggleWorks is open Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm. Free parking is available in the GoggleWorks parking lot, accessible from Second, Third or Walnut Streets. For more information, call the GoggleWorks at 610-374-4600.

Glass Fusing Mezuzah Workshop For Kids at GoggleWorks

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) Art and religion combine to create beauty. The Jewish Community Center has participated in a glass fusing mezuzah workshop on Jan 13 for children in grades 3 – 5. Another will be held on Feb 10 for children in grades 6 - 8, in building 6 from 1 – 3 pm. The workshop is for ages six and up and will be run by Sandra Kaye, a resident artist at GoggleWorks.

A mezuzah is a scroll of verses from the Torah. These scrolls are written by a specially trained scribe. The scroll is placed in a small decorative container and attached to the doorway of a Jewish household as a blessing for the house. The workshop will focus on creating the decorative containers out of fused glass.

First, all students will receive a safety lesson and learn to properly handle and cut pieces of colored glass, using special tools. Then, they will layer those bits of colored glass shapes to create a mezuzah. The designs will be placed into a kiln, where the glass will fuse together. The finished work of art will be ready in just a few days, after it has cooled. The scrolls will be provided by the parents of the participating children.

Printmaking Panel Discussion at GoggleWorks

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) Some exciting voices in the world of printmaking will be speaking out. GoggleWorks will be hosting a panel discussion of prominent printmakers on Friday February 8, 2008 from 4 – 5:30pm. The panel will consist of Carolyn Shattuck, Evan Summer, Curlee Raven Holton, Randy Williams, Melissa Strawser, and Carol Nowak. Following the discussion will be an opening reception for the exhibition of the panel’s art and Eunice Boscov’s photography exhibit. The reception is free and open for all to attend. There will also be two Bookmaking Workshops on Saturday February 9, 2008 taught by Shattuck. “Books That Speak” will be presented from 9 am – 12 pm and from 1 – 4 pm. The workshop will cost $50 plus a $10 materials fee. Those interested can register by phone, mail, or on www.goggleworks.org.

Randy Williams of West Harrison, NY, is a professor of Studio and Art Educations at Manhattanville College and an instructor and educational consultant at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He has been given numerous prizes and awards, including a 1982 Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts to the American Academy in Rome. His work has been the subject of more than thirty solo exhibitions and scores of special projects.

Carol Nowak is a Philadelphia based printmaker. She has received numerous grants and has widely exhibited her work.

Philosophical Discussion at GoggleWorks

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) Philosophy is alive and well in Reading. Beginning February 14, 2008, the Socrates Café will be meeting at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts. The meetings will be held every second and fourth Thursday in the Bravo Café from 6 - 8 pm.

The Socrates Café is a discussion group that meets in coffee shops, bookstores, libraries, churches and community centers across the country. The Reading group had met at City Espresso twice a month for about the last three years. City Espresso recently closed and the group found a new venue at GoggleWorks. The group discusses philosophical questions, often turning to current events for inspiration.

Socrates Café is open to all members of the public and there is no obligation to speak; one can simply sit and listen if they choose. There is no fee and a participant can just show up and join in the discussion. The group has a facilitator or moderator whose job it is to make sure all get to participate

Socrates Café is a discussion group inspired by Christopher Phillips who has appeared in Time Magazine and on National Public Radio. Phillips is also the author of the books Socrates Café and Six Questions of Socrates among others.

Arts-Based After School Program Thrives at GoggleWorks

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) Every afternoon this spring the sounds of children will echo through the halls of GoggleWorks. The spring session of the After School Arts Program (ASAP) at GoggleWorks starts on Monday, February 4, 2008. ASAP provides art education to children in the Reading, PA school district at no cost to the students.

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.

The year-round operation of ASAP integrates the arts with educational objectives and the socio-cultural needs of at-risk youth. Classes are conducted in various arts disciplines including: ceramics, dance, drawing, photography, creative writing and digital arts. This year GoggleWorks is partnering with the Wyomissing Institute of the Arts to offer Integrated Theater and Writing classes two days per week.

Students work on various assignments both as an individual and as part of a team and Saturday programs provide additional time for students to work collaboratively to complete projects. As students progress through the program, advanced level activities offer internship opportunities at the GoggleWorks in which select middle school students serve as mentors for new students. Throughout the program, parents are invited to participate with their children, both in classes and at a celebration event for the students at the conclusion of each session.

