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Harrisburg art auction to benefit Broad St. Market vendors displaced by fire
A local art auction is set to benefit the vendors displaced by a fire on July 10 that gutted the brick building of the Broad Street Market.
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A local art auction is set to benefit the vendors displaced by a fire on July 10 that gutted the brick building of the Broad Street Market.
The Susquehanna Art Museum invited Harrisburg-area artists to paint the market en plein air—outside. Their finished artwork will go to an online charity auction.
Susquehanna Art Museum executive director Alice Anne Schwab has lived in the area for 33 years. She said as a longtime resident, the project was personal for her and the 12 Harrisburg artists who have signed up so far.
“It’s like neighbors helping neighbors,” she said. “We wanted to do something; we didn’t know what. We thought, ‘Let’s do something that’s in our wheelhouse.’”
The goal is to raise at least $2,500 to support the displaced vendors.
On Thursday morning, artist Steve Wetzel stood outside the market with a brush and easel. As he dabbed oil paint on his canvas, he explained how he ended up choosing to paint the sky with a mixture of deep blue, green and gray.
“I did the sky very dark, darker than this at the beginning because I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. I thought maybe I would work on a nocturnal scene,” Wetzel said. “I finally decided that what I wanted to do was a morning-after type of painting.”
The museum is accepting additional finished pieces of art until Aug. 4 at 5 p.m. You can sign up to participate by contacting Alice Anne Schwab at aschwab@SusquehannaArtMuseum.org.
The silent auction goes live online on Aug. 9 and will end Aug. 18. You can place a bid here.
Former Wildfire Photographer to Take Part in Upcoming Arts Festival
BY KAREN BOSSICK
Anne Jeffery isn’t the least bit fazed when storm clouds appear in the sky over the sagebrush-covered fields near her home south of Bellevue.
It’s an invitation to grab her Nikon D810 camera and take pictures that might serve as background for one of her digital photo collages.
Jeffery will snap a shot of a blossom against a solid blue sky. Then she’ll remove the sky from the image with the help of her computer. She’ll add an eagle soaring overhead from another photograph. Then she’ll give the whole picture depth by adding a backdrop of clouds, to which she manipulates the color saturation, hue and brightness.
A press of a button and click of the mouse and a dove appears in the left corner of a picture. Another press and click and a kingfisher pops up on a branch on the right side of the photo.
She can even endow the photograph with a sepia color if she likes.
“I tried doing this before, but the technology was not sophisticated enough to make it work,” said Jeffery. “Before, you had to hand-draw around things with a mouse and hand-paint. It was too hard to make it look good. I can do this in a hundredth of the time—and it’s fun!”
Jeffery is one of a couple Wood River Valley artists who were asked to exhibit their works at the upcoming Sun Valley Arts and Crafts Festival Aug. 11-13. She also will take part in the Artist Studio Tour Aug. 19 and 20.
Jeffery will have her computer set up and be working on a new photomontage so people can get a feel for how she layers one picture on top of another to create the desired effect.
“Most photographers call it a ‘composite.’ I call it a ‘collage,’ ” she said.
The art of photography was pretty straight forward when Jeffery served as an assistant for Ansel Adams at his Yosemite workshops.
Armed with a Kodak Brownie camera, she had taken up photography via a high school correspondence course “Famous Photographers,” while growing up in her hometown of Oakland. She studied at universities in Portland and Berkeley, then went on to study photography at Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara.
A photographer for the U.S. Forest Service, she used the technique she had learned to use shooting photographs of wildfires for the Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Interagency Fire Center.
“I always wanted to be an artist but my training focused on technical precision, rather than the creative aspects of photography. The creative part came from me,” she said. “Someone said that if you want to accomplish something, you have to put in 10,000 hours. I think I’m just arriving at my 10,000 hours now.”
Jeffrey’s works have appeared in international exhibitions and in gallery exhibitions throughout the West. Her wildlife and nature photographs have also appeared in such publications as the Sierra Club Wilderness calendar, Eddie Bauer catalogs and New Mexico Magazine.
“I do a piece in stages, put it away and take it out a week later. I may decide I need a certain bluebird in the picture so then I may have to go out and get that bird. It’s all a beautiful circle.”
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Your Weekend Guide: Art Events in the Twin Cities
Explore the Twin Cities’ art scene this weekend with a mosaic art gathering in St. Paul celebrating Black and Native artistry, a small business pop-up promoting Black-owned and women-led businesses, a historical exhibition shedding light on an island that served as a sanctuary for Black families, and a yoga session set amidst an art exhibition.
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Love Flows like a River mural commissioned for RedLeaf center at Hennepin Healthcare. Credit: Tara Nielson -
The Berbere mural. Credit: Adrienne Sherman
Mosaic on a Stick, a Black and Indigenous woman-owned community art space, will host a celebratory event at Hamline Park to showcase mosaic art in St. Paul. The artwork, created by artist Lori Greene, draws inspiration from her African and Native heritage, reflecting on themes of strength, power, and memory.
