Bob White, 89, of Coatesville, died Thursday, Dec.7 at Freedom Village in Coatesville. Bob was predeceased by his wife, Patricia Moore White, with whom he shared 62 years of marriage. Born in Gallipolis, Ohio, he was the son of the late William Roscoe White and the late Nellie Woodward White.
Bob White
Bob served in the United States Navy as a fire controlman from 1948 to 1952. He attended Ohio State University and was a dedicated Buckeye fan. He later received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado and went on to become a vice president of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Bill was an avid sports fan, enjoyed reading, and loved to play both golf and bridge. He was a former member of the Kennett Square Country Club and also took part in the Kennett Koffee Klatch – a group made up of all ages dedicated to connecting with one another over a cup of coffee.
Bill is survived by two sons, William R. White of Exton, and David White (Suzanne) of Reston, Va.; one daughter, Stephanie W. Hoffman (Rene) of Downingtown, and four grandchildren, Kelly, Shannon, Maddy and Emma.
Services will be held privately. Memorial Contributions in Bill’s memory may be made to Kennett Area Community Services “KACS” PO Box 1025, Kennett Square PA 19348. Arrangements are by Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home of Kennett Square. To view Bill’s online tribute, please visit www.griecocares.com.
Elva A. Shultis, 79, of Kennett Square, formerly of Mont Clare, died Friday, Dec. 8, at Crosslands Retirement Community.
Born in Bearsville, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late Newton Shultis and the late Dorothy Shultis.
Elva earned her bachelor’s degree from Drew University and master’s degree in occupational therapy from Columbia University.
She was a research chemist and retired from Smith Kline French Beecham. Her name is on three publications for research done at Smith Kline French Beecham.
She is survived by her friend Lorelei McConnell and Lorelei’s husband Thomas, as well as many friends who appreciated Elva’s grace, intelligence and thoughtful search for knowledge.
Her Memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 19, in the Meditation Room at Crosslands, 1600 East Street Road (Route 926), Kennett Square.
To view her online tribute and to share a memory, please visit www.griecocares.com
Arrangements by the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home, Kennett Square.
Semi-Transparent, 2016 (still) from exhibit at Googleworks courtesy of the artist
Video artist Lisa Marie Patzer and I met back in 2009 where she was completing her MFA in Film and Media Arts at Temple University with a friend of mine. She was living in South Philly and had been creating video art and new media pieces since 2001. In fact, I starred in her video “BLOW: Bubbles.”
After moving away in 2011, we had lost touch, when I visited Heron Crest Studios in Aston. Researching local communal arts spaces, I poked my head into studios along the second floor corridor and stumbled across a closed door with a familiar name. I was surprised to learn Patzer had since relocated to Heron Crest.
I spoke with her recently to catch up and ask about her new digs, new projects, and what it is that brought her out of Philadelphia and into unincorporated art territory, so to speak. Since moving out to a small farm in Media, she’s started beekeeping which informs her work. Patzer’s video art is vibrant, humming, and focuses on the intersection of the personal and political, and the role of technology as a liaison between private and public life.
She’s currently working on a couple of new projects, the first in which she’s using a recording of bees in her apiary. Patzer explains she “is building an AP monitor which can block out certain frequencies of the bees and hone in on the frequency right before they swarm as well as recording thermal imaging to find where the clusters are.” The second project is a site specific video installation touching on the historical impact technology has had on the interpretation of the 4th Amendment, aptly titled, “A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy”. For those of us a little rusty, the fourth amendment is “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures…”
Heron Crest serves as editing suite and landing pad for digital computing. Patzers’ art life blends nicely with her career as director of digital communications for the Wharton School with University of Pennsylvania. When she needs to work on her editing, she takes the short drive over to Heron Crest. “It’s really nice to have a dedicated space where you can go and just focus,” Patzer explained. Although she doesn’t create the bulk of her video work in Heron Crest, she attributes the inspired and bustling arts community of Heron Crest for motivating her to consistently focus on her creations.
I couldn’t agree more. As an artist myself, I have witnessed the magic that occurs between the hours of 2 and 6 a.m. in a building with like-minded night owls burning the candle at both ends. I’m unabashedly using the platform of this article to emphasize the importance of affordable spaces for suburban arts communities. Can you tell?
Patzer has an impressive resume that expands beyond just the U.S. She recently contributed to a robotics festival in Vancouver. Last spring, she exhibited work in the 11th juried exhibition at Goggleworks another amazing communal artists space in Reading, PA which really requires an article of its own. She describes the work shown above as “the hard drive contains a trove of images sourced from various social media platforms and the AI analyzes the images using various automated algorithmic processes.”