ASAP is sponsored by The Bon-Ton Stores Foundation and St. Paul Travelers Foundation. Conestoga Telephone and Telegraph Company, a subsidiary of D&E Communications, Inc. also sponsors ASAP through Pennsylvania’s nationally recognized Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program.

The Life and Times of Fred Bacon at GoggleWorks

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) Frederic Toone Bacon has been contributing to the art community for 50 years. GoggleWorks will exhibit a retrospective of the paintings, drawings and prints that make up his life’s work. Some of the works are influenced by Bacon’s interest in African mysticism. The show will run from March 9 through April 13. On March 6 there will be a preview reception from 5:30 pm to 8 pm. This reception is open to the public.

Frederic Bacon retired from the School District of Philadelphia in September 1993 after 38 years of service. His contribution to art education and to the art community has been varied and innovative. He has been a practicing artist, a classroom teacher, art supervisor and at retirement was the head of the Division of Art Education, having the responsibility of directing the total art program for the school district and its 280 art teachers. Mr. Bacon was also the initiator of the director of the art programs for school age children at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts, Drexel University, and Community College. Although an administrator, he always taught in these Saturday programs as a way of keeping in touch with students and developing creative approaches to teaching and curriculum development.

Clay Monotype Printmaking Workshop, Exhibition and Lecture at GoggleWorks

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) GoggleWorks is pleased to announce the exhibition, slide lecture and workshop by printmaking pioneer Mitch Lyons.

“Lasting Impressions - Clay Monoprints and Clay Vessels” will be on display in the Leesport Bank Artists Gallery, located on the third floor, from March 3 through March 30. There will be an opening reception held on Thursday, March 13, from 5pm to 7pm. The works in the exhibition have been printed from a slab of clay that Lyons rolled out in his New London, PA studio. They date back to September 1980. Lyons says, “My work is about clay, the smell, the taste, the feel, and how it replicates all of my mark making, this is what continues to excite me and challenge me.”

The slide lecture, featuring different clay printmaking techniques, will be held Friday, March 14, from 7pm to 8pm. The lecture is free for members, $5 for nonmembers. The printmaking workshop, where students can learn more about printmaking with clay will be held Saturday, March 15, and Sunday, March 16, from 10am to 4pm. The cost for the workshop is $195.00 for nonmembers, $176.00 for members. A $15.00 materials fee also applies. For more information on this workshop and lecture, or to sign up to attend, visit www.goggleworks.org, or stop in at the Information Desk during business hours.

Mitch Lyons earned his Masters of Fine Arts Degree in Ceramics from Tyler School of Art, and his Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree in Graphics from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. His clay monoprints can be found in numerous private and public collections throughout the United States, including the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Woodmere Museum, American University and the University of Delaware.

Design, Drink and Be Merry at GoggleWorks

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) Design, Drink and Be Merry: The Craft Brew Art Movement is an exhibition designed to celebrate the most outstanding designs of American microbreweries. The first show of its kind, Design, Drink and Be Merry will honor fourteen breweries selected from the thousands in the U.S. that have consistently gone above and beyond the industry standard in the creation of their beers' visual identity. The show runs from June 2 through 29 in the Schmidt Gallery on the second floor, with an opening reception on June 5 from 5 pm to 8 pm, including beer tasting and a silent auction. Many of the brew masters from the participating breweries will be attending the opening. Tickets for this event are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Please call 610.374.4600 for details. Sunday, June 8 features a presentation on craft breweries by Scott Baver of Legacy Brewery during the Second Sunday Open House.

The past few years have seen a tremendous increase in the understanding and appreciation for the creation of great beer. Microbreweries, once lost in an ocean of watery, like-tasting American light lagers, are now a growing and respected core of a time honored craft. There is an important part of craft brewing that has not shared in the industry’s boom: the designers who devote hours and hours to creating the visual identities of those breweries and their products. Design, Drink and Be Merry: The Craft Brew Art Movement will honor the accomplishments in design that have made the microbrewing boom an experience as artistic as it is delicious.

The exhibition explores the process that these artists go through as they try to represent the flavor and character of their ales and lagers through images, and the decisions that lead to the graphics we see on their packaging.

