Lancaster Artist Shows Work at Mercersburg Academy Burgin Center

Paintings by Lancaster artist, Jeff Kromer, are now in the Niche Gallery of the Burgin Center for the Arts on the Mercersburg Academy campus, Mercersburg PA, until
May 24.

Opening reception for the artist is Friday, May 8 @ 7:00 PM.
Free and open to the public!

Moon Dog Pottery to Host Pottery Classes in Welsh Run

What:
Moon Dog Pottery is hosting Pottery Classes for beginners and experienced potters. The classes will run for 6 weeks and cover wheel throwing, hand building and glaze techniques.

When:
6 week class sessions begin Monday, April 27 or Wednesday, April 29

Time:
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Cost:
$189.00 - All materials are provided.

Contact Janine Davis at 717-328-9993 for more information, or to register.

“Arts in Action Night” at James Buchanan High School

What:
Several departments at the James Buchanan High School will participate in an “Arts in Action Night” at the high school. The evening is designed to exhibit and celebrate the creative efforts of our students.

Included will be a grades 1-12 art exhibit, performances by chorus, band, and orchestra students, and a special appearance by Miss Dicey’s School of Dance. Presentations will include technology department films, CO2 Cars, Pre Engineering “Formalizing Idea” displays, FFA public speaking, a flower display and FCCLA state and national exhibits. JBHS and JBMS Franklin County Science Fair projects will be displayed. Drama Club will assist visitors.

A special dedication ceremony is planned for the JBHS mosaic recently completed by mosaicist Justin Ayala, students, faculty, staff, parents, and community helpers. The public is welcome.

When:
Thursday, April 23rd
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Where:
James Buchanan High School
Mercersburg, PA

Cost:
Free and open to the public

Be Creative @ Your Library

The Fendrick Library in Mercersburg offers programs for all ages over the summer months. This year's Summer Reading Program theme is, Be Creative @ Your Library! The library coordinators are looking for local artists who might be interested in sharing their talents with area youth and their families. Programs for adults are also welcome!

Programs may be set-up for a specific age level or as a family program. They can be just a 1 hour presentation or a hands-on workshop. Day and time is flexible.

Please contact Cheryl Custer at 717-328-9233, or email MCFA to let us know if you are interested in participating in this community project.

Smoke-Free Music in New Orleans

Though a long way off from Mercersburg geographically, we thought this was a great idea to help protect the lives and livelihood of musicians.  Since supporting all artists and our community is our mission, we wanted to share this concept with you.  Hopefully, someday, we can have more events such as this in our area!

Visit The Backbeat Foundation for more information.

MCFA Obtains Non-Profit Status

We have great news to share: MCFA is now a non-profit organization! Our official status came through in March. MCFA is excited about this new venture.

MCFA wishes to thank all of our first year supporters and, of course, The Mercersburg Area Chamber of Commerce for allowing us to serve under their organization as a committee. The M.A.C.C. gave us the opportunity to gain community recognition and legitimacy as an organization.

Our newly obtained status will allow us more flexibility in programming and fund-raising as well as membership options for our organization.

As a new non-profit organization we have secured our own domain name. You can now view our web site at www.mcfapa.org. Please update your information to reflect this change. Our email and blog site will reamin the same.

We're looking forward to many years of service to our Arts community.

All the Best,
Larissa Chace Smith, Allison Zeger, Kelly Schoenberger, Jenn Flanagan, Ryan Smith, Ozzie Weller and Matthew Kearney

Art Opening: Morgan Higby-Flowers

This Saturday evening, March 28, at the Mercersburg Academy Burgin Center for the Arts Niche Gallery, at 7 PM:

An opening reception for the art of local artist, Morgan Higby-Flowers.

MCFA Featured in Elegant Living Magazine Article

The newly formed Mercersburg Council for the Arts recently held a fundraising eventcalled ArtOberfest. Some of the fun included, top left, pottery by Janine Davis of Moon Dog Pottery; top right, a performance by the Hello Strangers alternative country band that includes council President Larissa Smith; bottom left, a musical performance by Mason Bailey; bottom right, an exhibit by artist Diana Penrod, at right.


The Arts are Alive in Mercersburg

Written by DAVE THOMPSON, Elegant Living magazine
Photography courtesy of RYAN SMITH

MERCERSBURG, Pa. — Sometimes all it takes to get a worthy project under way is someone’s desire to do it. The recently formed Mercersburg Council for the Arts is a good example. It basically came about because three young persons had moved back to their hometown and wanted to do something to help it.

Things started when Allison Zeger received an e-mail from a friend, Ryan Smith, that he and his wife, Larissa, had moved back to the area from Austin, Texas. The Smiths have a photography business. Zeger and Ryan Smith knew each other from attending James Buchanan High School. Larissa Smith attended Mercersburg Academy (where her father taught) and said she “vaguely” knew each of the others at the time.

“I got to know Allison after college since Ryan’s brother is friends with her . . . lots of connections!” Larissa said. “I looked at Ryan’s Web site and liked it,” Zeger said. “I was thinking there had to be more artists in the area, and we ought to do something about it.

