Category: Education

STEEL RIVER PLAYHOUSE DEBUTS IN POTTSTOWN

Here’s what the Steel River Playhouse – formerly Tri-PAC – has to say about their name change and their continuing mission to educate and to bring together new and established performing artists…

A star reborn?  Not exactly, but Tri-County Performing Arts Center and Village Productions are getting a new name along with the obvious facelift, as anyone can tell by driving by the theater at 245 E. High Street in downtown Pottstown. 

Tri-PAC and Village Productions have become the Steel River Playhouse.  Same address.  Same telephone.  Website: www.steelriverplayhouse.org.  Email format: (First name)@steelriver.org.

The new flowing steel mesh façade, high-tech marquee, and engaging outdoor plaza will be completed in June and the Steel River Playhouse is planning a June 16 community celebration event.

“The name reflects the strength, beauty and vitality of Pottstown and surrounding region,” said Marta Kiesling, executive director of Steel River Playhouse. “Steel made in Pottstown helped build major structures around the world.  Beams iconically stamped ‘Bethlehem Steel’ run through our playhouse.  And, of course, the Schuylkill runs through Pottstown, where we have an annual festival and a National and State Heritage Area that honor its beauty and role in our region.”

Kiesling continued, “The new name and logo mark the passage from our initial years of getting established in Pottstown and the surrounding region.  We moved to Pottstown in 2005 as part of a broad redevelopment effort, and our wonderful theater complex opened in 2008.”

A name and logo are just a beginning.  “Names and logos are just visuals,” says Joshua Lampe, founder and president of StandingStone Media, and the Steel River Playhouse board member leading the re-branding project.  “The real work of brand-building is what the Steel River Playhouse has been working on since before coming to Pottstown – quality performances, creating a place for both emerging local talent and established actors and directors to work together, and education that develops talent, confidence and life skills.”

Kiesling adds, “The new brand and façade reflect the Steel River Playhouse commitment to the community and region.  From the start, regional planners and leaders recognized that a strong performing arts center would contribute to the economic, cultural and social health of Pottstown and the surrounding region.”

Steel River Playhouse, formerly Tri-County Performing Arts Center (Tri-PAC), seeks to strengthen community, inspire creative exploration, educate, and entertain,through the presentation of quality performing arts events and education for diverse audiences.  Each year, the Steel River Playhouse produces more than 90 performances and hosts more than 10,000 people as audiences, students, artists, donors and volunteers from throughout the region. We offer performance opportunities through open auditions; theater technical training; acting, voice, and instrumental lessons; classes and workshops for all ages; summer camp programs; and educational outreach including scholarships, artists in the classroom, traveling children’s shows, and other initiatives. For further information, visit www.steelriverplayhouse.org, or call 610-970-1199.

 

MOSAIC accepting registrations Saturday morning at community garden

 Mosaic Community Land Trust is holding registration and orientation for new members of its community garden at 423 Chestnut Street on the following Saturdays: April 28, May 5, and May 12 from 9 AM to 12 PM at the garden.

On May 5th gardeners will be able to choose the plants they would like in their own plot, and the plants will be delivered to the garden on May 12, which will be a day for planting.

There are plots still available for this season. Plot rates are $25 for households with incomes below $30,000; those with incomes above this level will pay $50. Groups and organizations can plant a plot for a flat $100.00 season fee. In addition to offering families a safe place to grow healthy, organic food, this fee includes the choice of plants, water on-site, the use of Mosaic tools, workshops, and advice from experienced gardeners. Children are welcome and the garden is available for field trips for students.

To apply and register for your plot or to set up a field trip, please contact Sue Repko at 609-658-9043 or srepko@mosaiccommunitylandtrust.org or Mary-Beth Bacallao at flyeredup8831@gmail.com.

MOSAIC Community Land Trust was established in 2011 and is a registered 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. MOSAIC Community Land Trust provides permanently affordable housing and healthy living choices to people of modest means, and through education and participation, creates a vital community with a focus on arts and culture to stabilize neighborhoods and improve the quality of life in Pottstown.

