Category: Education

Work of American watercolorist now showing at Hill School’s Boyer Gallery

The Hill School is currently exhibiting the work of James McFarlane in the Boyer of Gallery of The Center For The Arts. The exhibition, titled “Images Seen and Images Imagined,” is free of charge and open to the public until Friday, October 21. Visitors may enjoy the exhibit Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., or by appointment on weekends. The Boyer Gallery is one of Pottstown’s lesser known arts and cultural venues that offers area residents the chance to experience world-class art close to home.

Use the directions and campus map (it’s building #2)  on The Hill’s website to get there; you can’t miss The Center for the Arts and its parking lot at the corner of Beech and Sheridan Streets.
James McFarlane currently serves as president of the American Watercolor Society. He is a member of the Philadelphia Watercolor Society and the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society. He teaches painting locally at the Woodmere Museum, the Greater Norristown Art League, and the Doylestown Art League. Nationally, he hosts workshops and is a regular speaker and demonstrator at community events. Recently, Mr. McFarlane was featured in a 12-page article of American Artist, Watercolor.

Schuylkill River Festival happens once a year… this Saturday!

Schuylkill River Festival

Saturday, October 8, 2011
11 AM to 4 PM

Come to the Park for a day filled with music, art, food, and educational experiences.

Join us for Free, Family Experience
5th Annual Schuylkill River Festival
Riverfront Park and College Drive
Montgomery County Community College
Pottstown, PA 19464

Open House

Visit the College Exhibit and learn about programs and opportunities at the Montgomery County Community College.

Children’s Activities

Moon bounce, crafts, horse and carriage rides, wildlife exhibits and more!

Music Festival

Live Music on the Downey Amphitheatre stage from 11 AM to 4 PM. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy the show!

Arts and Crafts

  • View and purchase wares from great local and regional artists
  • View the “Scenes of the Schuylkill” Art show in the gallery at MCCC North Hall
  • Vendor applications still being accepted.—Application

Recreational Opportunities in the Park

  • Bike
  • Fish
  • Kayak or Canoe
  • Geocache

Community Information

Learn about opportunities and services offered right in your community!
Vendor applications still being accepted.—Application

Educational Opportunities

  • Native American Dancing and Displays
  • Cultural Exhibits from Various Groups
  • Environmental Conservation and Preservation Displays and Information

Food, Food, and More Food!!!

A great variety of sandwiches, desserts and more!
Food Vendor applications still being accepted.—Application

Platinum Level Sponsors

  • The Borough of Pottstown
  • Exelon Energy
  • Montgomery County Community College
  • Pottstown Mercury

Many Exciting Sponsorship Opportunities Available! Contact 610-718-1847 for details.

Fall Festival and Pet Fair downtown this Saturday

Pottstown’s First Annual Pet Fair will take place downtown tomorrow, Saturday, September 24 from 9 AM to 2 PM. The Pet Fair will be located in Smith Family Plaza in front of Pottstown Borough Hall.

The Fall Festival will include a massive community yard sale, which is on from 8 am – noon so get up early and head downtown to catch the best deals and find that special something you never knew you needed!

Yoga in Manatawny Park on Sept. 17th – that’s this Saturday!

On Saturday, September 17, from 9:00am – 10:30am, High Street Yoga, in partnership with The Hill School, invites you to a free yoga session at Manatawny Park.

All levels are welcome, even those who have never tried yoga before. This yoga session will give participants a chance to gather together and share the experience of balance, exercise and quiet restfulness. “Yoga in the Park,” is an opportunity to connect with others and with the land under our feet.

See the “Yoga in the Park” Facebook page here.  Count me in!

Reception-hopping opportunity downtown this Friday!

The next Positively!Pottstown Happy Hour is happening this Friday night from 5-7 pm at the SCORE office in the New York Plaza building at 238-244 E. High Street in downtown Pottstown. Come out for casual networking, food by Bause-Landry Catering of Pottstown and complimentary beverages – all for just $5. Join SCORE as it celebrates 20 years in Pottstown, and you can also tour the first and second floors of this historic Pottstown landmark. Free parking is available at the rear of the building; the entrance is there too. RSVP to positivelypottstown@gmail.com ASAP.

