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Morning Call: Arts Spotlight – Sketched Out in Bethlehem
October 16th, 2018 | In The News
See how a single stroke of a pencil can transform into a stunning composition in a new exhibit presented by Historic Bethlehem at two of its sites.
“Sketched Out: The Humble Beginnings of a Masterpiece” features a display of rarely seen sketches and sketchbooks by historic and contemporary local artists.
A highlight is the work of Gustav Grunewald, who arrived in Moravian Bethlehem in 1833 from central Europe, became an instructor at Moravian College and found his passion in landscapes.
Grunewald’s sketches can be seen at the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem. As beautiful as the finished pieces, they capture his his arrangement of plant life, depictions of nature’s great power, wispy and delicate marks, and hidden symbolism.
Explore a variety of artistic approaches at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Art. On display are design tracings by Mae Erdman, a historic artist best known for her hand-painted china. Explore the thought process of designer Joseph Cantieni, whose textile designs were inspired by steel. See embroidery plans from students at the Ladies Seminary, City planning documents and building blueprints.
Also on display are sketchbooks on loan from members of the Lehigh Art Alliance and Bethlehem Palette Club.
In conjunction with the exhibit, you can see demonstrations, still-life drawing sessions and other activities.
Still-life drawing sessions are 2-4 p.m. second and fourth Sundays at the Kemerer. Each weekend featured a different set of artifacts to sketch. Cost: $5 per session.
Artists from the Bethlehem Palette Club and Lehigh Art Alliance will give demonstrations on select weekends, revealing their process and teaching their style. Cost is museum admission of $12 for one site and $20 for multiple sites.
A comic-book drawing workshop and make your own sketchbook workshop will be next year.
The Kemerer Museum is at 427 N. New St.; the Moravian Museum is at 66 W. Church St. The exhibit runs through Feb. 24. Info: historicbethlehem.org or 800-360-TOUR.
ROMANTIC MASTERWORKS BY LEHIGH UNIVERSITY PHILHARMONIC
Dramatic works suited for the season are on the program Oct. 19 and 20 when the Lehigh University Philharmonic Orchestra presents its fall concert, “The Romantic Orchestra.”
First is Schumann’s heartwarming Symphony No. 4. The program also includes a dazzling suite from Bizet’s popular opera “Carmen and Saint Saens’ Halloween concert favorite “Danse Macabre,” featuring a violin solo by Lehigh instructor Michael Jorgensen.
“Is there anything more thrilling than the powerful and dramatic sounds of a live symphony orchestra on a dark autumn night?” says philharmonic conductor Eugene Albulescu.
The concert is at 8 p.m. each night at Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Tickets: $18. Info: 610-758-2787, zoellnerartscenter.org.
PROVOCATIVE PLAY, UNUSUAL VENUES
The Pocono Mountains Theater Company is producing British playwright Caryl Churchill’s stark psychological drama “A Number” with two directors, two casts and performances in the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos.
The work uses the subject of human cloning to explore questions of identity, family and nature versus nurture — what reallly makes us who we are? The main characters are a father and his three sons, two of whom are clones of the first son.
The play originally debuted at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2002. It made its American debut at the New York Theatre Workshop in 2004.
Directing the Lehigh Valley production is George Miller, with Benjamin Lovell of Philadelphia and Peter Sanchez, a Theatre Outlet veteran, playing father and son.
“From a purely theatrical perspective, George was fascinated by the sparse, powerful writing — no stage directions, almost no punctuation, totally open to interpretation,” says Kate Scuffle, dramaturge.
In the Lehigh Valley, the play is being presented at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 and 23 at McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub, 524 Main St., Bethlehem, at 7 p.m. Oct. 25 at Allentown Brew Works, 812 Hamilton St., and 8 p.m. Oct. 19 and 20 at the Ice House, 56 River St., Bethlehem.
The Pocono version, directed by Gillian Turner, is being president at The Cooperage Project in Honesdale, the Pocono Cinema & Cultural Center in East Stroudsburg and Shawnee Playhouse.
This is the second production that Pocono Mountains Theater Company, directed by Brian Long, has presented this way. In May, it presented a one-woman show by Jessica Dickey about the Nickel Mines Amish schoolhouse shooting in Lancaster.
Tickets: $20. Info: poconomountainstheatercompany.org.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND SALSA AT ALLENTOWN ART MUSEUM
You never know what you’re going to find at Third Thursday at the Allentown Art Museum, a monthly 4-8 p.m. event with free admission.
How about some salsa dancing? Learn and practice salsa moves with Ines Rivera-Maldonado in the galleries 5:30-6:30 p.m.
How about a film? At 6 p.m. there will be a screening of “Buena Vista Social Club,” a documentary that captures a generation of Cuba’s brightest musical talents, who go from the streets of Havana to the stage of Carnegie Hall.
How bout a discussion of the art of photography? Frame 37 — a group of local photographers that includes Luke Wynne, Theo Anderson, Ed Eckstein and photo historian Chris Karfakis — talk about “Photojournalism and Conflict Photography,” with special guest photographers Leif Skoogfors and Aimee Dilger with BuzzFeed News senior photo editor Kate Bubacz. This series is part of the museum’s Year of Photography, which includes the exhibit “The Soviet Lens: Photography by Dmitri Baltermants and Mark Markov-Grinberg.” The show examines the role of truth and censorship in the work of the two important Soviet photojournalists.
Other Third Thursday activities include a wine tasting with Franklin Hill Vineyards; an art and spirituality workshop with artist Angel Suarez-Rosado, whose “Talisman” exhibit of paintings, sculpture and found objects is on display; a guided tour of “Power and Piety: Spanish Colonial Art,” and Arts & Culture Trivia.
There are also events at other downtown Allentown galleries and restaurants.
Info: 610-432-4333, allentownartmuseum.org.