                                                                                                                  

 

MCCC Radiography Students to Host Flea Market Fundraiser in Pottstown

When I moved back last fall, I had no idea of the flea market culture around Pottstown. Before I knew it, my mom was asking me what I was doing on Saturdays and we were off bargain-hunting. I have some real treasures from those expeditions, and now that spring is here, it’s time to get out and continue the hunt!

Montgomery County Community College Radiography students will be hosting a Colossal Flea Market fundraiser on Sunday, April 29, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in the parking lot at 140 College Drive, Pottstown, near the Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center (the former PECO building).

The community is invited to participate and attend. Anyone interested in reserving a spot, should contact the Student Leadership and Involvement Office at 610-718-1805. The cost is $30 for two parking spaces.  The rain date is May 6.

The Radiography Club will use the proceeds to help pay for the costs of attending an annual radiography conference.

Radiography is a 70-credit, Associate in Applied Science degree program offered at Montgomery County Community College. Radiologic technologists perform diagnostic imaging procedures including x-ray, CT scan, MRI, and mammography to assist in the diagnosis of illness.

For more information about the College’s Radiography program, visit www.mc3.edu/academics.

Music at Emmanuel presents Westminster Kantorei this Sunday

Editor’s note: This came to us via Andrew Meade, the Minister of Music at Emmanuel Lutheran. Thanks, Andrew, for all you do to bring exceptional musical talent to Pottstown!

MUSIC AT EMMANUEL

Presents:

Westminster Kantorei

The Glory and the Dream

Andrew Megill, conductor

Special Guests: The Select Choir of Daniel Boone High School, Birdsboro PA

Sunday, April 29, 2012           4:00pm

FREE ADMISSION

Emmanuel Lutheran Church   150 N. Hanover Street     Pottstown, PA   19464

Facebook.com/music.at.emmanuel

Andrew Meade – Minister of Music

www.emmanuelpottstown.org

610-323-4312

 Founded in 2004, Westminster Kantorei is an auditioned chamber choir from the renowned Westminster Choir College specializing in early and contemporary music. The ensemble, which is composed of approximately 24 graduate and undergraduate students, performs regularly with some of America’s leading specialists in Baroque music, including collaborations with violinist Nancy Wilson and vocal ensemble Fuma Sacra.  Recent seasons have included performances of Bach’s Missa brevis in G Minor, cantatas, and passions, including the St. Matthew Passion at Avery Fisher Hall, with the Westminster Choir and the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Kurt Masur. The ensemble has also performed works by Monteverdi (Vespers of 1610, Sestina and Lamento della Ninfa), Buxtehude (Membra Jesu nostri), Schütz, Schein, Telemann, Zelenka, Victoria, and Palestrina, as well as a concert of Latin American Baroque music.
Westminster Kantorei has also commissioned and premiered many works by such composers as Caleb Burhans, James Blachly, Doug Helvering, Philip Rice, Nathan Jones and Stefan Young.  This year, the ensemble premieres new works by Blake Henson, Daniel Elder, and the internationally acclaimed Swedish composer Sven-David Sandström, commissioned for the ensemble by the Soli Deo Gloria Foundation and the Westminster Choir College Department of Sacred Music.

The concert program will include: “Musikalische exequien” by Heinrich Schutz, “The Glory and the Dream” by Richard Rodney Bennett, and “Psalm 67” by Sven-David Sandström.  The stunningly beautiful funeral music of Schutz’s Musikalische exequien is considered one of the masterpieces of the early Baroque period.  William Wordsworth’s poetic masterpiece “Intimations of Immortality” provides the text for Bennett’s The Glory and the Dream, who, in addition to a 50-year career performing and writing jazz, has composed many classic film scores.  Sandström’s Psalm 67 is a newly-commissioned work that received its world premier by this ensemble in October of 2011.  Our special guests for this concert will be the select choir from Daniel Boone High School in Birdsboro, PA.  Led by their conductor, Erin Benn, this outstanding high school ensemble will open the concert with performances of “I’ve Got the Music in Me” arranged by Deke Sharon and “With a Lily in Your Hand” by Eric Whitacre,.

