April 11, 2018

Mixed Media: See and hear

This week’s Mixed Media focuses on primarily West Chester and Oxford as a few exhibitions are opening, some closing, and Art Watch will again provide listeners out there with a thoughtful interview on the Greater Philadelphia/Southern Chester County art scene. Let’s get started!

Tomorrow, Art Trust in West Chester will host an artist talk in conjunction with the final day of their exhibition, Circle and Square. The exhibition, which debuted in January, features the work of sculptors John Baker, Dave Beck, and Andrew Snyder. While all are sculptors, these three artists explore vastly different approaches to their media. John Baker creates colorful, curved wall pieces and vessels. His aesthetic is clear, succinct, and energizes each of his pieces in a unique way.

Dave Beck, a welder, focuses on the struggle of the process. Metal, an unforgiving medium, provides a challenge that allows him to explore his work through the present experience of its creation. Andrew Snyder explores the purpose of ceramic art in contemporary society. “How can we use clay in a way that comments on contemporary issues?…My goal is to investigate new methods while using traditional materials and creatively think about the process, which I love.” I look forward to popping by Art Trust tomorrow to listen to these three discuss their work and reflect on the intersection of their inspiration and and styles.

On Friday night, Church Street Gallery will host the opening reception for Teresa Haag’s new solo exhibition. Haag hails from the Phoenixville area, and paints large cityscapes in oil. There are a lot of artists whose work can be summed up as oil cityscapes. What makes Haag interesting to me are a few things. First, she creates order out of chaos. Her canvas, which is layered with newspaper prior to each painting, creates an abstract map onto which she begins to paint. There’s something to be said about creating obstacles for oneself, and then reveling in a final product that surprises its own creator.

Second, her work doesn’t read as a traditional oil cityscapes. The thick black outlines, unforgivingly angular subject matter, mixed with the light and airy color palette remind me of blown up scenes from a graphic novel, or concept drawings for a film. The business of the print of the newspapers she applies beforehand, register as lines, and add to the illustrative quality of each of her pieces. I’m reminded of the work of one of my favorite contemporary artists, Zak Smith. Although he mostly paints portraits, the application of their medium, the frantic and rigid line quality within the painting, and the bright, almost watercolor-esque application of oil is present in both of these artists work. Stop by and take a look at Teresa’s work which will remain at the Gallery through the end of April.

Stop by Oxford Art Alliance on Friday April 13th from 6 to 8 p.m. for the closing reception of Imaginari. This ambitious exhibition, curated by artist Rachel Romano, is a mixture of two dimensional, three dimension artists as well as poets. The roster includes: Carol Cole, Katee Boyle, Rachel Romano, Diane Cirafesi, Lauren Demme, George Dickerson, and Vincent Tavani. See this exhibit before it ends on April 15th. Word on the street is chocolate educator Estelle Tracy will also be in attendance. Stop by the take in the art, enjoy the reception, and while you’re at it, you might get to taste some chocolate as well..

“Impressions” is an exhibit of recent works by Jacalyn Beam is opening at the Barbara Moore Fine Art gallery April 18. Meet the artist at the reception from 5 to 8 p.m.

Jacalyn Beam exhibit to open at Barbara Moore Fine Art

Coming up next week on Art Watch Radio, WCHE 1520 AM, Lele Galer will host as she interviews Michael Norris of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. Tune in this, and every Wednesday from 1 to 1:30 p.m. to learn more about the art in your area! Until next time!

About Caroline Roosevelt

Caroline Roosevelt is a writer and artist based in Kennett Square, PA. She received her B.A. in Art History from Connecticut College and a Post Baccalaureate certificate from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She has previously written art coverage in Seattle, WA and Philadelphia, PA. She currently co-hosts Art Watch radio on 1520 WCHE.

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Chesco holds Landscapes3 sessions

Along the Ford

Chester County residents will have several more chances to comment on the county’s proposed comprehensive plan before it is scheduled for a public hearing and adoption later this year.

Visitors to the New Garden Township municipal building on Tuesday night reviewed and commented on the specifics of Landscapes3, slated to be the county’s next comprehensive plan that is expected to guide growth, preservation, economic development, transportation, and other factors.