The show consists of artwork from breweries including Blue Point Brewing Co. from Patchogue, NY; Bullfrog Brewery from Williamsport, PA; Dogfish Head from Milton, DE; Flying Dog Ales from Denver, CO; Great Sex Brewing from Redding, CA; Legacy Brewing Co. from Reading, PA; Long Trail Brewing Co. from Bridgewater Corners, VT; Reaper Ales from Rancho Santa Margerita, CA; River Horse Brewing Co. from Lamberville, NJ; Schmaltz Brewing from Brooklyn, NY; Ska Brewing from Durango, CO; Southern Tier Brewing Co. from Jamestown, NY; Stoudt's Brewing Co. from Adamstown, PA; and Troeg's Brewing Co. from Harrisburg, NY.

For tickets to the opening reception call the GoggleWorks at 610-374-4600. For more information on this exhibit visit: http://www.goggleworks.org/beer/.

Audubon and The Natural World Exhibit at GoggleWorks

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) GoggleWorks presents a two-part show: Audubon, the bird artwork of John James Audubon, and The Natural World: Through An Artist’s Eyes, a juried exhibition of nature-inspired works. This two-part, complementary effort, in association with Hawk Mountain, Berks County Conservancy, Reading Public Museum and RiverPlace Development Corp., gave art lovers the opportunity to explore their own interpretation of nature, wilderness, and the outdoors. Audubon and The Natural World are on display in the Cohen gallery on the first floor from May 18 through June 29. The preview reception is Friday, May 16, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

John James Audubon (1785-1851) is one of America’s most important wildlife artists. His seminal Birds of America, a collection of 435 life-size prints, is still a standard against which 20th and 21st century bird artists are measured. Audubon became a pioneer in portraying birds and other wildlife in natural settings. Rather than drawing his subjects from dead specimens, Audubon drew birds from life. This created a sense of action and reality to his work. Audubon's paintings show his love for and fascination with the beauty and dynamics of our birds and the rest of our natural heritage.

The exhibition of Audubon prints is courtesy of John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove. The John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, is housed in what was once Audubon’s first home in America. The Center is now maintained as a museum and bird sanctuary, and is managed by Audubon Pennsylvania, the state office of the National Audubon Society.

The Natural World: Through an Artist’s Eyes exhibit showcases artwork from local and regional artists who interpret what the phrase “natural world” means. Some works in the show are technical; others, more spiritual; some are abstract, while still others are realistic. Each work explores the spectrum of nature’s creations through diverse media, showing each artist’s different perspective of what nature is.

The Natural World juror Robert P. Metzger, Ph.D., was educated in Art History in Michigan and California, and has over 25 years of experience in the museum field across the country. He is currently the Art and Art History Consultant for the Reading Public Museum, where he was Director, CEO and Chief Curator for seven years. Metzger states: “The Natural World: Through an Artist’s Eyes reflects the principles of the National Audubon Society and all its multitude forms of nature in marvelous mystery.”

Join the GoggleWorks for First Thursday Open House in June

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) Join the GoggleWorks’ First Thursday Open House on June 5, 2008, from 5 pm to 8 pm. The GoggleWorks welcomes thousands of guests each month for an event full of gallery presentations, artist demonstrations, musical and theatrical performances.

First Floor:

This month in the Cohen Gallery on the first floor is the John James Audubon and The Natural World: Though an Artist’s Eyes Exhibition. This exhibit runs through June 29, 2008.

GoggleWorks Store is having a Seconds Sale! From Thursday, June 5 through Sunday, June 8 during Store hours, local artists are selling their work that’s been stashed in studios, crammed in cupboards, and boxed up in basements. At a table outside the Store, buyers can choose wood, glass and ceramics seconds by local artists. All sales support the GoggleWorks.

In the Café, Berks Bards will be hosting Awilda I. Castro-Suarez, editor of La Voz and published author. Open mic to follow.

Second Floor:

In the Rolf and Renate Schmidt Gallery on the second floor, various artists exhibit their work in Design, Drink, and Be Merry: The Craft Brew Art Movement, which runs until June 28, 2008.

It celebrates the most outstanding designs of American microbreweries. There will be an opening beer tasting party and silent auction from 5 pm to 8 pm. Tickets for this event are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Please call 610.374.4600 for details.

