GOVERNOR’S AWARDS FOR THE ARTS
Jump Street Presents
For Teens By Teens
Photography for Kids
AND MAGAZINE PUBLISHER Christine Glover cglover@jumpstreet.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER Austin Fitz COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Joey Mower CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jada Baity Tess Berger Cara Glynn Jillian Procope Elizabeth Royer Briana Spears MISSION STATEMENT 1. To provide opportunities to regional teens to participate in all phases of the magazine publishing process, from writing and editing to graphic design, photography and marketing. Area professionals will mentor the students, providing them with marketable and transferable skills.
In 2008, local volunteers from the Harrisburg photography community partnered with the City of Harrisburg’s Parks and Recreation to offer a youth photo camp. Seasoned photographers provided a weeklong photo camp for youth to learn the fundamentals of photography through classroom instruction and in-the-field workshops. In 2009, a second photo camp was added to the program that focused on nature and wildlife subjects held at Wildwood Park – Olewine Nature Center. The success of the two photo camps provided the foundation to continue to offer photo camps for youth who have an interest in photography. The following year, an advanced Level II photography program was added for high school students. The Level II program was developed for the more serious student interested in the advance techniques using digital DSLR camera and equipment. This program provides a deep dive about camera mechanics, principles of design, lighting, advanced composition, post processing and optimizing photos, and printing. Today, nearly 85 youth participate each year in the programs. Photography for Kids (PFK) is the largest youth photography program of its kind.
the real world, it’s not common to be offered an internship; so I said “yes” and decided to try it. Also, I was having a really great time doing this program. This program is a great opportunity to help teenagers decide what they want to do in their life. I’m sixteen and still not completely decided on what I want to do when I graduate. I never would have thought of being a photographer if it wasn’t for this program. Once I go to college and start taking classes, I’ll most likely go and do photography as a hobby. This program doesn’t just give us an opportunity; it also helps prepare us for the future. School is hard, but with this internship, we learn all that we learn in a school year and a lot more. This art of splash project was awesome. If I could do it again, I definitely would do it. It was so much fun, trying to get a shot of a drop of water. At first it was pretty hard but then it got easier. Once you figure out how the time machine worked, it was fun. The time machine is the machine that controls the drops of water. Photography for Kids Participants: Mariesa Beneventano – Harrisburg Megan Kosman – Mechanicsburg Dustin Jarback – Enola Mika Joseph – Harrisburg Joe Binder – New Cumberland
2. To provide teens with a magazine that promotes healthy lifestyles and highlights the tremendous opportunities available to them in central Pennsylvania as students and future employees. The views expressed by the contributors of and™ magazine are not necessarily those of and™ publisher or Jump Street staff. We feel that it is essential for teens to have a place to express their opinions about their world.
Jump Street 100 North Cameron Street, 2nd Floor Harrisburg, PA 17101 1.717.238.1887 www.jumpstreet.org Executive Director & Founder Robert C. Welsh Jump Street is a nonprofit community arts organization that is dedicated to developing education and economic opportunities in the arts for all ages. Jump Street uses the arts to provide valuable career education and transferable workforce development skills to young people. Additionally, Jump Street provides arts programs for youth and adults, arts-based community service programs, grants to artists, exhibitions, and technical assistance to artists and arts organizations.