The event will feature conversations led by notable speakers and opportunities to shop for arts gifts and supplies. Speakers include the Director of St. Paul Parks and Recreation, Andy Rodriguez, St. Paul Council Member Mitra Jalali, and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.
The event will also feature live music, snacks, and refreshments.
Date: Friday, July 28, 2023
Time: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Hamline Park, 1564 Lafond Ave., St. Paul, Minnesota 55104
Cost: Free
For more information: Email mosaiconastick@gmail.com or call 651-645-6600.
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Black Roots participating in the Black Market Omega pop-up event. Credit: Black Market Events -
Attendees at the Rose Jamaican Kitchen food truck during the Black Market Omega pop-up event. Credit: Black Market Events -
Jajja Welness Tonic participating in the Black Market Omega pop-up event. Credit: Black Market Events
The Black Market Events will host the Omega Pop-Up market, which hopes to promote 10,000 Black-owned and women-led businesses over the next decade. The pop-up Saturday will conclude Minneapolis Black Business Week and lead up to national Black Business Month in August.
The event will offer products such as clothing, jewelry, healthcare items, wellness products, and baked goods. Activities include bean bag toss, pickleball courts, and chess games. St. Paul Hip-Hop artist, Juice Lord, will perform at 6:30 p.m.
“Our mission is to promote ownership, and ownership is the key to the financial independence and self-reliance of our community,” said George Shannon, event organizer with The Black Market Events. “We want to help close the wealth gap that exists between communities of color here in the Twin Cities, and this is one of the ways that we can help combat that.”
Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
Time: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Location: 200 East Lyndale Ave N., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55405
Cost: Free
For more information: Contact event organizer at CONNECT@theblackmarketevents.com.
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The “Grow, As We Are” exhibition. Credit: Hollie Leggett -
Attendees at the “Grow, As We Are” exhibition at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Credit: Canaan Mattson -
Attendee at the “Grow, As We Are” exhibition at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Credit: Canaan Mattson -
Attendees at the “Grow, As We Are” exhibition at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Credit: Canaan Mattson -
Attendees at the “Grow, As We Are” exhibition at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Credit: Canaan Mattson -
Attendees at the “Grow, As We Are” exhibition at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Credit: Canaan Mattson
The Minneapolis College of Art and Design, in collaboration with The Bureau, is hosting the “Grow, As We Are” art exhibition, shedding light on the historical legacy of Black Americans on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. The exhibition explores the island’s significance as a safe haven for Black families, providing refuge from pervasive racism and acting as an important stop on the Underground Railroad that led enslaved people to freedom.
The Bureau, a multidisciplinary art studio founded in Minneapolis following the uprisings sparked by the murder of George Floyd in 2020, addresses the policial, cultural, and social needs of marginalized communities.
The exhibition focuses on the history of Martha’s Vineyard, but encourages Minnesotans to reflect on the past, present, and future aspirations of Black communities within the state and across the nation.
Date: Friday, July 28, 2023, through August 5, 2023
Time: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday
Location: Minneapolis College of Art and Design Main Gallery, 2501 Stevens Ave. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404. Visitors must enter through the north (main) entrance and sign in at the welcome desk in the main lobby.
Cost: Free
For more information: Email gallery@mcad.edu or call 612-874-3667.
Chance York will lead a yoga experience while surrounded by The Bureau’s art exhibition, “Grow, As We Are.” All members of the Black diaspora are invited to participate in the session and connect with the artwork.
The event is hosted by the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and The Bureau.
Date: Sunday, July 30, 2023
Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis College of Art and Design Main Gallery, 2501 Stevens Ave. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404
Cost: Free. Reserve a spot here.
For more information: Email gallery@mcad.edu or call 612-874-3667.
The Nature Conservancy Announces 2023 Andy Warhol Visual Arts Program Artists
The Nature Conservancy in New York is pleased to announce the selected artists for the 2023 Andy Warhol Visual Arts Program. Jeremy Dennis of Southampton will be the artist in residence, leading a photography workshop during his residency in November. Isadora Capraro (Southampton and New York City), Mor Keshet (Huntington), and Lora Lomuscio (Shelter Island) are the other selected artists who will each lead art-making workshops this fall on the East End The Warhol Visual Artists Program is an annual artist call and series of art-making workshops tapping into nature as a source for inspiration and creation. The program is based out of the Andy Warhol Preserve, an ocean-front nature preserve located on Long Island’s Montauk peninsula, donated by the Andy Warhol Foundation in 1992.
