Last week on a sunny spring morning, the folks at Tellus360 unveiled their latest initiative, the Amplification Project, on the green roof at their retail location at 24 East King St., Lancaster. Joe Devoy, president, Mairtin Lally, general manager, and Mike McMonagle, public relations manager, each took a few minutes to share the history of Tellus360 and talk about how the business has evolved since opening its doors in November 2010.

Shortly after the retail store welcomed the public to browse its very eclectic collection of re-used and environmentally sustainable products, Tellus360 began hosting TableTop Sessions, monthly intimate concerts that include a community potluck. Then they installed an art gallery, Gallery360, and began to host fundraiser events, environmental presentations, writing workshops, and more. It didn’t take long for the energetic and ambitious team to realize that their mission is much larger than recycling building materials into eco-friendly decor. They began to explore ideas to maximize their incredible space and increase their involvement and facilitation of the local arts and music scene. Those ideas become the Amplification Project.

Devoy, Lally, & McMonagle unveiling the Amplification Project

Later this month, Tellus360 will begin to overhaul the entire interior of their building. The result will include four music venues, a state-of-the-art recording studio, space for special events like weddings, meetings, and fundraisers, a locally sourced organic food bar, and several art galleries. All of this will be in addition to their already popular retail store.

Along with the physical changes in the store, Tellus360 will also be rolling out three new concepts that encompass their overall mission: Tellus360 Market, Tellus360 Gatherings, and Tellus360 Design+Build. The market concept includes enhanced shopping experiences both online and in the store, gatherings covers all of the events planned for the new spaces, and design+build allows a behind the scenes look at the reclaimed wood projects that the Tellus360 workshop is creating.

At Wood Stove House, we’re excited about everything that Tellus360 is bringing to the community, but mostly the Tellus360 Gatherings, and particularly the new music and performing arts venues. Here’s a summary of what to expect.

The main floor of the building, where the TableTop Session concerts have been held, will be converted into a 150 seat capacity “pub” with a permanent stage in the King St. front window and a new mezzanine that will cover the back 3rd of the space. Irish and local craft beers will be featured at the bar, which will be open during performances. The rear two-thirds of the main floor will be converted into a single 500+ seat music venue that will feature nationally touring acts and be decked out with the best sound equipment available from Clair Global. Sharing the second floor of the building with an updated retail space will be a 200 seat listening room for intimate seated concerts. Finally, a limited number of special events will take place  on the building’s green roof.

3D render of the 150 seat “pub”

Of course, Tellus360 will be bringing its unique spin to all of these upcoming events, such as eco-friendly ticketing. Food service will be provided by The Scarlet Runner, a Lancaster caterer who uses 90%+ locally sourced ingredients. The building will even include a full blown state-of-the-art recording studio in the basement that will be wired up to the main music venue for live performance recording.

If you’ve been in Lancaster any amount of time over the past several years, you know that there’s an incredible amount of creative energy bubbling around the art and music scene. Tellus360 is focusing on that creative energy and amplifying it for the benefit of the entire community. Stayed tuned over the next several months for more details as we watch this exciting new initiative unfold right here in Lancaster!

Find more photos, 3D renders, and details about the Tellus360 Amplification Project at their special blog and visit their website for all things Tellus360.

Laura Kendall is the Director of The Winter Center, the Millersville University visual and performing arts center on the university’s main campus. The brand new, state of the art building opened at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. Between this space and The Ware Center, the university’s downtown Lancaster visual performing arts center, MU has provided an overwhelming amount of arts activities and events that benefit the entire Lancaster community.

As the 2012-2013 school year comes to a close, I had a chance to sit down with Laura for a little bit of the history around the new space, and her experience moving to Lancaster and working with the students and faculty.

Scroll to the bottom of this post to hear the episode!

A Modern Look at Classic Albums

John Modern is a Religious Studies professor at Franklin and Marshall College and the co-host of Solid Side Vinyl with Jeremy Seedorf, Thursdays from 9 to 11pm on WFNM 89.1 (on summer break until September 2013). Today John takes a look at the 1981 album from The Velvet Underground called White Light / White Heat.