MUSIC AT EMMANUEL is dedicated to bringing the live music of the highest calibre to the Pottstown community.  We are also dedicated to supporting young artists from our region as they develop their performing careers.  All concerts on our 2011-12 season are offered free of charge to the public, and are funded by the generous support of individuals in our church and community who believe that great music has an essential place in our culture and community.    For additional information about the concert series please visit the church’s website: www.emmanuelpottstown.org or find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/music.at.emmanuel.

Positively Pottstown Happy Hour at MOSAIC & Girls’ Night Out at Belle Rouge

The next Positively!Pottstown Happy Hour takes place TODAY at MOSAIC Community Land Trust’s office & gallery at 10 S. Hanover Street from 5-7 pm. Food by Grumpy’s! Pop art by James Enders and photography by Karl McWherter on display. Learn about Mosaic’s community garden, now under construction at 423 Chestnut Street. It’s not too late to RSVP to positivelypottstown@gmail.com.

Ladies can follow up the happy hour fun at the monthly Girls’ Night Out held by Belle Rouge Salon at 257 E. High Street. The Belle Rouge Girls’ Night Out includes complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres. Their speaker on Friday will be heart specialist Anna Cousins. She has worked in the cardiology and vascular field for the past 25 years and holds degrees in adult, pediatric, and neonatal cardiovascular technology. Currently Anna is working as a consultant to Dr. Rajiv Dhawan, M.D. as a vascular specialist. They diagnosis and treat all types of vascular disease. RSVP to Tracy Williams at 610.326.5400.

PEAK holding event this Saturday to celebrate Pottstown’s young children

PEAK (Pottstown Early Action for Kindergarten Readiness) will sponsor a community-wide outreach event for the Month of the Young Child. This year’s event will be held this Saturday, April 21, 2012 from 1-3 pm at the Freedom Valley YMCA at 724 North Adams Street in Pottstown. We will have Smokey the Bear, a petting farm, Pipper the Clown, moon bounce, and free snacks. Community agencies will provide family activities.

 From Peak’s website: “The PEAK initiative is funded through the Pennsylvania-Pre-K Counts, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation, Montgomery County Foundation and Children’s Trust Fund and focuses on building partnerships with the early learning programs in the Pottstown community. The goals of PEAK are:

  • Every three and four year old child has access to high quality child care, early childhood education, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.
  • Every parent of young children has access to the high quality skill building and resources needed to prepare them to be their child’s first “teacher” and to prepare their children for success in school.
  • Every child has access to health and wellness services to ensure that they are prepared to maximize their potential in school.”

I’ll be at the YMCA on Saturday afternoon, along with other representatives of MOSAIC Community Land Trust. Stop by our table to learn about Pottstown’s first community garden being built at 423 Chestnut Street and to become a member. Joining the community garden is an affordable, fun way to grow fresh veggies for you and your family; beginner gardeners are welcome. We will offer workshops and help every step of the way. Plots are still available. Come find out what this exciting project is all about! We’ll have a fun project for kids at our table!

Contact the PEAK Coordinator at 610-970-6655 if you have any questions. We hope to see you Saturday afternoon at the YMCA to celebrate Pottstown’s young children!

Gearing up for a fantastic First Saturday in Pottstown on May 5th!

The first First Saturday of 2012 is shaping up to be an interactive arts and cultural extravaganza thanks to the ingenuity and effort of Daniel Dilliplane. Daniel has organized a day filled with local folks, performers, and artists sharing their hobbies, crafts, and skills FOR FREE with the public. Check out the Facebook page for Pottstown Interactive Art Picnic and check out he flyer below to see all the activities taking place all day long, in addition to the traditional May Fair at Pottsgrove Manor, Paint the Town Purple, and the Classic Car Show. There’s stuff to do all day long in Pottstown on May 5th so mark your calendar now!

Belle Rouge Salon offers monthly Girls’ Night Out!