GoggleWorks June artists of the month are Sue Biebuyck, Emily Branch and Eugene Burkhart whose artwork will be featured in the lounge and elevator areas on the second floor; and Trish Friedman and Susie Martin, featured in the third floor lounge and elevator areas. These exhibits will be displayed from June 1 to June 27.

The ACOR Gallery features “From the Other Side of the Room” by A.C.O.R. member artists, from June 1 to June 30, 2008.

Fourth Floor:

In room 411, GoggleWorks belly dancing class will be showcasing their class members’ moves and progress.

Fifth Floor:

The Outsider Folk Art Gallery (Room 504) features “Young Visionaries: The Art of David Evans and Mike Malfaro.”

Through August 31, the Berks County Commission for Women in Room 502 features exhibits from Berks Women in Crisis.

In the GoggleWorks Film Theatre, the regularly scheduled film Young @ Heart will be playing 7 pm. The new ticket prices are adult $8.00, senior $6.00, students $5.00, matinees $6.00.

All evening, the GoggleWorks Artists will be in their studios to talk with visitors about their artwork, classes and more.

Join the GoggleWorks for Second Sunday Open House in June

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) Join the GoggleWorks’ Second Sunday Open House on June 8, from 11 am to 4 pm. The GoggleWorks welcomes thousands of guests each month for an all-day event full of gallery presentations, artist demonstrations, musical and theatrical performances.

First Floor:

This month in the Cohen Gallery on the first floor is the John James Audubon and The Natural World: Though an Artist’s Eyes Exhibition. This exhibit runs through June 29, 2008.

Also in the Cohen Gallery at 12 pm to 4 pm, fine arts specialist Mitch Harper from the Mill Grove Audubon Center will set up a taxidermy mount and table to “draw as Audubon would have” while explaining the artistic process and the history surrounding John James Audubon.

GoggleWorks Store is having a Seconds Sale! From Thursday, June 5 through Sunday, June 8 during Store hours, local artists are selling their work that’s been stashed in studios, crammed in cupboards, and boxed up in basements. At a table outside the Store, buyers can choose wood, glass and ceramics seconds by local artists. All sales support the GoggleWorks.

On display across from the Store from 11 am to 4 pm will be the Arts Partner of the Month: RiverPlace.

In the Café, Berks Bards will perform “Poetry and Percussion” from 12 pm to 3 pm, featuring Pete Barnhart, Michael Clipman, Rachel Degler, Deborah Filanoski, JenniferGittings-Dalton, Marilyn Klimcho, Patrick Klimcho, Liz Stanley, Heather Thomas and Andrew Vogel.

Also on the first floor, Jane Palmer, GoggleWorks Arts Partner, will set up a table to assist bilingual individuals in the voter registration process.

Second Floor:

In the Rolf and Renate Schmidt Gallery on the second floor, various artists exhibit their work in the public opening of Design, Drink, and Be Merry: The Craft Brew Art Movement, which runs until June 28, 2008.

GoggleWorks June artists of the month are Sue Biebuyck, Emily Branch and W. Eugene Burkhart, Jr., whose artwork will be featured in the lounge and elevator areas on the second floor; and Patricia “Trish” Murtha Friedman and Susie Martin, featured in the third floor lounge and elevator areas. These exhibits will be displayed from June 1 to June 27.

The A.C.O.R. Gallery features “From the Other Side of the Room” by A.C.O.R. member artists, from June 1 to June 30, 2008 and is hosting guest artist Luis E. Beltran in “The Beltran Exhibit”, along with the St. Peter’s School Exhibit. There will be an opening reception for both from 11 am to 5 pm.

In studio 215, W. Eugene Burkhart, Jr. will be featuring his pressed floral art for his new book, “Pressed Flower Art.”

Third Floor:

In Room 304 there will be demonstrations of Caricatures and Quick Sketches by Mary Lou Creyts from 12 pm to 4 pm.

In studio 305 from 11 am to 4 pm, there will be a silent auction for original watercolor paintings by Steve White.

In studio 327, author and GoggleWorks studio artist Mickey Getty will be offering free, half hour one-on-one writing critique sessions from 12 pm to 4 pm. Participants may bring up to four pages of their writing, but appointments are required. Appointments can be made at micadelaide@msn.com.

Fourth Floor:

In room 411 from 12 pm to 1 pm, brewmaster Scott Baver from Legacy Brewing Co. will be giving a free lecture on the process of craft brewing in conjunction with the public opening for Design, Drink, and Be Merry: The Craft Brew Art Movement.