Other Upcoming Events

• Modern Art presents the Second Hand Suits, Tuesday, May 21 @ 7 pm at 529 W. Chestnut St., Lancaster. $10-$15 DONATION
• Lancaster Dispensing Co. presents Mark DeRose & The Dreadnought Brigade, Friday, May 24 @ 9:30 pm at 33-35 Market St., Lancaster. $5
• The PA Renaissance Faire presents FlavorFest, Saturday and Sunday, May 25-26 @ 11 am to 5 pm at 2775 Lebanon Road
  Manheim. FREE

* Additional music in today’s episode from Jon Chinn.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE:

Lancaster artist and curator of the college’s Phillips Gallery, Claire Giblin, has lent a hand in curating and organizing the show – one that promises to continue Dogstar’s run of wonderful and varied art offerings which have included shows by Root 222, young artists at the Lancaster Cooperative Preschool and the zombie graphic novel art of Jeff McComsey. Dammit – it’s a stellar gallery.

The Bodies of Art group began 40 years ago when sculptor and former F&M College professor, Linda Cunningham, invited Grga Crnkovic, Mary Elizabeth Patton and others to meet in her studio and draw the human figure from life. Since first coming together, this autonomous and loosely organized collection of artists has participated in sessions where there is no teacher and no strict format or structure. Crnkovic and Patton each have pieces in the current show.

Over the past 40 years, Bodies of Art has only presented four public group shows and the show at Dogstar is, indeed, a rare opportunity to see works which draw from the same raw inspiration, but are executed from very different points of view. Paint, oil pastel, graphite and ink are some of the media this group has employed to create an absolutely wonderful collection of pieces that explore the human form. Several studies and sketch books are included in the exhibition and these offer the visitor a glimpse into the artistic process.

Some very notable Lancaster artists count themselves as members of this group and Bodies of Art is a must-see for folks interested in what is happening on the Lancaster arts scene. Get there!

Bodies of Art opens with a reception this Friday, May 17 (5-8 pm) and runs through June 22. A First Friday reception will take place on June 7 (5-8 pm). Light refreshments will be served at both receptions.

Bodies of Art includes work by Grga Crnkovic, Mary Elizabeth Patton, Tom dePaul, Charles Swisher, Marie Reigle, Joanne Young Stephen, Abby Rudisill, Merry Mark, Elena Wolman, Carol Galligan, David Stallings, Bob Hammer, Bob Ibold, and Claire Giblin.

Dogstar Books is located at 401 W. Lemon Street in Lancaster. Tuesday – Saturday, 10 – 5 pm. Sunday & Monday, 11-3 pm.

Laura Howell from The People’s Shakespeare Project

Laura Howell is the Executive Director of The People’s Shakespeare Project, a non-profit organization founded in 2006, that is committed to help foster a love of Shakespeare through performance and performance-based instruction. Laura joined me for a conversation about all of the great productions and programs that she and The People’s Shakespeare Project are involved in along with conversation about the evolving theatre scene here in Lancaster over the past couple decades. Learn more about this organization at PeoplesShakepeareProject.org or connect with them on Facebook.

Information about Camp Will, The People’s Shakespeare Project summer camp for middle school aged students can be found here.

Scroll to the bottom of this post to hear the episode!

Mickel Time with Mike McMonagle

Along with being an accomplished local musician, Mike McMonagle is also responsible for booking live music events at Tellus360, a Lancaster business that brings environmentally sustainable solutions to all aspects of living.