Afterwards, head over to The Gallery on Highat 254 E. High Street for the opening of a brand new solo show – Fairy Tales Do Come True – by the artist DiGi. The reception there is running from 5-8 pm and it’s free and open to the public. Please RSVP by calling 610-326-2506.

DiGi’s show will run from September 16 through October 8, 2011. The show can also be viewed during the Gallery’s normal business hours: Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 4:30pm and Saturday from 10am to 3pm. The Gallery is closed Sundays and Mondays.

DiGi has an eclectic and accomplished background in a variety of fields. She has a Bachelor of Science in Economics/Finance and has acquired many computer graphics and foreign language certificates. She was a member of the United States Army Reserve where she acted as a Russian interrogator. She currently works for Vertis Communications in computer graphics as a premedia specialist primarily working as a Photoshop retoucher and color corrections expert. She splits her spare time creating works of art and teaching Middle Eastern Dance at local high schools and the Freedom Valley YMCA.

She has traveled the United States, Europe and Russia extensively, providing much inspiration for her work. She enjoys working in mixed media, including watercolor, colored inks, colored pencil, Russian lacquer style art, bead embroidery, bead weaving and tapestries. Her works have won many Best of Show and First Place awards, including Grand Prize for her hand-painted ornaments at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., where they were exhibited during the Christmas season. Her works have been featured in major periodicals such as Family Circle, Delaware Today, ArtSpeak, and many other local publications.

The Gallery School of Pottstown
@Gallery on High
254 E. High St.
Pottstown, PA 19464
610-326-2506
www.galleryonhigh.org

Gallery School classes starting soon – sign up now!

The Gallery School’s fall session of classes begins September 20. They have a great lineup of multi-week classes and one-day workshops–for all ages! Please see their website for a complete schedule.

Many of their classes have a minimum number of students they need in order to run. Don’t miss out on your favorite class!

Maybe your children would like to make their own Halloween costume and blow away their friends? Or maybe you would like to make your own American flag wall hanging? There are classes for painting, fused glass, pottery & more. Sign up today!
You can register online, over the phone, or in person at the Gallery. Questions? Please email!

The Gallery School of Pottstown
@Gallery on High
254 E. High St.
Pottstown, PA 19464
610-326-2506
www.galleryonhigh.org

Pottstown’s 2nd Annual Open Doors set for Saturday, Sept. 10th

 

Penn Street skateboarders

 Pottstown will literally open its doors to the community this Saturday, September 10th for a cornucopia of commemorations, demonstrations, displays, games, trolley rides, give-aways and more.

Come to downtown Pottstown for events from 11 am – 2 pm. The opening ceremony will feature the Pottstown Middle School Jazz Band at Smith Plaza at 11 am.

Afterwards, you can stroll around town and stop in at the Public Library, Tri-PAC, The Gallery on High, Pottsgrove Manor, The Carousel, Pottstown Karate Club, High Street Music, Farmers’ Market, Genesis Housing, MOSAIC Community Land Trust, PDIDA and the Hill School Art Gallery, to name just a few. There are all the restaurants and merchants too!

Then… Go to Pottstown High School from 2-5pm for more activities, food and fun. There will be over 30 organizational informational tables, displays of police, fire and military equipment, free entertainment, free food, a display of classic cars.

At 7 pm, the varsity football team will take on Pennwood (admission will be charged.)

Check out a more detailed, tentative schedule recently posted by Pottstown.Patch.com. And you can also find out about all the activities by checking out The Mercury’s new Open Doors blog. Last year’s Open Doors was a remarkably positive day for the entire community, and that spirit carried over to many events throughout the past year. Thanks to the many, many volunteers – being led by John Armato and Erika Hornburg-Cooper – who make this day possible.

Free financial workshops offered in Pottstown

FREE WORKSHOPS OFFERED IN POTTSTOWN TO UNDERSTAND CREDIT, LEARN MONEY MANAGEMENT AND HOME BUYING BASICS
 
It’s back to school time for the kids and there has never been a better time for you to learn how to handle money and credit.  Learn ways to reduce your debts. Learn how to improve your credit scores. Take charge of your finances. Learn what they never covered in high school! 
 