“The interrelationship of art and science is on full view at the Andy Warhol Preserve, and in so many other habitats where the magic and science of nature is permitted to coexist with our modern world,” said Bill Ulfelder, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in New York. “When we allow ourselves a moment to experience the beauty of nature, we are reminded of why it is so important to combat the urgent crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. We are honored to host Jeremy Dennis, Isadora Capraro, Mor Keshet, and Lora Lomuscio this fall as they share their artistic practice and, as always, incredibly excited to see what attendees create.”
About the Artists:
Jeremy Dennis is a contemporary fine art photographer and a tribal member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Southampton, NY. In his work, he explores indigenous identity, culture, and assimilation. Dennis holds an MFA from Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, and a BA in Studio Art from Stony Brook University, NY. He currently lives and works in Southampton, New York on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation.
Isadora Capraro lives and works between NYC and Southampton. Capraro studied Fine Arts at University Manuel Belgrano, Buenos Aires. In 2020 she participated in the Artist Takeover Residency at The Southampton Arts Center. Her works combine her interest in color theory and underwater habitats. Her workshop will extend this interest to participants, who will use ocean and the nature as the muse for works in charcoal and pastels.
Lora Lomuscio is a Shelter Island based ceramic artist. Inspired by nature, her functional ceramic works often feature textured surfaces and layered applications of glaze. Lomuscio has a BA in Art History from Vassar College and a MID in Design from Pratt Institute. A Shelter Island native, Lora has been involved in art and education on the East End of Long Island for over fifteen years. She will lead a family-friendly workshop in which objects gathered from nature are used to form impressions on clay.
Mor Keshet is a New York based creative arts therapist with over 20 years of clinical experience, specializing in the treatment of trauma, intergenerational dynamics, relational intelligence, narcissistic abuse, social justice and consciousness development. Working to develop the field of EcoArt Therapy, Mor is driven to help mend the fractured attachment between humans and the rest of the natural world. Her workshop will cultivate a greater sense of wellbeing and connection to oneself and the environment through guided meditation, discussion, and EcoArt phototherapy. In addition to her work as an art Therapist, Mor is an ardent nature photographer.
Program information and registration pages will go live on nature.org in August (TBD). The Andy Warhol Preserve is open to hikers year-round, from sunrise to sunset and free to visit. Part of a 2,400-acre protected area in Montauk, the preserve’s strategic location in the Atlantic flyway makes it an important feeding ground and stop-over site for neo-tropical, migrating birds. The preserve is also home to some rare animals, including the eastern newt, spotted turtle, blue spotted salamander, eastern hognose snake, and the bog copper (butterfly). Other species found there include shadbush, big tooth aspen, American holly, bayberry, red maple, black cherry, beech, yarrow and blue-eyed grass. To learn more about the Andy Warhol Preserve and The Nature Conservancy, visit tnc.org/newyork.
Today’s Photo from Ted Grussing Photography: An Epic Event … Almost!
… around two this afternoon the cabling was all done on my new ‘puter … a spare monitor was hooked up and an old ergonomic Microsoft keyboard was plugged in, the power cord was plugged in and the moment had arrived when it was time to throw the switch and watch this powerhouse come to life!
I flipped the switch on the back of the case … it did not explode, no flames or smoke … nothing, absolutely nothing. A little sparking or sizzle was welcome at that point … but nothing happened. Check and recheck all the connections, put a voltmeter on the power cord and it was live, but the computer was dead … really dead! A quick conversation with EVGA support and it was decided that I should return the power supply for proper end of life arrangements and they have cross shipped a new power supply device to me … looks like Monday or Tuesday will be the new date.
No computers to work on, so I spent some time playing with the new AI Generative fill tool in Adobe Photoshop and both of the photos tonight have been altered through the use of AI in the program.
The shot above of the Peregrine Falcon coming off the cliff was the most altered. The falcon and the cliff are as is in the raw file, but the ocean background is entirely AI generated … in like manner the shot of the Harris’s Hawk below sports a new cloudy sky … the hawk and the cactus are in the original photograph, but the blue sky was changed to this one with clouds. I like what the AI tools can do … but I didn’t get those shots. … more playing to do, but it is not really my thing and likely you will seldom see it in my work … and I will tell you when it is.
Clean up day tomorrow and gemstone cutting … some wax carving too … ‘puters not so much!
Have a beautiful day … keep breathing and smile because you are here 🙂 Back Monday morning … enjoy the weekend.
Cheers,
Ted
May these things abide with me; and if in the infinite
universe I retain aught of my earthly self, may they
remind me that in my feeble way I was one who tried—
A loving memory out of the beautiful earth. Then
closing my eyes—consciousness slowly dwindling like
a day that is spent—let me fall quietly asleep. a tired
child at sundown. Peace
excerpt from The Last Prayer by Max Ehrmann
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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com
In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.
Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.
More about Ted Grussing …
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