A note from the Cover Artist, Joey Mower – Age 16 – Mechanicsburg, PA This photography program is great. It gives kids a great opportunity to experience new things. I honestly wasn’t into photography until I took Level I and realized that it wasn’t all that bad. I got the offer to join Level II and I didn’t know what to say. In
717.233.0109 www.benchmarkgroupmedia.com
An Interview with First Lady, Susan Corbett AND: How did you become interested in the arts? Mrs. Corbett: The arts have been a lifelong passion for me, starting with my parents. My mother was a painter and encouraged my sisters and me in the arts...taking us to museums and shows. I started taking piano lessons at a young age. I started college as a piano performance major but switched to English, because I realized that I was much more of a people person and didn’t want to spend every day in the basement practicing. AND: Why do you feel the arts are important to the community? Mrs. Corbett: There is an intrinsic value to the arts, not just for the artists themselves but also for businesses that support them. The dollars generated by the arts have a positive impact on the local economy, and they become part of the livability of a community. People from different walks of life and differing politics can come together for the arts. It is of course significant in education. AND: Can you tell me a little about your experience at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh? Mrs. Corbett: I was working for the library when I found out about this new organization that brought in authors to do lectures and readings. I negotiated a partnership between the organization and the Carnegie Library. I worked there for ten years. It became one of the most prominent lecture series in the nation.There were programs for children and adults, as well as one for 20-30 year olds called “American Shorts,” featuring short films and stories. AND: Were there any artists that you particularly enjoyed working with? Mrs. Corbett: I would have to say the playwright Arthur Miller. It took several years of writing notes directly to him, because he did not have a secretary, but we finally convinced him
to come to Pittsburgh. The evening he presented was magical. AND: How did you get involved with the Pennsylvania Arts Council? Mrs. Corbett: Governor Schweiker appointed me, and Governor Rendell re-appointed me. When my husband became governor, I became the chair. AND: How are the locations for the Arts Awards chosen? Mrs. Corbett: The council talks to a number of cities, to consider who might have the resources to host the Arts Awards. The community itself must raise a certain number of dollars, so they must have the resources to execute the plan they come up with. We look for a city that is excited and ready. We used to host it in Harrisburg every year, but we saw that the same 200-300 people would come. We wanted to give other artistic communities an opportunity to shine, and to bring a regional component to the Awards. The Awards haven’t been held in Harrisburg for some time, so we decided that it was time to highlight all of the wonderful artists and organizations living and working in Harrisburg. AND: How does the Arts Council discover and choose artists to feature? Mrs. Corbett: Each governor gets to decide the categories for the awards-Governor Corbett introduced the Innovation in the Arts award. The Council requests nominations from all around the state, and those who nominate have to explain why they feel that artist should receive an award. Then the Arts Council looks at the nominations and narrows them down. Ultimately, the governor chooses who receives the awards. AND: What do you look for when sifting through nominations? Mrs. Corbett: Sometimes it’s very hard to decide. The hardest category
is the big one, the Distinguished Artist award. You have to be present to receive the award, and often the people who are nominated for this award have busy careers, and it has to match up with their schedule. The Philanthropy Award we enjoy giving to a local philanthropist or philanthropic company. The PCA staff is very good, very up to date on artists. AND: Is there anything in particular that you are looking forward to this year? Mrs. Corbett: The staff always does a great job. I think this year there will be a lot of variety in the awards, and I always look forward to meeting the artists. AND: What do you hope for the Arts Council and the Governor’s Awards in the next few years? Mrs. Corbett: In the last administration, the Council saw a huge cut in funding; two years ago the legislature almost eliminated the budget. Since then, the budget has stabilized somewhat. As the economy recovers, I hope for some restored funding. As for the Arts Awards, I am looking forward to seeing it continue to move from city to city, to get more communities engaged in its organization. The important thing about that is that it pulls arts organizations in those towns together and raises awareness in their communities. In some places, it leaves a lasting legacy. For example, in one city, the county began a special funding source for the arts afterwards. AND: What advice would you give to young artists starting out? Mrs. Corbett: You must have passion. Only a few artists achieve financial success, so you must do it for the love of it. One of the best things to remember, that I think young artists don’t often know, is to know a little bit about marketing. The ability to market yourself and your work is important.
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BY Elizabeth Royer | Mechanicsburg High School / PHOTO BY CMS
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LIVE: Band Rocks On the Stage and In the Office BY Tess Berger | Cedar Cliff High School Photos courtesy of LIVE
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The members of LIVE were not simply born multi-platinum rock album performers, but merely kids from York. Chad Taylor (guitar), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass), and Chad Gracey (drums) got their start at a York, Pennsylvania middle school talent show. A few band names and numerous CBGB music club performances later, LIVE was signed to Radioactive Records in 1991. That same year, their first official single, “Operation Spirit (The Tyranny of Tradition)” was released and quickly shot up to number nine on the Modern Rock Chart. Shortly thereafter, the up-and-coming band’s first album, Mental Jewelry, was released. But it wasn’t until the mid-90’s and the band’s second studio album, Throwing Copper, that LIVE achieved worldwide success and notoriety. Surrounded by performances on MTV, Saturday Night
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Live, and Woodstock’s 25th Anniversary music festival, LIVE was able to release four singles, two of which were number one hits on the Modern Rock Chart (“Selling the Drama” and “Lightning Crashes”). Over the span of 52 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, Throwing Copper became the number one album in the United States in May of 1995 and jump started LIVE’s career as a band, achieving rock stardom. This surge of success has led to 22 million albums sold, numerous hit singles, spots on the Rolling Stone and MTV celebrated list, and having one of the top 25 Greatest Rock Albums of All-Time for Throwing Copper. This past summer, they were a part of the Summerland Tour 2013, which featured reminiscent-of-the-90’s bands and their music.