Last spring, her piece, Profile Bot, was featured in the Philadelphia Museum of Arts’ Final Fridays. Most recently, Patzer received the 2018 artist residency for the Icebox Project Space at the Crane Arts Center in Philadelphia for “A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy”. Learn more about the project at http://www.cranearts.com/icebox/ and more about Patzer on her website http://lisamariepatzer.com/.
What a pleasure to write about the migration of Philly based artists into our neck of the woods, and to see the positive impact of our unique artists spaces, and more rural influences on previously predominantly city-based artists.
Ivystone Studios in Downingtown
Speaking of our neck of the woods, don’t forget to check out Ivystone Studio in Downingtown before the holidays. From December 18 to 23, they will extend their shopping hours to Monday through Friday, 4 to 9 p.m., Saturday, 12-6 p.m & Sunday (Christmas Eve), 2 to 5 p.m. Also benefit from their holiday discount.
Tune into Art Watch Radio 1520AM this Wednesday December 13 at 1 p.m. when John Chambless hosts Brandywine Art Museum and next week December 20 when local artist Rhoda Kahler hosts a segment on “Living With Art”.
***UPDATE: The amount of money raised as of Dec.21 is $41,825. The goal remains $80,000.***
A Unionville-Chadds Ford School District family is looking for assistance for two family members in need of medication, a drug the FDA declined to approve.
According to an email sent out by U-CF Director of Communications Dave Listman, UHS teacher Joanna Johnson has two sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, defined as a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association says DMD patients have a limited life expectancy. “Until relatively recently, boys with DMD usually did not survive much beyond their teen years. Thanks to advances in cardiac and respiratory care, life expectancy is increasing, and many young adults with DMD attend college, have careers, get married and have children. Survival into the early 30s is becoming more common, and there are cases of men living into their 40s and 50s.”
There is a drug — Ataluren — that claims to slow the degenerative process and treatment with Ataluren did give Elliott and Henry more mobility. But the FDA has rejected approval of the drug. There is an appeal of the decision, but the drug will stop being available if that appeal fails.
Joanna Johnson said in the televised report that the drug was “a life changer” for her sons, but that she’s “terrified” that all the positive changes will go away if they can’t use Ataluren.
According to CBS Philly — Channel 3 — “The FDA is expected to have a decision on the appeal around Christmas. The Johnsons are hoping they have something special to celebrate.”
In the interim, family friends are trying to generate support for a van that would help the family transport the boys and necessary equipment.
In his email, Listman included a message from family friends and supporters that reads: “Imagine how difficult it is when you can’t have your family just hop in the car and drive off to your destination. Imagine having to transfer your children from their scooters into the car, and then load the scooters in the back of the car. Imagine then having to do it all in reverse after arriving at your destination. Imagine having to unload the scooters and transferring your children back to their scooters so they can enter their home.
“Imagine the Unionville extended family and community donating enough money so the Johnson family could purchase a van to transport Elliott and Henry independently and safely. As Elliott’s and Henry’s disease progresses, the need for a van that two wheelchairs can get into safely is not a luxury; it is a necessity. And the necessity needs to be filled now. So, imagine being a part of honoring this heroic, brave family who deserves our support.”
To that end, a Go Fund Me account has been set up at https://www.gofundme.com/25daysofxmasjohnsons. The requested donation is $25 per person, more if possible, during the 25 Days of Christmas.
In the past 11 days, 139 people have donated almost $13,000. The goal is to raise $80,000, so the family can buy a van to make it easier to transport Elliott and Henry, their scooters and possibly wheelchairs.
The following animals are ready to be adopted from the Brandywine Valley SPCA in West Chester.
Peaches
Peaches
A gorgeous dilute tortie, 5-year-old Peaches is as sweet as her name. She’s quiet in her cage, but when shown a little love, she shows the true lapcat inside. Peaches would prefer a quiet adult home in which to blossom. Peaches can be adopted through Friday, Dec. 15, for a “name your fee” adoption price, then this weekend she’ll be adoptable at the Mega Adoption event for a $20 fee.
Petey
Petey
This little rascal named Petey could totally be one of the gang with the kids. Petey is a two-year-old lovebug who spent some time in a foster home after a fix-up for a leg injury, and the family was head-over-heels for him. Petey loves kids, and he prefers to be the only fur-member of the family. Petey can be adopted through Friday, Dec. 15, for a “name your fee” adoption price, then this weekend he’ll be adoptable at the Mega Adoption event for a $20 fee.
For more information, go to www.bvspca.org or phone 610-692-6113.
