Spotlight on Art-Reach
Art-Reach Builds “Connections” with Local Artist
Photo by Paul Emma |
"I hope this show will affect young people who may believe that although they may be passionate about the arts, they cannot devote their lives to their passion because of economic constraints. The arts are a necessary part of our lives, and I believe that success, both personally and financially, can only be achieved if an individual is responsible to the gifts -George Rothaker |
Art-Reach is pleased to partner with celebrated local artist George Rothacker on his upcoming exhibit.
The exhibit, called “Connections: From the Inner City to the Outer Main Line,” is running at the Newman & Saunders Galleries in Wayne from May 10 to June 15. The show is a visual journey of the artist’s own life, from his youth living in Philadelphia and Upper Darby to his adult years spent in the western suburbs.
It’s a journey that Rothacker wants to share with today’s young Philadelphians. Says the artist: “The beauty of an area may be most evident in its social structure, its history, its natural bounty, or its architecture. Each unique experience realized from our environment, whether it’s hopping trains as a child, tilling the soil, playing stick ball in the street, or attending a social function, is a building block in the foundation of a life enriched with purpose.”
Art-Reach is working with Rothacker and the Newman & Saunders Galleries to enable young people to experience the exhibit and meet with the artist to help them realize the power of their own journeys and to inspire an interest in connecting with the world outside their own neighborhoods. Groups of Philadelphia public-school students will travel by bus along the routes displayed in the exhibit and then get a guided tour of the show from the artist himself.
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George Rothaker meets students from Philadelphia Academies to travel with them to the gallery providing a first hand look at the venues he painted. |
“Connections” continues through June 15 at Newman & Saunders Galleries on Sunday, May 10, from 1:00 to 5:30 p.m. The gallery, located at 120 Bloomingdale Ave. in Wayne, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or by appointment. Call 610-293-1280 or visit www.newmansaundersgallery.com for more information.
George Rothacker has been painting for more than 40 years and is the recipient of numerous awards for both his fine art and his illustrations. He has been featured at the Society of Illustrators in New York, the Philadelphia Art Directors Show, and in the Japanese Illustrators Annual. The sale of his work has benefited the Radnor Memorial Library, the Media Theatre, the Community Arts Center, the Media Fellowship House, the Delaware County Historical Society, Eastern University and the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, PA, as well as many other local charities. He lives in Radnor, PA, with his artist wife, Barbara, owner of a graphic design firm in Radnor called Carriage House Design. For more information visit www.GeorgeRothacker.com
Art-Reach enriches lives by connecting underserved audiences with cultural experiences so that they may enjoy and benefit from the transformative powers of the arts. Founded in 1986, Art-Reach is the only organization in the Philadelphia region solely devoted to increasing cultural participation among all traditionally underserved audiences and is a recognized leader in the field of cultural accessibility, serving over 15,000 people a year.
The Radnor High School Scholarship Fund is a volunteer organization that for the last 42 years has helped Radnor High School graduates to further their education with need-based scholarships.
Philadelphia Foundation Awards Art-Reach $21,000 Grant
Art-Reach is honored to accept a $21,000 grant of general operating support from the William C. Schmid and Emma Schmid (nee Rentschler) Memorial Fund and the Eleanor M. Mathers Fund of The Philadelphia Foundation. Announcement of the grant was made by R. Andrew Swinney, President of the Foundation, whose Board of Managers approved the grant on April 7, 2009.
Through a rigorous review process, the Philadelphia Foundation determined that Art-Reach meets the high-performance standards of healthy nonprofit organizations. This grant will allow Art-Reach to continue serving its member agencies and arts partners and advocating for cultural access for all. “We’re thrilled the Philadelphia Foundation has recognized the unique and vital role Art-Reach plays in providing cultural experiences to thousands of our region’s neediest citizens,” says Michael Norris, Executive Director. “Over the next year, Art-Reach will utilize these funds to deepen relationships with arts partners, present personalized supplementary educational opportunities with live arts events, and support organizational operations.”
Generous support from foundations, corporations, and individual donors is what keeps Art-Reach alive and thriving. No contribution is too small to make an impact! If you’d like to make a gift to help us bring the arts to underserved audiences, please contact Development Manager Sage Young at 215-568-2115, ext. 2 or syoung@art-reach.org.
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