But there is more to these rockers than producing hit singles and platinum albums.The Arts Innovation Award that they will receive at the 2013 Governor’s Awards for the Arts is credited to their recent strategic community investment. While maintaining their focus on performing, the members of LIVE expressed an interest in giving back to their locality, specifically in the towns of York, Reading, and Allentown. In the summer of 2012, Chad Gracey, the
drummer of the band, happened to come across an old, beat-up building on the 200 block of East York Street (located near their rehearsal studio). Gracey admits that he became enamored with the 100+ year-old, 47,000 square foot fixer-upper that would house their company, Think Loud Holdings, headquarters. By the time all of the renovations are completed, the former printing building will be home to Think Loud Development’s main office, United Fiber and Data (LIVE’s own fiber optic company), apartment suites, and a “luxury” floor as a treat to the band. That space will include a personal recording studio, a massage room, sauna, exercise room, and a designated space for LIVE memorabilia storage. The members of the band are proud to say that this building will bring over 100 jobs to the York area. Earlier this year, LIVE launched YRK, a local magazine to be distributed throughout York. Promoting the, “key enterprises associated with the rebirth and revitalization of downtown York,”
the magazine will feature a variety of York area businesses, ranging from local shops to up-and-coming restaurants. Four editions per year will be produced. LIVE’s upcoming projects in Reading and Allentown cannot be left out of the mix, either. Their mission in these upcoming projects is also to put life back into once energetic towns. Gracey, Dahlheimer, and Taylor hope the purchase of the former 110-yearold Reading Outlet Center Building on North Ninth Street will achieve this goal. With plans for residential units, a “family-friendly courtyard”, a tech company from their own Think Loud
Development label, a laundromat, a fresh-food market, and a parking garage, there is a little something for everybody to enjoy. Their third location can be found in downtown Allentown area at Ninth and Hamilton. Three of its 10 stories are dedicated to United Fiber and Data, connecting a 418 mile fiberoptic network spanning from NewYork City to metropolitan areas of Virginia. The company hopes to complete the first phase of construction by the end of this year, and produce several wellpaying jobs for local citizens. For Chad Taylor, success in both music and business encompass the same principles. “Both practices take discipline and hard work and tons and tons of energy, with a little bit of luck.” LIVE has mastered both fields and continues to make Central Pennsylvania a stronger, thriving community.
An Interview with Bill & Beverlee Lehr, Patrons of the Arts
AND: How did your father impact your career in art? Beverlee: My father was an artist who died when I was nine years old. He used to work a little bit in clay. AND: Did you ever think that your study of chemistry would lead to a career in ceramics? Beverlee: No, not when I was learning it. AND: You say that each piece you make is a spiritual journey. Why is this your belief? Beverlee: Robert Turner, a clay artist, now deceased, with whom I studied at Penland School of Crafts. I think how each person spends the time they have on this earth is important. When you use what talents you have to the best of your ability, then it becomes a part of your spiritual path. Art work is a creative process and inspiration is a vital part of that. Where does inspiration come from if not the unknown, unseen spirit world? AND: Do you think your pieces reflect on your personal sense of style? How so? Beverlee: Yes, I think this is true for any artist doing original work. AND: Did your love for ceramics and art in general inspire you to create The Bill Lehr fund?
Beverlee: Our belief in the importance of the arts inspired us to create it. AND: How did your wife inspire you to get involved in the arts? Bill: I can remember from childhood being inspired by music and other performing arts, but it was certainly Beverlee who stoked my appreciation for the visual arts from her early days as a painter and her subsequent career as a ceramicist. In terms of my personal involvement in arts organizations, that started with a call from Mim Warden, the then Executive Director of MetroArts (the predecessor organization to Jump Street), to my boss at Hershey Foods Corporation, CEO, Richard Zimmerman. MetroArts was looking for a volunteer board member and Hershey had, as it does to this day, a rich tradition of its employees being involved with the broader community. I “volunteered” and from that point was deeply involved with many aspects of the organization, including the facilitation of a region-wide cultural planning process. The resulting Cultural Plan called for the development of a downtown Harrisburg performing arts center and also additional support for the region’s arts organizations. One thing led to another and I was soon involved with the earliest beginnings of the organization that eventually evolved into Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts. That was a journey that lasted more than 10 years. Along the way and afterwards I had the opportunity to serve on a number of other arts organization boards; e.g., Americans For The Arts, Music at Gretna, Susquehanna Art Museum, Allied Arts, Cultural Enrichment Fund, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, etc.