Genesis Housing Corporation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit community development corporation, will hold three FREE workshops on credit & credit repair, money management and home buying process on September 20th, September 27th and October 4th  from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at the new PDIDA Offices, 17 North Hanover Street, Pottstown, PA 19464. The workshops are free thanks to the support of Susquehanna Bank but seating is limited. Registration is available on-line at www.genesishousing.org.
 
The workshops are designed to help to:
 
·         Understand Credit — Information on credit scores, improving your scores, re-establishing credit, dealing with debt.  Workshop participants can obtain a free credit report with scores (Tuesday, September 20, 2011).
 
·         Money Management – Information on preparing realistic budgets that are more than just monthly bills, prioritizing spending in tough times and understanding how current spending impacts future financial options (Tuesday, September 27, 2011).
 
·         Home Buying Basics — Information the home buying process — finding a realtor, home inspections, Agreements of Sale, mortgages and first-time homebuyer grant programs (Tuesday, October 4, 2011).
 
Nikki Holcroft, an award winning and certified housing counselor, will teach the workshops. Ms. Holcroft has more than twenty-five years experience working as a housing counselor, mortgage banker and community lender. Ms. Holcroft has worked with Genesis Housing Corporation since 2001 and teaches monthly classes on credit, money management and the home buying process. Ms. Holcroft also provides individual housing counseling sessions to help clients achieve their financial goals.  Ms. Holcroft has worked with families to restructure their mortgages, avoid foreclosures and reduce their debts.
 
Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made by calling Genesis Housing Corporation at 610-275-4357 or online at www.genesishousing.org.
 
Genesis Housing Corporation’s housing counseling programs provide free classes and individual counseling helping over 4,800 clients. Monthly classes focus on topics not taught in regular school including understanding credit, credit repair, money management, saving plans, grant programs and understanding the home buying process including selecting a realtor and finding the best mortgage.
 
Since 1994, Genesis Housing Corporation has served Montgomery County as a 501(c)(3) non-profit community development corporation and is dedicated to the development of affordable housing and educating consumers on housing and financial issues.  Genesis Housing Corporation has been certified as a FannieMae Counseling Agency and is approved by PA Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for housing counseling. Genesis Housing Corporation is also an approved agency for many programs including the Montgomery County First-time Home Buyers Program and the Norristown First-time Home Buyers Program.  In addition, Genesis Housing Corporation has developed affordable housing by rehabilitating vacant homes and by building new homes for lower income homebuyers. Genesis Housing Corporation also renovates existing owner-occupied homes for eligible lower income families. Affordable renovated homes are currently available in Pottstown.
For more information on Genesis Housing Corporation programs, please call 610-275-4357 or visit our web site at www.genesishousing.org.
 
The workshops are sponsored by Susquehanna Bank and offered in conjunction with Genesis Housing Corporation. Genesis Housing Corporation is not affiliated with Susquehanna Bank.

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT THIS FRIDAY ON HIGH SCHOOL LAWN

Kick off the last weekend of summer with a movie!

MARMADUKE

Friday, August 26, 2011

8:00 p.m.

Front lawn of Pottstown High School

No Cost

Bring your own blanket, chairs & snacks

Call 610-970-6735 with questions

Mercury article features SCORE, next host of Positively Pottstown Happy Hour

As part of their “Positives in Pottstown” series this month, The Mercury recently featured the local chapter of SCORE, an all-volunteer business counseling organization. SCORE is an acronym for Service Corps of Retired Executives. This non-profit, located at 244 High Street in the New York Plaza building, is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year and will host the next Positively!Pottstown Happy Hour on September 16th. Read the article here. And visit their website – pottstownscore.org – to learn more about SCORE’s workshops and mentoring options. They are a great resource not only for entrepreneurs starting new businesses, but for existing business owners who want to brush up on certain skills in order to optimize their operations.

If you’d like to attend the next Happy Hour and meet the folks at SCORE, send an email to positivelypottstown@gmail.com.

 

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