• The Chameleon Club presents Marco Benevento and The Slackwater News, Wednesday, May 15 @ 8pm at 223 N. Water St., Lancaster. $10/$12 TICKETS
• Lancaster Dispensing Co. presents New Sweden, Saturday, May 18 @ 9:30 pm at 33-35 N. Market St., Lancaster. $5
• The Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center presents Josh Ritter, Tuesday, May 21 @ 8 pm at 50 N George Street, York. DETAILS
• PA Renaissance Faire presents FlavorFest, Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 @ 11 am to 5 pm at 2775 Lebanon Road, Manheim, PA. FREE

Other Upcoming Events

• Series42, Music for Everyone, and MOOSE present Music Friday in Lancaster with Toy Soldiers and The Lawsuits, Friday, May 17 at Binn’s Park, Lancaster. FREE
• Chestnut House Concerts present Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys, Friday, May 17 @ 6 pm at 603 W. Chestnut, Lancaster. DETAILS & RESERVATIONS
• Live From the Cellar presents Adam Taylor and James Mclaughlin, Friday May 17 @ 7:30 pm at 145 E. Ross St., Lancaster. DETAILS
• McCleary’s Pub presents Second Hand Suits, Friday, May 17 @ 9:30 pm at 130 W. Front St., Marietta. DETAILS
• East Chestnut Street Mennonite hosts Mandalele‘s CD release show for Riddled in Rhyme, Saturday, May 18 @ 7pm at  presents the 432 E. Chestnut St., Lancaster. DETAILS

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE:

Mark Heyer – Get Down From There (oil on wood panel 11 x 14 inches)

Lancaster Galleries has been a prominent player on the Lancaster arts scene for nearly 30 years. Indeed, there have been times when it was one of just a few galleries in town and it has been supporting and promoting some of the area’s finest artists long before they knew they were part of a scene.

Less a smattering of disjunct works whose aim it is to fill the walls, a show at this premier gallery often explores a theme or challenges the viewer to connect the dots between the wonderful works on display.

This is certainly the case for the gallery’s current exhibit, From Observation.

In contrast to painting realistically, to create work from observation, according to John Goodrich in his essay in support of the exhibit, is to create a “portrait, rather than the idea, of nature.”

Varied in theme and in the way their individual ways of seeing affect the scenes they produce, “the nine artists represented in From Observation remind us of what it means to see truly, and moreover that all painters find their own truths,” writes Goodrich. “In a sense, every painting based on observation tells a story,” he continues.

This show is an opportunity to not only see some powerful works which offer a new perspective on the world, but it also invites the viewer into the world of the artist who created that work.

In From Observation there are nine worlds to see anew and explore. Explore away!

Lancaster Galleries is located at 34 North Water Street, Lancaster, PA – (717) 397-5552.  Mon-Fri: 10 am – 5 pm, Sat: 10 am – 3 pm. From Observation shows through June 15 and includes the work of Michael Allen, Eric Golias, Jeff Geib, Mark Heyer, Mitchell Johnson, William Kocher, Paula Stark, Mark Webber and John David Wissler.

Podcasting at the Launch Lounge with Deni Gauthier and Ken Mueller

The Launch Music Conference and Festival took over downtown Lancaster on April 25th through the 27th. This was the 5th Launch Music Conference that happens each year during the last weekend in April. Along with our friends, Sam Campbell from Gigspots and Jennifer Dunn at The Candy Factory, the Wood Stove House sponsored a musicians lounge in the cozy back room of The Candy Factory on the 300 block of N. Queen St. in downtown Lancaster. We were set up all day Friday and Saturday for Conference goers to stop by for coffee, snacks, jam sessions, and rich conversation about music, Launch, and the Lancaster music scene.

Our guests on today’s episode…

• Deni Gauthier
• Ken Mueller
• Randy Bucksner
• Mike McMonagle
• Canyon
• Aaron Gagne
• Christopher Brooks
• Douglas Thomas
• Adam Rohrer from The Pig Merchants
• Mark DeRose
• Gordon Smoker from HickoryTown Ruckus
• Lijie
• Jay and Logan from Rock Paper Records

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Launch Lounge 2013!

Scroll to the bottom of this post to hear the episode!