AND: What makes the arts an “essential industry”? Bill: Let’s put aside for the moment the inherent powers of the arts to inspire and touch deeply into a person’s intellect, emotions and soul and focus on some of the practical aspects emanating from the arts and arts education. The very substantial economic impact the arts have throughout the United States is well documented on a continuing basis by Americans For The Arts studies. Perhaps even more important than this economic impact is the critical role the arts play, and will need to play increasingly in the future, in fostering innovation, creativity, fearlessness, a desire to push beyond current limitations, problem identification and problem solving, confidence and empathy among other traits and skills we all need for the ever-changing interconnected global world in which we live. AND: What made you want to establish the Americans For The Arts Foundation in 2007? Bill: I was very familiar with the power of a strong endowment to help sustain non-profit organizations through my Board work at The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC). I wanted to provide Americans For The Arts with a ready vehicle for like-minded donors. AND: What is your overall goal for the Bill Lehr Fund? The Lehrs: It is primarily for arts professionals to attend Americans for the Arts conferences. Professional development is essential for a field that depends on a steady stream of bright, enthusiastic, visionary and committed leaders. Yet, when budgets are tight, travel and conferences are among the first expenses to be cut. We hope that our endowment will help fund America’s arts leadership for generations to come. AND: Where do you see the arts in 10 years? The Lehrs: The arts will not only survive but thrive as the case for their importance is more widely known and embraced.
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BY Tess Berger | Cedar Cliff High School / PHOTO BY Carl Socolow - Socolow Photography
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Artists of the Year Award
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BY Briana Spears | Sci Tech High School / Photo by Nathan J. Shaulis
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This year’s Artists of the Year Award goes to Kathleen Mulcahy and Ron Desmett of Oakdale, Pennsylvania. Kathleen is originally from Newark, New Jersey, while Ron is from Clearfield, Pennsylvania. Though they had already met, the two became better acquainted at Carnegie Mellon University. They were later married in 1979. This dynamic duo are the cofounders of the Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC), a vision they shared in the 1990’s. The couple sought to create an innovative glass art center. In doing this, they would transform Pittsburgh as Kathleen says, “When the arts thrive, the area and the region thrive. Art tells others who we really are, how we feel and what we think of ourselves. By allowing ourselves to be fully immersed in the joy of this experience our ideas awaken from sleep and define who we are again and what we want to communicate”. The couple felt it was important to give back to the community. They sought to form an artist community in Pittsburgh so that upcoming artists would not have to migrate in order to find employment opportunities. Since the PGC opened to the public in October 2001, it has reached over 100,000 participants through classes, programs, and community outreach. Consisting of a school, gallery and green glass studio, it is one of the few public access glass art centers throughout the U.S. Over 280 internationally renowned artists have taught classes at the Glass Center
within the last 12 years including Gianni Toso, Dante Marioni, and Karen Willenbrink. As the largest organization on Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh’s East End, the Glass Center brought in over $20 million in revenue to Pittsburgh through its programs. Kathleen Mulcahy attended Alfred University, where she received her Masters of Fine Arts in glass sculpture and three-dimensional design. Though at the time, Ron was a business student as The University of Akron, he later attended Carnegie Mellon University and also received his Masters of Fine Arts. Kathleen uses her art to make uniquely poignant statements, while Ron uses the art of glass as a quest for perfection. Kathleen constructs her wall works of metal, bent and etched plate glass and hot worked glass drops. Ron, both a glass artist and a painter, makes mixed media sculptures and blown black glass. He seeks inspiration in nature by walking in the forest in search of contours to define the essence of his art. Additionally, Kathleen and Ron were named as Permanent Artists in Residence at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. For over fifteen years the two have worked as independent artists on several projects including installations in private glass collections, homes, offices, public projects, and solo exhibitions across the nation. For their great achievements as well as strong dedication to the arts, they are being honored as Artists of The Year in the 2013 Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Pennsylvania. AND Magazine caught