Fifth Floor:

In room 504, The Outsider Folk Art Gallery is featuring “Young Visionaries: The Art of David Evans and Mike Malfaro.”

The Community School of Music and the Arts has an ongoing exhibit of artwork by Jasper Kemp Elmer.

Through August 31, the Berks County Commission for Women in Room 502 features exhibits from Berks Women in Crisis.

Wood Shop:

From 11 am to 4 pm in the Wood Shop, visitors can view the continuing carving of the Totem Pole, Steve Weber will be demonstrating wood carving, and Ed Yountz will be demonstrating wood turning.

Ceramics Studio:

There will be Wheel Throwing and Hand Building Demonstrations from 11 am to 4 pm.

Visitors can take a walk in Try Wheel Thrown Pottery class from 11am to 4 pm. No experience is required; the class cost is $25.00 and those who are interested can register at the Information desk.

Also in the Ceramics studio, get hands-on with clay: visitors can Play With Clay either by making a piece to be fired or just playing around with shapes and ideas. No experience required; cost is $5.00.

Hot Glass Studio:

From 11 am to 4 pm, there will be Glassblowing Demonstrations by visiting artists Daisuke Shintani and Densaburo Oku. From 1 pm to 4 pm, visitors can take a walk in Try Hot Glass class. There is no experience required; the class cost is $35.00 and those who are interested can register at the Information desk. Closed-toed shoes are required.

Jewelry and Glass Fusing Studio:

Visitors interested in lampworking work can visit Building 6 where Dave Licata will be hosting “Nature on the Torch” from 10 am to 5 pm. This workshop will focus on how to create works of art in glass using an oxy propane torch and borosilicate (hard glass). Some torch working experience is recommended but not required. Monocle Members & Above: $180, Nonmembers: $200, with a materials fee of $15.

In the GoggleWorks Film Theatre, there will be a showing of “America’s Lost Landscape: The Tallgrass Prairie” and “El Caballo”, presented by Bullfrog Films at 12 pm. Tickets for this event cost $5.00 which includes both films. The regularly scheduled film Young @ Heart will be playing at 3 pm and 7 pm. The new ticket prices are adult $8.00, senior $6.00, students $5.00, matinees $6.00.

From 12 pm to 4 pm, the Berks Genealogical Society will be giving a free tour of their library in room 413.

Visitors can sign up for a 1 pm free guided tour of the GoggleWorks at the Information Desk.

All day, the GoggleWorks Artists will be in their studios to talk with visitors about their artwork, classes and more.

Join the GoggleWorks for First Thursday Open House in July

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Join the GoggleWorks for First Thursday Open House in July

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) Join the GoggleWorks’ First Thursday Open House on July 3, 2008, from 5 pm to 8 pm. The GoggleWorks welcomes thousands of guests each month for an event full of gallery presentations, artist demonstrations, musical and theatrical performances.

First Floor: This month in the Cohen Gallery on the first floor will be closed for installation of the 31^st Annual Berks Art Alliance Juried Exhibition, opening Sunday, July 13.

The GoggleWorks Store will be open for guests to check out art and toys for all ages. Visitors will find gifts for family and friends, and can purchase art from many GoggleWorks artists.

Bravo Café will be open and serving food and beverages until 7 pm.

In the Café, Berks Bards will be celebrating its tenth anniversary with cake and ice cream and invites participants to come out to share their “Ode to…” poetry and prose with the audience.

In the Café Gallery, Berks Art Council will be displaying its ongoing monthly exhibit.

Second Floor:

GoggleWorks July artists of the month are Raylene DeVine and Heidi Reuter, whose artwork will be featured in the lounge and elevator areas on the second floor; and Steve Weber, Janna Carrozza and Sharon McGinley featured in the third floor lounge and elevator areas. These exhibits will be displayed from July 1 to July 27.

The ACOR Gallery will be featuring “From the Other Side of the Room” by A.C.O.R. member artists from June 1 to July 30, 2008. Also until July 30, guest artist Rohan Cambridge’s exhibit “The Purpose of Life” will be on display, along with work from the St. Peter Elementary School.

Fifth Floor:

Through August 31, the Berks County Commission for Women in Room 502 features exhibits from Berks Women in Crisis.