Upcoming meetings will be held May 1 at the Penn State Great Valley campus, May 16 at the Chester County Public Safety training campus, and this fall in the West Chester area.

Landscapes3, according to Chester County Commissioners Chairwoman Michelle Kichline, seeks to “balance preservation and growth in ways that embrace place and enhance choice.”

“Community input is critical,” she told the crowd.

Brian O’Leary, the executive director of the county’s planning commission, reviewed the different components of the comprehensive plan for the audience. Those same components served as stations around the meeting room where visitors could leave comments.

According to O’Leary, the six goals of Landscapes3 are to preserve, protect, appreciate, live, prosper, and connect.

The preservation goal focuses on protecting and prioritizing open space, promoting stewardship, and looking at regional protection, he said. The appreciation goal deals with historic and cultural landscapes and looks at protecting town centers and villages, for example, and protecting viewsheds, among other things.

The living goal looks at the challenge of diverse and affordable housing throughout the county for people of all ages, O’Leary said.

The connect goal deals with transportation and how the county would hope to meet the transportation needs of the future. Some of the comments visitors had left at that station included addressing increased congestion during off-peak hours, train service from West Grove Borough, and looking at transportation options for Lincoln University students.

Also part of the presentation was a look at the various map overlays that make up the draft comprehensive plan. O’Leary explained that natural areas, existing land use, infrastructure, and current land-use plans were used to create a broad plan that identifies urban areas like Kennett Square and West Chester, suburban centers like Exton or Jennersville, suburban residential areas like New Garden and Westtown that are expected to see future growth, rural centers like Nottingham and Ludwig’s Corner, rural areas like Warwick and Willistown that are hoping to have limited development, and agricultural areas like Honey Brook and Upper Oxford.

New Garden resident Stan Lukoff asked about the metrics to measure the success of Landscapes3. According to O’Leary, they could include measures like percentage of land preserved or amount of agricultural land preserved. Metrics have not yet been developed to measure success in housing, transportation or the economy, he said.

“Once we have the metrics developed, we’ll be looking for feedback on them,” O’Leary said.

There is currently a 27-member steering committee holding meetings on Landscapes3. The county comprehensive plan is expected to be implemented in 2019.

For more information on Landscapes3, go online at www.chescoplanning.org/CompPlan.cfm.

About Monica Fragale

Monica Thompson Fragale is a freelance reporter who spent her life dreaming of being in the newspaper business. That dream came true after college when she started working at The Kennett Paper and, years later The Reporter newspaper in Lansdale and other dailies. She turned to non-profit work after her first daughter was born and spent the next 13 years in that field. But while you can take the girl out of journalism, you can’t take journalism out of the girl. Offers to freelance sparked the writing bug again started her fingers happily tapping away on the keyboard. Monica lives with her husband and two children in Kennett Square.

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Land Conservancy secures 200 more acres

Along the Ford

FThe White Clay Creek at Fern Hill — Land Conservancy secures 200 more acres

The Land Conservancy said the acquisition of a 180-acre property located in Elk Township. The property, which is located in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed will constitute TLC’s sixth nature preserve. The property was formerly owned by the Patricia du Pont Trust and the proceeds will go directly to support the work of the Trust’s equine and hound rescue operations.

The property contains historic ruins of the old Rogers Road settlement, woodlands, meadows, and is traversed by the little Elk Creek and its tributaries. TLC plans to open the property to the public by the spring of 2020. In the interim, TLC plans to offer sneak peeks of the property through unique outreach programming. This project was made possible by grant funding from State, County, and Township sources.

TLC also recently acquired a 20-acre property in London Britain Township, now known as Fern Hill. The property is close to the White Clay Creek Preserve along the middle branch of the White Clay Creek. Once a critical connector trail easement is secured on adjacent privately-owned lands, TLC plans to open the property to the public.

The property was formerly part of Good Hope Farm and includes the remnants of a mill race and dam. This is the first acquisition in a series of properties that TLC is hoping to secure in London Britain Township to create a contiguous conservation corridor aligned with the White Clay Creek Preserve which will not only extend trail access from the Preserve but provide greater opportunities for access for fishing and sport along the middle branch of the White Clay Creek. TLC leveraged funds from the State, County, and Township to acquire this vital connection to the White Clay Creek Preserve.