up with Kathleen and Ron to find out a little more. AND: What was it like for you growing up? Ron: My early years were spent in a mining town in Clearfield County my grandfather had settled there from Belgium. When I was six my Dad, with the help of my uncle, moved us in a Packard to Akron. My life from there was the American dream, solid work for him, sports, church and an understanding that I would go to college. When I think of my current work it is eerily reminiscent of coal that seemed to surround me growing up. I have been told that I started to crawl and take chunks of coal behind the sofa and suck on it. I also inherited from that coal town a work ethic that has stayed with me all my life and doing what you love is a great combination. Kathleen: My dad was a WW II Veteran and the family started in a veteran’s barracks on Roseville Avenue in Newark, NJ. We lived there because my father’s family lived on that street and my mom’s family lived one street over on First Avenue. My dad had a soda fountain, then a toy store and my first remembrances were sitting on the floor of my dad’s toy store. . . . When I was still living on Roseville Avenue my mom took me to kindergarten at a school two blocks away. The teacher . . . had been her teacher and now mine. Mrs. Berger noticed fairly quickly that I could draw and sent home a note that I had talent and should be enrolled in the Newark
wonderful to look at a sculpture or a painting and if you watch long enough the work can begin to speak to you, through the marks, and shapes and words that that artist was attempting to express. Ron: Art is a way of getting at the core of something that is beyond words, if words would do the job we would use them. It seems to me to be the part that makes us human, the desire to explain oneself to others, a way of dropping the veil. AND: What’s one thing you’d want someone to know about art? Kathleen: It surrounds us and I believe everyone has the ability to be moved by art. Ron: Look for the strength in the quiet. AND: What words of advice would you offer an aspiring artist? Ron: Stay honest to yourself and let the remainder come to you. Kathleen: If this is what you have been called to do, then embrace it, work as hard as you can to understand the history of ideas, the history of making things, and be unmoved on your path. That doesn’t mean give up everything for it, but, live in the world and make artwork at the same time. Kathleen and Ron have grown to share a strong passion for the arts. Giving back to the community by creating the PGC is just one of their many great achievements. They have received this award based on their skill, talent, drive, ambition, and the impact they have been able to make. Their achievements have not only influenced local art, but the entire art world.
Museum Saturday Art Program. With four kids that seemed impossible until my aunt volunteered to pick me up and drive me to the museum every Saturday morning. She would sit in the library nearby and wait for class to finish and drive me home. Many times we would stop by her office and she would have a sandwich ready and leave me free in the stationery room with a large unlined pad and pencils and I could draw as much as I wanted to. The world of art opened up to me as I walked through the gates to the children’s school past the artifacts and other wonders. These things weren’t a surprise because I spent a lot of time on the floor of my parents’ toy store where I was surrounded by all kinds of animals, talking dolls, artifacts of make believe! I was so lucky to have my aunt in my life. Without her I wouldn’t be the person I am today! AND: What does art mean to you? Kathleen: Art is my life. I can’t imagine a world without creativity, imagination and invention. I see people who leave a class or are working in the middle of something so intently and they are truly happy people who feel that they have accomplished so much because they were able to make their dream a reality. They are in touch with that connective cord that runs through humanity. From a child, I found the world of museums and people making things, inspiring. Even today, we don’t visit a city without going to their art museums, and of course I have favorites in the Carnegie Museum, The Frick and the Warhol in Pittsburgh and the Westmoreland in Greensburg. It is so
Whitaker Center Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts stands as the premier center for arts, education, entertainment, and cultural enrichment in Harrisburg. The three sections – the Sunoco Performance Theater, the Select Medical IMAX® Theater, and the Harsco Science Center – work together to fulfill the selfproclaimed goal of being a center for
many educational and cultural activities which enhance the area’s quality of life and economic vitality. In 1993, a small group met to discuss a center designed specifically for the arts, education, and cultural communities. This group was made up of various community leaders, business leaders, city planners, art associations, and a few government officials. They started planning and obtained funding through generous grants from the City of Harrisburg and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The project broke ground on Market Street in September of 1997.The doors officially opened on September 9, 1999.
Today, Whitaker Center is thriving as a multi- million dollar publicprivate partnership and it is also one of downtown Harrisburg’s most unique and exciting buildings in terms of architecture. Notably, the two-story lobby and public walkway visually connect the building’s disparate architectural forms and its three main entrances. The center has served as an educational resource for more than 450,000 students, and provides artistic outlets for people of all ages such as shows offered by the resident companies: Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Market Square Concerts, and Theatre Harrisburg.