Belle Rouge Salon at 257 E. High Street has begun a monthly Girls’ Night Out and all area women are invited – sorry, no men and no children!

On the third Friday of each month,  Belle Rouge invites a special guest to share information geared toward healthy living, business, or anything that might make life a little less stressful for today’s busy women. (They also do some amazing hair styling, as you can see at the left!)

Their next event takes place this Friday, April 20th from 7-9 pm. That follows on the heels of the Positively Pottstown Happy Hour, which is 5-7 pm at the MOSAIC Community Land Trust Gallery. Why not keep the happiness rolling and head over to Belle Rouge after the Happy Hour?

The Belle Rouge Girls’ Night Out includes complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres. Their speaker on Friday will be heart special Anna Cousins.  She has worked in the cardiology and vascular field for the past 25 years and holds degrees in adult, pediatric, and neonatal cardiovascular technology.  Currently Anna is working as a consultant to Dr. Rajiv Dhawan, M.D. as a vascular specialist.  They diagnosis and treat all types of vascular disease.

Belle Rouge’s Girls’ Night Out will be held on the third Friday of every month.  On May 18th, they will have a representative from H&R Block talk about business start-ups and solutions to problems business owners run into.RSVP for either event to Tracy Williams at 610.326.5400.

Economic report for Pottstown region to be discussed at Pottstown High this evening

Please check out Evan Brandt’s most excellent article in today’s Mercury on the economic impact analysis that was undertaken by the Pottstown Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Committee over the past year. There will be a meeting tonight at 7 pm in the cafeteria of Pottstown High School to discuss the findings.

The Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Comprehensive Plan is a multi-jurisdictional plan that includes eight municipalities: Douglass Township, Lower Pottsgrove, New Hanover, Upper Pottsgrove, West Pottsgrove and the Borough of Pottstown in Montgomery County; and East Coventry and North Coventry in Chester County. The Montgomery County Planning Commission’s website describes the intent of this plan as an effort “to ensure smarter growth in the region and better management of future development while retaining the unique historical, cultural, and natural amenities of the area.

Two consulting firms were hired to survey residents and business owners in these 8 municipalities and look at shopping habits, economic and demographic data; analyze it; and offer several scenarios to help these towns make informed policy and land use decisions about what kinds of business and residential development to encourage or avoid to improve their fiscal outlook. Come out to the meeting tonight to hear  what the economic future could be for the region and to understand the issues, options, and decisions facing elected officials and policy makers as they try to keep the Pottstown region economically competitive.

Eastern Slavic music to be presented at St. John’s in Pottstown

 A free concert of sacred hymns and other liturgical music of the Eastern Slavic tradition will be presented by the Westminster Slavic Choir at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 15, in St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, 301 Cherry Street, Pottstown, Pa. 

            The Westminster Slavic Choir features students of Westminster Choir College, Princeton, N.J.  The vocalists all are either vocal performance or music education majors at Westminster, a division of Westminster College of the Arts, a residential college of music located in Princeton, N.J.  Westminster is a four-year music college and graduate school that prepares men and women for careers as professional performers and as music leaders in schools, universities, churches, and professional and community music organizations. As Westminster Choir College students, the talented young men and women of the Slavic Choir join their peers in performing with the world’s leading orchestras in venues ranging from the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia to Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York.

The chamber choir is directed by senior vocal performance major Andrew Skitko III, a native of Pottstown, Pa.  Drew also serves as the cantor and music director at The Assumption of The Virgin Mary Byzantine Catholic Church of Trenton, N.J., where the Westminster Slavic Choir performs about once a month.

The concert will include works by composers Bortniansky, Vedel, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Hurko, as well as traditional chant.  Selections will be performed in English as well as Old Slavonic.

Parking is located in the rear of the church.  The church is handicapped-accessible via the ramp located from the parking lot. A free-will offering will be taken.  The concert is expected to last about one hour.

For further information, please contact Andrew Skitko III, choral director at 610-220-3479 or via e-mail at  skitkoa@rider.edu

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