Crayola Gallery Banana Factory Arts Center 25 W Third St Bethlehem Pa 18015
Photos Provided By Artsquest
Crayola Gallery in Bethlehem: what is information technology, you ask? Well, information technology'southward not where crayons are made—the Crayola factory makes 12 million crayons daily in Easton. But the Crayola Gallery is a bucket list attraction because information technology's part of the umbrella of ArtsQuest goodies housed at the Assistant Factory Arts Center.
And the flagship gallery is a cool, multipurpose creative infinite that features showings of varieties of media by school students, local and national artists, and is home to numerous educational programs. A characteristic of the Assistant Mill since its 1998 opening, the two,800-square-foot infinite with its angled skylight and outside terrace became the facility'south lead gallery on Due west. Third Street during a 2001 expansion.
"Nosotros expect for shows that really kind of command the room and activate that space effectively," says Lisa Harms, senior director of visual arts and pedagogy at ArtsQuest, the nonprofit organization that operates the Banana Mill. The rotating exhibitions, which change every 6 to 9 weeks, include an annual showroom by one of the Assistant Factory's resident artists, regional and national touring exhibitions, and ii juried exhibitions open to regional artists: Compendium, which is held every spring, and InVision, a juried photographic exhibition that will mark its 11th appearance in November.
"Nosotros get a mix of long-time participants and starting time-timers," Harms says, adding that between 100 and 200 regional artists normally submit work for the juried exhibitions, which feature betwixt fifty and 100 artists. "We've also done shows in partnership with Lehigh Academy," she says, adding that fine art professor Anna Chupa, a photographer, recently had a solo evidence on the effects of Hurricane Maria. Other display partners include the Lehigh Art Alliance and the Pennsylvania Watercolor Club. Later this twelvemonth, the gallery volition feature a showing past the National Association of Women Artists.
"We do a lot of school programming in that space," Harms says, adding that the gallery hosts field trips for iii,000 area schoolchildren each yr. "We have story time in that space, after-school arts programs and summer camps," Harms says. ArtsQuest instructors use the showings "as a catalyst for learning nearly a particular type of fine art," she continues. This way, she says, the fine art on display "serves as a launching pad for conversations and discussions effectually art and to engage audiences of all ages," including adults. Last year, yoga and art classes were held in the Crayola Gallery, allowing participants to "engage in mindfulness with the properties of the art on the walls," she adds.
Noting that the Banana Factory is 1 of the only spaces in the Lehigh Valley that offers public access to galleries daily, Harms says ArtsQuest has recently begun to offer docent-led gallery tours and intends to pilot a Sensory Tour to enable adults with concrete and learning disabilities to experience the art in the Crayola Gallery in a different way. Led by a board-certified music therapist, the tours will appoint visitors through music and fine art, giving them a "more experiential tour that will engage their senses," she explains.
The Crayola Gallery, a regular participant in the S Side'south Starting time Friday plan, offers visitors special activities, such as artist talks and trip the light fantastic toe programs, as well as a chance to visit the exhibitions, from vi to nine p.m. on the beginning Friday of each month, and hosts private events also.
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Although children's artwork has often decorated its walls, ArtsQuest's gallery is named not for exhibitions of crayon drawings, but in recognition of the organization's longtime partnership with Crayola, LLC.
"Crayola has been involved with ArtsQuest and our programming in the community for more than a quarter century," says Mark Demko, senior director of communications at ArtsQuest. In addition to providing fine art products and supplies for ArtsQuest'southward educational programs, Crayola supports the Crayola Inventiveness Tent at Musikfest; the children'south craft area at Christkindlmarkt and the Linny Awards, which honor Lehigh Valley artists, innovators and arts leaders; and employs one of the longest-running corporate volunteer groups at Musikfest.
Crayola was likewise one of the earliest investors in ArtsQuest's plan to plant a customs center on Bethlehem's Due south Side, Demko says, "We couldn't practice it without their support".
March at the Crayola Gallery
Visitors to the Crayola Gallery through March fifteen will exist treated to an exhibition of more than 50 pieces featuring a mix of techniques and media installed by the Lehigh Art Alliance, which has supported local artists with exhibition opportunities since 1935.
From March 21 through May 3, the gallery will feature its annual juried Compendium exhibition, which is open to artists living inside fifty miles of the Lehigh Valley. For this yr's exhibition, Compendium: Chroma-Color Through the Decade, artists are asked to submit works featuring a Pantone "Colour of the Year" from 2010 to 2020.
The gallery is open from 8 a.thousand. to nine:30 p.g. weekdays and from eight:30 a.thou. to 5 p.thousand. on Saturday and Lord's day.
Source: http://lehighvalleymarketplace.com/the-crayola-gallery/