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BY Jillian Procope | Susquehanna Township High School / Photo by Natalie Cake
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Distinguished Arts Award, Jerry Pinkney
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BY Cara Glynn | Cedar Cliff High School Photo By Thomas Kristich
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Art class has never really been “my thing.” Don’t get me wrong, I am someone who LOVES to be creative, but for some reason when it comes to making a sketch, or perhaps painting a canvas, my artistic ability drops to that of about a preschooler. I am in awe of artists and I always have been. It blows me away that the simple movement of a human hand can create such beautiful things. With that being said, you can probably guess that I was star struck when I had the honor to interview the 2013 Distinguished Arts award winner, illustrator Jerry Pinkney. Pinkney has been creating art for nearly five decades, focusing greatly on illustrating children’s books with African American and multicultural characters. While talking to Jerry, it was easy to tell that he is not only an outstanding artist, but also quite the inspiration to many students around the world. As a child, Jerry had trouble with reading and language but his learning disability went unknown and undiagnosed until much later in his life, when he found out that his reading troubles turned out
to be dyslexia. Pinkney didn’t let this challenge keep him from his passions. In fact, Jerry remarks, “The dyslexia forced me to lean very heavily on my artistic abilities for a sense of balance in my life.” He credits the disability as his driving force, which helped him to define art as a passion, and then to further develop it. This very passion helped him to become so successful. In addition to many of his works being featured at countless esteemed museums such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, African American Museum of Dallas and High Museum of Art, Pinkney also won the 2010 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in, “The Lion and the Mouse.” Especially in the days of unemployment and a recovering economy, many perspective artists may be skeptical of going after their dreams because of the fear of finding a job. Pinkney, however, is a shining example of how to go after a passion no matter what. He believes that “you can always wrap your mind around what could possibly happen in terms of setbacks
or missteps, but in fact if you love what you do, you can actually reshape those things to make them positive as a learning curve.” It is clear that Mr. Pinkney has taken his own advice into consideration while developing his own career. As a watercolorist and children’s book illustrator, Pinkney is able to put his visions into practice in countless books and exhibitions, including his latest, “Witness” which features selections from five decades of his work. His proudest accomplishment he says is the fact that, “the work is reaching further than I would ever have dared to dream.” With his books being sold in places like China, Brazil, Africa and France, it is evident that Jerry Pinkney has achieved his goals and reached success. What’s next for Jerry? Illustrating another Aesop’s Fable, “The Grasshopper and The Ant”, and working on a project inspired by, cartoonist John Liney to create a story based upon his childhood, which Jerry hopes can relate to many children today.
Q&A With the Award Object Creator: Thaddeus Mosley This year’s award creator, sculptor Thaddeus Mosley is certainly not a stranger to the Pennsylvania Governor’s Awards for the Arts. As a past winner of the 1999 Artist of the Year award, Mosley has not only been recognized as an outstanding artist, but this year, he is also lending his talents to create original table top sculptures for award winners.Where does Mosley gain inspiration? What is his advice to aspiring, but skeptical artists? Mr. Mosley explains all of this and more in his interview! AND: I understand that you first went to University of Pittsburgh for English and journalism. How did you begin you’re career in sculpting? What sparked this passion in you? Mosley: After I graduated from Pitt, at that time, there weren’t many opportunities in journalism, so I worked at the Pittsburgh Courier at first, and then as a postal clerk with the US Postal Service. But I was always interested in arts and in furniture design so I bought some Scandinavian furniture, looked in many of the pamphlets and brochures, and saw many smaller sculptures included. I then realized that I too could make small sculptures from wood, and that’s
how I began! AND: As a sculptor who was just beginning in the business, how did you get your name out to people and start earning recognition? Mosley: I always had a job, so I never depended on art fully as a way of making a living. But, there are a lot of art organizations in Pittsburgh like The Associated Artists and Society of Sculptors which I joined. I would submit my work and if I got chosen I would be in the art shows. That is mainly how I got started…just by showing my work in other art groups and competitions. AND: What is some advice you would give hopeful artists that want to pursue it as a career but may be a bit skeptical? Mosley: I always say that the first art you must learn is the art of sacrifice. This is not only in the arts but in any pursuit. Unless you are extremely fortunate, you’re not going to be very successful at first and in order to succeed, you must have passion and commitment. I think that if you are willing to work at it and willing to put in the time, you can become a pretty fair artist, and you may become a great one, but if art is something you really
love to do, then do it! AND: What is a quote that you live by that inspires your attitude towards art and life in general? Mosley: A quote I live by is to “Do what you love every day.” Don’t wait for a holiday; don’t wait for a special day. Every day is a special day and NOW is the time to celebrate your life. AND:What is your most favorite piece of art or accomplishment? Mosley: I have done over 500 or 600 pieces of art so it is hard to say which my absolute favorite is. There are quite a few I like, but I think is the length of time that I have been able to work is probably the thing I am most happy about. AND: How does it feel to come back as a past winner, and make these great awards for fellow artists? Mosley: It is always an honor to be asked to do anything when you’re an artist, and when other people feel that they like your work and that are capable of what they are asking you to do. Of course, I hope that the recipients, as well as the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts will enjoy the sculptures and display them as art.