In the GoggleWorks Film Theatre, the regularly scheduled film The Visitor will be playing 7 pm. The new ticket prices are adult $8.00, senior $6.00, students $5.00, matinees $6.00. Ceramics Studio:

There will be Wheel Throwing and Hand Building Demonstrations from 5 to 8 pm.

Hot Glass Studio:

There will be Hot Glass Demonstrations from 5 to 8 pm.

All evening, the GoggleWorks Artists will be in their studios to talk with visitors about their artwork, classes and more.

Berks PRIDE Youth Volunteers at GoggleWorks

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) From July 14 to 18 and August 4 to 8, youth volunteers from the Berks PRIDE organization will be working with children from the community at the GoggleZone summer camp, as organized by the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts and Body Zone. During GoggleZone, Berks PRIDE volunteers will be spending half a day at Body Zone and a half day at the GoggleWorks and will be assisting GoggleWorks artists in ceramics, glass fusing, mixed media, and photography activities. Also, Berks PRIDE will be sharing their time to read donated books to students in collaboration with the Cops-n-Kids reading program July 28th- July 31st from 1 to 1:30 pm. Not only does it provide a wonderful opportunity for volunteers to read to children ages 6 to 14, but the children get to take home a book at the end of the week as well.

Operated by the Council on Chemical Abuse, Berks PRIDE is an organization for young people who want positively influence their community. Through a variety of presentations and volunteer efforts, the organization aims to create a safe and drug-free environment for their peers. Berks PRIDE also features a performance team that rehearses at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts.

The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is a community art and cultural resource center for Berks County and central and southeastern Pennsylvania, and is the largest, most comprehensive interactive arts center of its kind in the country. The mission of the GoggleWorks is “to nurture the arts, foster creativity, promote education and enrich the community.” The GoggleWorks is open Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm. Free parking is available in the GoggleWorks parking lot, accessible from 2nd, 3rd or Walnut Streets. For more information, call the GoggleWorks at 610-374-4600, or visit www.goggleworks.org.

After School Program Partners with Wyomissing Institute of the Arts, Cops-N-Kids Program

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) From July 21 through 25 and July 28 to August 1, from 1 through 6 pm, the GoggleWorks summer After School Arts Program (ASAP) will commence in a partnership with the Wyomissing Institute of the Arts and the Cops -N- Kids reading program. Fifteen students, ranging in age from 6 to 14 years old from the Reading Area School District, will be participating each week in this free art and theater camp. The GoggleWorks will be hosting art shows as well, showcasing art for the students, their friends and families each Friday of the camp from 5 to 5:30 pm. The GoggleWorks was also able to provide lunches and snacks for the students though a partnership with the Greater Berks Food Bank.
Each day, a teacher from the Wyomissing Institute of the Arts is on hand to work with the students in learning about theater and interacting with each other through role-playing.

The GoggleWorks is proud to be joined by youth members of the Berks PRIDE organization who will be reading alongside artist and staff volunteers from the GoggleWorks, as well as members of the community. The Berks PRIDE members will be reading to the ASAP students from July 28 to July 31. The books they receive have been donated from the community and at the end of the week each ASAP student will be able to take home their own book. The GoggleWorks especially thanks Herb and Sue Wachs for collecting the books for ASAP.

The After School Arts Program is an arts-based program held during after school hours and the summer months for children. During ASAP, students work with specially trained artists and staff to not only help develop their artistic abilities, but to encourage positive and productive behavior through critical thinking, individual power and creativity. The GoggleWorks ASAP program is funded by The Bon-Ton Stores Foundation, St. Paul Travelers Foundation and Conestoga Telephone and Telegraph Company, a subsidiary of D&E Communications, Inc. and Capital BlueCross. The GoggleWorks is also pleased to partner with the Wyomissing Institute of the Arts, the Greater Berks Food Bank, and Greater Reading Cops ‘n Kids to make ASAP a success. Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor of the ASAP program can contact Julie Sweitzer at jsweitzer@goggleworks.org or by calling 610.374.4600.

The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is a community art and cultural resource center for Berks County and central and southeastern Pennsylvania, and is the largest, most comprehensive interactive arts center of its kind in the country. The mission of the GoggleWorks is “to nurture the arts, foster creativity, promote education and enrich the community.” The GoggleWorks is open Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm. Free parking is available in the GoggleWorks parking lot, accessible from 2nd, 3rd or Walnut Streets. For more information, call the GoggleWorks at 610-374-4600, or visit www.goggleworks.org.