Monthly MU Arts Update

We welcome Barry Kornhauser, Millersville University’s Family Arts Collaborative Manager, for our Monthly MU Arts Update. Learn about all of the arts events at Millersville’s visual and performing arts centers at millersville.edu/muarts

Tickets for all MU Arts events may be purchased online, at MUTicketsOnline.com, at the Student Memorial Center Ticket Office (Room 103, 21 S. George St., Millersville), at The Ware Center (42 N. Prince St., Lancaster) or by calling the Ticket Office at 717-872-3811. Ticket Offices are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Other Upcoming Events

• The Fridge and Series 42 presents Music Monday with the Second Hand Suits, Monday, May 6 @ 6:30 pm at 534 N. Mulberry St., Lancaster. $15 DETAILS
• Wood Stove House presents a house concert with Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart, Friday, May 10 @ 7 pm at the Wood Stove House, Lancaster. $20 DETAILS & RESERVATIONS
• Chestnut House Concerts present Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys, Friday, May 17 @ 6 pm at 603 W. Chestnut, Lancaster. DETAILS & RESERVATIONS

* Additional music in today’s episode from Jon Chinn.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE:

Who doesn’t like dousing a book in kerosene and setting it on fire? This is what a burning book looks like.

The Altered Book Project will celebrate a year of artistic collaboration with a First Friday opening at the Parrot Gallery at Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster, 328 W. Orange Street.

The project had 12 artists “alter” a book of their choosing last Spring and for the following 12 months these books made the rounds to all of the participants  – each adding embellishments and imparting their own vision upon these bound canvases.

I was one of the artists.

Among other things, books were burned, encased in concrete, crushed with a sledgehammer during a video shoot as Peter Gabriel provided the soundtrack, sewn up, glued, cut and painted upon. Books were respected as the important cultural objects that they are, but they were treated poorly, too.

Concrete is good for sidewalks. Not so good for books.

It was an exercise in creativity, but it was also an experiment in collaboration. Throughout the process artistis were given the power to undo or enhance the work others had done. All of those involved

understood that once they passed their work to the next person anything could happen.

What does it feel like to have one’s work doused in kerosene and burned in a barbecue? I can tell you that it feels great to do the burning (well, it did), but will the other artists think the pile of ashes that resulted are as cool as I do? We’ll see. I just hope nobody burned my book.

I was on the receiving end as well – my “concrete book” was deconstructed by another artist. To be honest, a good smashing was probably what that book needed as it turned an awful shade of ugly when

My book started like this. What it looks like now is anybody’s guess.

I was done with it and the next best place for it was the garbage heap.

As a participant, I am very much looking forward to seeing how everything turned out and to talk to the other artists and know their thoughts about the process and the choices they made (or didn’t make) as they altered the work given to them by others.

I just hope the book I started looks cool. ; )

The Altered Book Project opens at the Parrot Gallery at Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster on First Friday, May 3 from 5 to 9 pm – 328 W. Orange Street, Lancaster.

Senior Show and Celebration - Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, 204 N Prince Street, 5-9 pm

The PCA&D Senior Show and Celebration boasts over 60,000 square feet of exhibit space in what the College calls Lancaster’s largest single-organization art show. Works will be available for sale and include motion graphics, 3D works, wearable art, prints, photography, illustration, graphic design, package design, painting, and more.

I had a blast last year at the show and the breadth and quality of work is amazing. Artists are available to discuss their work and many are armed with business cards and portfolios and are ready to strike up conversations about commissions and graphic design work.

Indeed, I met Jess Slavik, ’12 at last year’s show and she has since designed several posters for Wood Stove House. (Read the post and see some of the posters here)

Go to this show!

Hole in the Wall Puppet Theater – 126 N Water Street, 6-8 pm

The Hole in the Wall is a true Lancaster gem and is right up there with Central Market as a must-visit spot. Robert Brock, Artistic Director, will conduct back stage tours and the John Durang Puppet Museum which boasts a collection of puppets from around the world will be open to visitors. Robert is a wealth of information about marionettes, the artistic process and the arts in Lancaster.