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BY Cara Glynn | Cedar Cliff High School / photo courtesy of Matress Factory
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An Interview with Philip Horn, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
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BY Jada Baity | Susquehanna Township High School
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AND:What is the PCA’s mission? Philip Horn:To make the arts available to everyone in Pennsylvania regardless of their circumstance, ethnicity, heritage, disability or culture. We do that largely through supporting nonprofit arts organizations as well as art programs of colleges and universities, and other nonprofit organizations. We also support individual artists through our arts in education program and project grants. We are not very visible to most people. We don’t put on plays or exhibitions or poetry readings. We support other people in their communities all over the state to help them do what they do and to reach out to more people. AND: What is the Arts in Education program? Philip Horn: It is a program within the PCA specifically designed to bring teaching artists into schools as well as non-school community
settings throughout Pennsylvania. We find this program to be very beneficial because it adds a lot to the children’s experience as well as expanding the teacher’s skills. AND: How is the Arts in E d u c a t i o n program related to the PCA? Horn: They are our programs. We started it and we fund it. It’s our design and we select the partners. AND: Do these partners ever get together in meetings of any kind? Horn: Absolutely! Usually a couple times a year. AND: How do these meetings usually take place? Horn: Last time the partners met was in June in Pittsburgh in conjunction with the Americans for the Arts national conference. AND: How often do you and the partners meet? Horn: Once or twice a year. We also have a FolkArt infrastructure and we’ll meet with them once a year. AND: Can you elaborate on what the FolkArt infrastructure is? Horn: The definition of folk art is art forms that are learned not in a formal school setting in the way that you would learn to be an engineer or an actor. They are generally learned from an elder in the community. Folk art is passed down generation to generation and is learned through an apprenticeship of some sort.These art forms have a higher chance of being lost and so our Folk Art infrastructure’s mission is to keep
these art forms protected and preserved as well as have them shared with the general public. AND: How do the programs within the PCA get the money that they need to keep running? Horn: You see, we have a very large state and a very small staff. So if we want to stay present within the state, we really need the help of local people to do that. And so we pay them for that support. For example, Jump Street runs a process which we set up where applications for funding are reviewed locally. Based on that review, small grants are made throughout the capital region to support arts projects and ongoing programs. AND: How does the PCA receive the money needed to fund their programs? Horn: We have two sources of funds. One of them being state tax dollars through the legislature and another one being a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. We can use this money to fund our programs and special art projects in the state. AND: What is the Preserving Diverse Cultures Division mission and, since they are a program within the PCA, what do they do exactly? Horn: Again, it’s just a part of what we do to make sure that everyone in Pennsylvania has access to all kinds of art regardless of their race, geography or situation. You will see that, sometimes, there are communities in Pennsylvania that have less access to the arts than others and some of those are very specific to one culture or another. Whether that’s African American, Asian American, Latino, Native American, etc. We realize that if we were to stick to doing everything in the way we always did them, we wouldn’t be able to serve these communities very well. And that’s where the Preserving Diverse Cultures Division program comes in.
The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts, designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and to encourage citizens to read for pleasure and enlightenment. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with Arts Midwest. This year, Jump Street is hosting The Big Read in conjunction with the library systems of Dauphin and Cumberland Counties. We will be reading the Selected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers. All materials including the books and readers guides are free to all who would like to participate. Put down your iPads, video games, and smart phones and join us as we celebrate poetry, the environment and reading!
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