Simmens to Present “An Inconvenient Truth” Slideshow at GoggleWorks Theatre

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) Lance Simmens, currently the Special Assistant to Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, will be presenting an hour-long educational version of former Vice President Al Gore’s slideshow, based on the award-winning documentary film “An Inconvenient Truth”. On August 10, 2008 at 1 pm during GoggleWorks’ Second Sunday Open House, Simmens will be stationed in the Theatre to discuss the severity of the earth’s ecological situation.

After completing a training program with select group of individuals held by Al Gore and The Climate Project (TCP), Simmens has delivered his speech over 60 times, internationally and locally in such places as the London School of Economics and Alvernia College. Before his position with the Pennsylvania Governor, Simmens spend over twenty years in Washington, DC in various committee and executive positions.

In 2006, The Climate Project, a nonprofit organization, opened with the mission of increasing public awareness of the climate crisis. A year later, TCP invited 1,000 individuals, including Lance Simmens, to experience the presentation first hand and to learn how they could deliver the speech effectively themselves. Since then, TCP has trained more presenters in many different countries around the world in an effort to increase awareness about the ever-growing climate crisis.

Join the GoggleWorks for Second Sunday Open House in August

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) Join the GoggleWorks’ Second Sunday Open House on August 10, from 11 am to 4 pm. The GoggleWorks welcomes thousands of guests each month for an all-day event full of gallery presentations, artist demonstrations, musical and theatrical performances.

First Floor:

Located outside the GoggleWorks main entrance, Heart to Art is partnering with the city of Reading in the production of a collaborative intergenerational community mural. This huge 4’ x 8’ mural will be created under the skilled direction of a team of Heart to Art artist mentors and hundreds of community members of all ages. The mural will depict the Reading Pagoda high on Mt Penn as well as the Reading skyline and the Schuylkill River.

In the GoggleWorks Film Theatre, Lance Simmens, Special Assistant to the Governor Rendell and trained presenter for the Al Gore program based on “An Inconvenient Truth” will be speaking on the effects of global warming at 1 pm. Flight of the Red Balloon will be playing at 3 pm and 7 pm. The new ticket prices are adult $8.00, senior $6.00, students $5.00, matinees $6.00.

This month in the Cohen Gallery on the first floor is the Berks Art Alliance Juried Exhibit. This exhibit runs through August 18. Over 190 artists entered their works to the jurying process, and the jurors selected 125 pieces of artwork out of a total of 315. The jurors evaluated each artist’s work according to creativity, subject matter, and the diversity of representation using various media.

GoggleWorks Store is hosting book signings! Berks Bards’ poet Craig Czury will be selling his poetry books American Know-How: Patent Pending; In My Silence To Justify; and God’s Shiny Glass Eye. Heather Thomas will be selling her books of poetry as well, entitled Blue Ruby and Resurrection Papers. Maria McDonnell will be selling her book First I Learn My Name.

GoggleWorks artist Tara Espinoza and her mother, Vicki Espinoza, will also be selling and signing their new children’s book, Donnie Dollar.

From 11 am to 4 pm, Bravo Café will be hosting an Ice Cream Sundae and Root Beer Float Bar.

Also in the Bravo Café from 12 pm to 3 pm, the musical group Heartstrings will be performing.

Second Floor:

In the Rolf and Renate Schmidt Gallery, artist James Enders will be featuring his work in his show entitled "The Proclamation" New Works By James Enders.

GoggleWorks August artists of the month are Richard Summons and Dan Gorman whose artwork will be featured in the lounge and elevator areas on the second floor; and Barbara Thun and Georgette L. Veeder, featured in the third floor lounge and elevator areas. These exhibits will be displayed from August 1 to August 27.

The A.C.O.R. Gallery features “Prelude to Fall” by A.C.O.R. member artists and is hosting guest artist Juan Ruize in “The Last World of Generals”, along with “Early American Art” by the St. Peter’s School.

In studio 215, W. Eugene Burkhart, Jr. will be signing his pressed floral art for his new book, “Pressed Flower Art.”

In room 238 from 12 pm to 2 pm, there will be a swing dance workshop with Alicia and Chip Hunter.

