GoggleWorks

On the Carpet of Leaves. Humanity has continuously found the desire to create as a way of connecting to both the people and places around them. I am constantly searching to make sense of my own connection to this vast expanse of human history. I am not only concerned with formal qualities of art, but also the nonverbal communication that exists between the individual and the art that they are experiencing. 

This project focuses on the systemic extraction of resources from the land that has taken place in Pennsylvania for the last two hundred years, specifically anthracite coal and slate, and the landscapes that emerge as a result. They are an exploration of the current state of the landscape and its relationship to its own past and to our future. Much of the land in Schuylkill and Northumberland Counties was at one time heavily used for anthracite coal mining but has been largely out of use since the 1960s. The years of mining have left the landscape in a state of upheaval with its surface torn, scarred, and redistributed into rock piles, barren boulder fields, and massive craters. The remnants of the industry, however, remain and new marks are made upon the land as it is repurposed for recreational use. Overlaying the tracks of massive dump trucks and bulldozers are the smaller, delicate tracks of dirt bikes and four wheelers taking advantage of the seemingly abandoned nature of the land. We have drastically altered the land and given it a new topography that has little semblance to its former self and has remained frozen in this state long after industry left.

GoggleWorks Center for the Arts transforms lives through unique interactions with art. Our In-House exhibition celebrates the work these artists do in and around the studio spaces at GoggleWorks inspires and engages people who come through our doors every day. Through exceptional arts education and engaging community programming, they inspire people to expand the boundaries of art making, personal growth, and appreciation for material culture.

GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is proud to present the 17th Annual GoggleWorks Studio Artist Exhibition!

Composed of a mix of emerging and established artists from a variety of backgrounds, the GoggleWorks Studio Artists practice and grow their craft, both individually and collectively, within our walls. Their studios, located on the second and third floors, offer them private work space with proximity to collaborate, discuss, and grow with other artists. Our seven communal studios in wood, warm and hot glass, printmaking, metals, ceramics, and photography offer them additional opportunities to explore creating across disciplines and media. Most importantly, GoggleWorks Studio Artists value their community and understand the importance of bringing the arts to others. Many of them volunteer to support our mission, teaching classes, offering open studios and demonstrations,

GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is proud to host the culminating show for the “Art the Block” creative series in their premier Cohen Galleries. “Art the Block” has focused on providing a safe creative space for the community every Wednesday this summer on South Fourth Street. This culminating exhibition will celebrate marquee artists who have spent the summer developing signature works. Work by community participants will also be displayed alongside the main exhibition to celebrate their creative growth from their  summer efforts.

​​Craig Hill is a visual artist working in painting, collage, and mixed media sculpture. His work juxtaposes varied modes of representation, creating a visual mash-up that highlights how certain iconography expresses American belief structures. His work is filled with visual contradictions and playful circumstances that are arranged in a single anxious moment.

The Reading Symphony Orchestra and Jewish Federation of Reading are combining resources to present Violins of Hope,
Instruments for Unity, for the first time in Pennsylvania beginning Nov. 1. The mission of Violins of Hope Reading is to
promote unity and understanding in our community, utilizing instruments rescued from the Holocaust. Running through
Nov. 14, the Violins of Hope Reading project includes educational programming, exhibits, concerts and more. These will
be presented throughout Berks County at local school districts, colleges, cultural centers and other venues, with many
events low-cost or free for the public to attend.