Visit Friday night and return on Saturday for a showing of Peter Pan at 11 am. Call ahead for tickets as the shows do sell out – 717 394-8398. Peter Pan plays through June 15.

The New School of Lancaster Student Art Show – Kevin Lehman’s Pottery, 506 S. Prince Street, 5-8 pm

The PCA&D show is not the only student work on display this First Friday as the New School of Lancaster presents its annual art show at Kevin Lehman’s Pottery. New School art teacher, Gwen Eberly, is a master at presenting inspiring projects to her students and the pieces they produce display creativity and freedom even when using the same media. Plus, they have fun!

Music will be provided by The Question, a band comprised of New School Students and lovers of rock.

Distinctly American  - The Lancaster Literary Guild, 113 N. Lime Street, 5-9 pm

This is the second of two scheduled opportunities at the Literary Guild to see this show focused on the literary lives of William Carlos Williams and Robert Frost, two Pulitzer Prize winning writers who died 50 years ago this year.

Fans of Charles Demuth will recognize Williams as the subject of Demuth’s I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold which hangs prominently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The show includes biographical information and photographs as well as letters, postcards, poetry and books representing these Pulitzer Prize-winning writers.

For a full listing of First Friday shows and galleries visit the LancasterArts website.

Lancaster ArtWalk is organized each year, once in the spring and once in the fall to celebrate the arts and encourages a fresh exploration of all that downtown Lancaster City has to offer. In addition to chatting with Nick, I had an opportunity to talk with four of the featured stops about the special projects that have prepared for ArtWalk weekend.

Spring ArtWalk Featured Stops:

• Modern Art’s ArtBike
• Phillps Museum of Art’s Curating the City
• Lancaster Creative Factory’s Hands On Lancaster
• Parked’s Photo Walk

Other Upcoming Events

• Modern Art presents Hoot and Holler (Boston), Tuesday, April 30 @6:30 pm at 529 W. Chestnut Street, Lancaster. $10 DETAILS
• Tellus360 presents Heather Maloney, Friday, May 3 @ 9:00 pm at 24 E. King St., Lancaster. $8 TICKETS (SEE BELOW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN TICKETS)
• The Candy Factory presents the Vinegar Creek Constituency, Corty Byron, and The Pig Merchants Saturday, May 4 @ 6:30 pm at 323 N. Queen St., Lancaster. $10 DETAILS

### Win two tickets to see Heather Maloney, Friday, May 3 at Tellus360 ###

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE:

As the sun sets on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, eleven stages across Lancaster will host 30-minute showcases featuring bands from all across the country for thousands of concert-goers. At LAUNCH over the years I’ve discovered some of my favorite touring bands, such as Darling Parade (Nashville), My Pet Dragon (NYC), Brooke Annibale (Pittsburgh) and The Ballroom Thieves (Boston), and I’ve discovered local bands like The Beggar Folk, who I first heard at LAUNCH a few years back.

Lunic Interview @ LAUNCH 2012 (Photo: Karlo Gesner)

It has also been a pleasure to record podcast interviews with many of those bands. Last year I partnered with Tri-State Indie in the convention center and recorded a two-part podcast episode. This year I’ll be hanging out at The Candy Factory with Jennifer Dunn and Sam Campbell from Gigspots where we’ll be hosting the LAUNCH Lounge from 9am to 5pm on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27. If you’re a LAUNCH performer and want to chill out, recharge your batteries, and network with other artists, drop by the lounge anytime on those days at 323 N. Queen St., Lancaster.

In the evenings I’ll be out and about checking out the showcases and performing with my band, Mark DeRose and The Dreadnought Brigade, on Saturday night at 9:30 pm on the MOOSE stage at Penn Square. There are several options for how you can attend the conference and showcases. Check out the official LAUNCH website for all of the details and an interactive schedule. Hope to see you at the 5th annual LAUNCH Music Conference and Festival.