TLC’s forte is acquiring threatened properties and creating trail connectors while preserving the integrity of the inherent natural, scenic, historic, and agricultural resources throughout southern Chester County.

About Press Release

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Letter: School board and spending

Opinion

Spring is here, the grass is growing and so is the UCFDS budget. A perpetual and persistent cycle of finding more ways to spend your green.

Chrome books for every student (grades 6-12) topping $1.5 million yet parents lament the district’s purchase and elite tier college professors are banning laptops in class since they do not foster learning. Logic would dictate if electronic technology could replace traditional textbooks with savings of a like amount it would be warranted.

Irony is the only word to describe the upcoming vote for the million-dollar-plus “Chrome Book Technology Initiative” occurring the same month the district hears an expert on “IGen”– the electronic age students – about the isolation and depression of our current “connected generation”.

But wait there is more. A 10-year outdoor strategic plan, only covering three schools, with a community survey determining projects. Top priority was parking/traffic flow improvement at the UHS campus. Yet there is a push for additional turf fields carrying a price tag in excess of $2 million.

Don’t forget the International Baccalaureate Program waiting in the wings costing hundreds of thousand dollars.

Your school board representatives are the voice of district taxpayers and provide checks and balances on the administration. The administration is green-eyed with envy of other districts and feels increasing taxes, even when surpluses are being generated, is OK to pay for their avaricious wants. Contact your school board members ASAP or attend a meeting so they know how you want your tax dollars spent!

Jeanne Best
E. Marlborough Township

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

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Police Log April 11: From arson to attempted murder

Police

• An arson investigation has led to attempted murder charges. State police from the Avondale barracks said Michael Thomas Shelley, 25 of Oxford, was charged with three counts of criminal attempted murder, arson, possessing instruments of crime and criminal mischief. According to the report, police were investigating a case of suspected arson following a Jan. 19 fire on Pachall Mill Road in Penn Township. The fire destroyed two vehicles and caused major damage to a residence with three people inside. A secondary investigation of an April 4 break-in at the TJ Maxx in East Marlborough Township led to Shelley who was wearing a mask, blue hoodie and sunglasses walking around the store and causing a disturbance. Police said further investigation led to the criminal charges.

• State police are investigating the theft of four tires and rims from a Chevrolet Silverado parked in the 7000 block of Johnson Farm Lane sometime between 9 p.m. on April 7 and 6 a.m. on April 8. Anyone with information is asked to phone police at 484-840-1000.

• State police from the Avondale barracks said they’re investigation the theft of items from two vehicles parked at The Gables on April 7. The incident happened about 8:25 p.m. The unknown suspect — who police described as a black male, 45-55 years of age — made forced entry into the vehicles of two patrons and stole two purses. He then fled in a blue hatchback vehicle with unknown plates and in an unknown direction.

• Someone broke into the A Cut Above Longwood hair salon at 107 School House Road in East Marlborough Township on March 25 and took cash from the register. The suspect then cut a hole in drywall leading to China Garden and stole an iPad and cash.

• Sandeep Kondaveeti, 31, of Exton, was cited for involvement in a two-car accident on S. Creek Road near Stabler Road in Pennsbury Township on April 6, police said. Details of the accident were not available.

• A one-car accident on March 15 in Pennsbury Township is being attributed to careless driving. Police said Ibrahim E. Salim, 27, of Bensalem, was driving west on W. Street Road east of Brintons Bridge Road when he swerved into the eastbound lanes, crossed back into the westbound lane and then went off the right side of the road scraping a utility pole before striking a guide rail.

• A police report said Jaclyn Kershaw, 29, of Drexel Hill, was cited for following too closely following an accident on Route 1 near Chadds Ford Elementary School on March 13. According to the report, Kershaw reached down to grab an item in her vehicle and struck another car. No injuries were reported.

• Police said Ashley Adukwei Mensah, 22, was to be charged with retail theft after she tried to leave the East Marlborough Township Walmart with food she hadn’t paid for.

• Police cited a 75-year-old woman after she struck another car while attempting to make a left-hand turn onto Tullamore Road from W. Street Road in Pennsbury Township on April 4. A police report said the driver, Betty L. Warren, of West Grove, was distracted by oncoming traffic.