Third Floor:

In room 304 there will be demonstrations of Caricatures and Quick Sketches by Mary Lou Creyts from 12 pm to 4 pm.

In room 305 a silent auction will take place for original watercolor paintings by Steve White.

Fourth Floor:

In room 411, Berks PRIDE dance rehearsals will be taking place. Berks PRIDE is a member of the Council on Chemical Abuse.

Fifth Floor:

In room 504, The Outsider Folk Art Gallery is featuring a new exhibit entitled “Internal Guidance Systems”.

The Community School of Music and the Arts has an ongoing exhibit of artwork by Jasper Kemp Elmer.

The Polish American Cultural Center is exhibiting art work from Poland featuring straw art, paper cutouts, and works in copper and silver.

Through August 31, the Berks County Commission for Women in room 502 features exhibits from Berks Women in Crisis.

Ceramics Studio:

There will be Wheel Throwing and Hand Building Demonstrations from 11 am to 4 pm.

Hot Glass Studio:

From 12 pm to 4 pm, there will be demonstrations by visiting artist Eric Snee. From 1 pm to 4 pm, visit Scott McKenna as he demonstrates how to make small animals from glass using the lampworking technique. Also from 1 pm to 4 pm, visitors can take a walk in Try Hot Glass class. There is no experience required; the class cost is $35.00 and those who are interested can register at the Information Desk. Closed-toed shoes are required.

From 12 pm to 4 pm, the Berks Genealogical Society will be giving a free tour of their library in room 413.

Visitors can sign up for a 1 pm free guided tour of the GoggleWorks at the Information Desk.

All day, the GoggleWorks Artists will be in their studios to talk with visitors about their artwork, classes and more.

Heart to Art Partnership with Reading Opens with Public Creation of Mural at GoggleWorks

(GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA) During the GoggleWorks Second Sunday on August 10, Scranton, PA-based artists Donna Doherty and Judith Youshock will be creating a mural in celebration of the 100^thanniversary of the Pagoda. Their group, Heart to Art LLC, is partnering with the city of Reading in the production of a collaborative intergenerational community mural. The Reading community is invited to come and participate in the creation of the mural, which will depict the Pagoda high on Mount Penn, as well as the Reading skyline and the Schuylkill River.

Heart to Art, a woman owned, for-profit community oriented group, has met with Mayor McMahon, Diane LaBelle, Executive Director of the GoggleWorks, and other community leaders to discuss projects for the community and the Pagoda. The Pagoda, erected in 1908 and sold to the city of Reading in 1911, has overlooked the development and recent rejuvenation of Reading for the past 100 years. In 1969, the community driven organization Pagoda-Skyline, Inc. was given official city recognition and allowed to fundraise to revitalize and preserve the landmark.

Heart to Art is a marketing and design company that brings communities and businesses together to help promote the arts in a way that supports positive change that can bind a community together. Heart to Art has worked in Pennsylvanian towns previous to their partnership with Reading, such as in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, PA and even expanding their reach to other states, like in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Mainly, Heart to Art has been able to promote local non-profit organizations through the production of “visual story boards.” These visual stories are manly compiled from murals and large scale art projects conducted by local artists and community organizations that work to not only promote the arts and local non-profits’ missions, but to also help create a sense of pride in the people who participate towards their community.

Donna Doherty is the owner of Heart to Art and was recently chosen by the Broadway Theatre League of Northeastern Pennsylvania as the 2007 recipient of the Sam and June Cali Star Award for distinguished service and dedication to the arts. During her career she has worked for Kraft Foods as a sales representative and later for Waring and LaRosa, a New York advertising agency. She has served on the board of trustees of the Everhart Museum in Scranton, as Scranton coordinator for the Miles of Mules initiative of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, on Governor Rendell's Arts and Cultural Transition team and on the Lackawanna County Council on Arts, Culture and Education and the Artspace Steering Committee.

Judith Youshock, Heart to Art partner, has a lengthy resume that includes various awards and exhibits, along with past Heart to Art productions. She won the Lackawanna Best in Show Award two years in a row, and received the Richard Segelman Award from the Woodstock School of Art. She has been showcased in many galleries across Pennsylvania, including a solo exhibit entitled “Then and Now” at the MAC Gallery in Scranton, PA. Youshock is also the founding member of Artists for Art in Scranton, PA. She served on the Board of Directors, Past President and Gallery Coordinator.