I had worked in Cumberland, Md., and saw a great artists’ co-op that they had there. “I contacted Ryan, and he said he’d talk with Larissa about it. We met at my place, and it got started.”

“It was Allison who had the idea to start it,” Ryan Smith confirmed. Part of the friends’ desire to start the organization resulted from their belief that relatively isolated Mercersburg is an overlooked treasure.

“We’d like to tell people some of the great things about Mercersburg,” Zeger said. “We don’t want it to become a tourist trap or anything, but we want more people to live here. We felt we all wanted to be involved in the community and help each other make it what we want it to be.”

“We think we are in the right place at the right time and have the drive to do it,” said Larissa Chace Smith.

At 31, Zeger is the oldest of the three. Larissa Smith is 29, and Ryan Smith is 28. After initial organization meetings, the council was formed as a committee of the Mercersburg Area Chamber of Commerce.

Its stated mission is: “To facilitate dialogue between Mercersburg area artists and the community through the organization of events and exhibits; encourage local artists to develop and showcase their unique talents; and to enrich our community with cultural and ethnic diversity via the arts.”

“Our big word is facilitate. We want to promote contact between artists and artistic entities that they might not experience otherwise,” Larissa Smith said. “Mary-Anne Gordon at the chamber was very enthusiastic about helping to make us a committee under the chamber. Our goal is to become a nonprofit.”

The group has applied for nonprofit status in Pennsylvania and the goal is to have it by January. Some fundraisers have been held, and personal donations amounting to about $3,500 have been received.

A recent event called "ArtOberfest" featuring an art sale and musical entertainment was held at the James Buchanan Restaurant and Pub downtown.

“We’ve gotten a lot of support from the Franklin County Visitors Bureau,” Zeger said. “The Chambersburg Council for the Arts has been huge. They’ve donated money, offered advice and helped in other ways.” An art show with the theme “What Mercersburg Means to Me,” open to all ages, was held at the recent Mercersburg Townfest.

“We try to get kids involved, then maybe the adults will stop by,” Zeger said. “We also raised a little money with a raffle.”

“Rockwell Construction donated eight great foldable easels for the art show that we’ll be able to use for future shows,” Ryan Smith said.

Larissa Smith is president of the MCFA board, while Zeger serves as vice president and Ryan Smith as historian. The first additions to the board were Kelly Schoenberger, secretary, and Jenn Flanagan, treasurer.

“We got Kelly and Jenn on board for more business sense to keep us grounded,” Zeger said. Other recent additions to the board include Ozzie Weller and Matthew Kearney.

Future plans include events such a Christmas program and caroling, Music on the Square and “First Night” activities downtown on New Year’s Eve.

“We’d like to do things to give artists a physical presence where art can be displayed and sold,” Larissa Smith said. “We’d like to find some permanent space in town for display and even some studio space.”

Smiling, Zeger said, “We’d like to have something in our town so we don’t have to drive so far for everything. We want to be an art-friendly town.”

Area artists, take note.

Recent Event: ArtOberfest

On October 4th, MCFA held the first (and hopefully annual) event "ArtOberfest" this past Saturday evening at The James Buchanan Hotel, Pub and Restaurant.

Artists and musicians filled the crisp, autumn night with the sights and sounds of local art. Many guests filtered in through the restaurant and onto the patio as they admired the talents on display and enjoyed the live entertainment.

Many thanks to our artists and musicians in attendance: Eric Schaeffer, Mason Bailey, The Hello Strangers, The Pale Barn Ghosts, Daniel Jensen, Janine Davis, Diane Skubon, Diana Penrod, Glen Sabetto, Anne Finucane, Teresa Ucellini and Georgia Barvinchak. And thank you to the patrons who purchased art. Your attendance and participation makes these events meaningful and worthwhile.

Thanks to our hosts, John and Deniz Celestin and to their staff, for a job well done.

MCFA hopes to plan and excecute more events like this in the future.

Diana Penrod displays work and talks with visitors at ArtOberfest.

The work of Janine Davis of Moon Dog Pottery.

Patrons examine various artists artwork in the parlor.

Checking out Anne Finucane's etchings.

The Pale Barn Ghosts were the last of four bands to perform in the courtyard at the MCFA ArtOberfest.

Recent Event: Mix It Up with MCFA

On Tuesday, May 20th, the Mercersburg Council for the Arts held its inaugural fundraising event at Flannery's Tavern on the Square in Mercersburg, PA. From 5-8 p.m., a silent auction was held, scrumptious hors d'oeuvres were passed by the staff, door prizes were given away, and live music was supplied by local alt-country group, The Hello Strangers, with special guests, The Blue Chair (jazz). It was certainly a smashing success! The need for more art events in our community was affirmed by the amount and variety of people that attended.

The Council is thrilled with the support they have received from the Mercersburg Chamber of Commerce and community members. We are confident that we will now have the momentum to continue our mission and goals in the years to come. Thank you to everyone who came out to our mixer and who support the local arts. And please enjoy the photos below, taken by Ryan Smith (Historian of MCFA)!

The Hello Strangers (L-R, Fred Kosak, Brechyn Chace, Larissa Chace Smith)