Photograph courtesy of ART WORKS

Our local arts community is on the rise, and one of the places this is most apparent is ART WORKS in Johnstown. The offshoot of BOTTLEWORKS now stands on its own in its Cambria City location. And whether you are interested in seeing art or making it, ART WORKS has something to offer. ART WORKS includes four artist studios, a gallery, and areas for classes and performances.

Theresa Gay Rohall, Executive Director at ART WORKS, tries to have something new in the gallery at least every six weeks. The next gallery show, opening on January 21^st and running through February 26^th, is titled “Making It Better: Folk Art in Pennsylvania Today.” The show is a traveling exhibit about art and tradition in our state being brought to Johnstown in conjunction with BOTTLEWORKS.

“We’re going to have three of the five [displays] in ART WORKS,” says Theresa. The displays in ART WORKS will cover topics including “creating social changes and awareness,” “practicing spirituality,” which will be about Native American culture, and “living creativity in your world.”

The following gallery show, opening on March 11^th, will feature recent IUP graduate Heather Thompson showing jewelry she created for her Master’s thesis.

The gallery shows are free to the public.

In addition to the gallery shows, ART WORKS offers art programs to the public. “We’re working on things for young children; a mother-and-me kind of art program,” says Theresa. This program will be run by James and Beth Elston. James is also one of the current studio artists at ART WORKS.

The Elstons will also be setting up events called “Spontaneous Combustion” about once a month, which will give local artists a chance to come together. “There will be music and snacks. Artists work independently on their projects, but in the collective creative atmosphere,” says Theresa.

ART WORKS is located at 413 Third Avenue, Suite 100 in Johnstown’s Cambria City neighborhood. Click here for a map. Regular hours are: Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM; Saturday, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

For more information or to be put on their email newsletter list, call (814) 535-2020 or email info@artworksinjohnstown.org. Upcoming events can also be found on ART WORKS’ Facebook page.

“We are a little different than just an art gallery,” said Jessica Stewart, Activity Director. “Our mission drives what we are trying to do each day. This is a space for a very diverse group of people—not just those that are generally interested in the arts. This is for the entire community to come and enjoy.”

The organization exhibits artwork through both permanent and temporary displays, with new work brought in monthly. Over the years, the artwork shown has included portrait artists, mosaics, photography and historical exhibits, to name just a few.

But there is much more to the Arts Center than the artwork on display. In addition to the gallery, the facility features a theatre and studios which are used for a host of functions, including performances, workshops, cooking classes, lectures and more. “We don’t believe ‘art’ needs to be defined as ‘fine arts’,” said Jessica. “People don’t always see that the fact that their grandmother taught them to cook pierogies as an art; but we do.”

Another active part of the BOTTLE WORKS calendar is the various festivals they hold throughout the year, for which they select a particular ethnic group and structure a day- or weekend-long event around that cultural heritage.  This includes representative artwork and exhibitions and the availability of related music, food and crafts.

The exhibits are always open to the public for free, but there are fees associated with classes, etc. For an up-to-date listing of coming events, visit the BOTTLE WORKS “Coming Events” page (we highlight key events in the Do Johnstown! calendar, too).

To learn more, visit the official BOTTLE WORKS Ethnic Arts Center Web site. You can also contact the BOTTLE WORKS by calling (814) 536-5399 or via email at bottleworks (-at-) floodcity.net.

Click here for a map to the BOTTLE WORKS Ethnic Arts Center (which is located at 441 Third Avenue, Johnstown, PA). Regular hours are: Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM; Saturday, 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

The structure that formerly held St. George’s Serbian Orthodox Church is being transformed into a facility that is part gallery, part performance space, part education center. “We wanted to find a way to repurpose this magnificent structure,” says Adam. “The goal is to bring it back to the public.”

VOMA is more than a unique venue—it’s a part of the community. While primarily an art structure, the central theme is education and appreciation of the arts. Efforts are still underway, but the plans are firmly in place and will roll out over the course of the coming year. This includes a fine art gallery and exhibition areas for both music and performance art.

Keeping focused on education, VOMA will be presenting lecture series on pottery, fine art, music and even cooking. Adam says these classes “will provide an opportunity for local artists to speak to the public on their craft and their approach.”

On Saturday, February 6^th, 2010 the public will have the opportunity to support this cause by attending “V.O.M.A. Dawning”, a fundraising event held at Ace’s on Chestnut Street, Johnstown, PA (click here for a map) that will feature an evening of live jazz music, a silent auction and more. Complete details are available on the VOMA blog (see below for URL).

Official online presences for VOMA include:

• Web site
• Blog
• Facebook

Artists interested in learning more about the venue should contact VOMA by calling (814) 410-2245 or by emailing voma.arts (-at-) yahoo.com.

The Venue of Merging Arts is located at 307 Chestnut Street, Johnstown, PA (click here for a map).

Photograph courtesy of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association

When it comes to things to do in the Johnstown area, few attractions can match up to what the Heritage Discovery Center has to offer. The facility, located on Broad Street in the City’s West End, houses interactive exhibits, galleries, a café and a social club. Just in time for summer the Johnstown Area Heritage Association (JAHA) has unveiled two new exhibitions—The Johnstown Children’s Museum and “The Mystery of Steel”, a short film providing insight into the role of the city of Johnstown in the steel making industry.

As it’s the jewel in your own backyard that is frequently overlooked for no other reason than its close proximity, the Heritage Discovery Center is holding a free preview of the new facilities.

On Sunday, June 14th a Grand Opening celebration will be held from 1:00PM to 5:00PM. The Heritage Discovery Center will be open to the public to tour the building and get a brief look at the facility’s new offerings, which include:

• Johnstown Children’s Museum
• Iron and Steel Gallery
• Johnstown Discovery Network
• “Made in Johnstown” exhibit
• “Growing Up in Johnstown—1860-1960” exhibit
• Education Center
• Galliker’s Café

Children’s Museum

The Johnstown Children’s Museum is a long-awaited attraction geared towards children that focuses on the region’s heritage, community  and geography. “What makes the Children’s Museum unique from other museums is that our overall theme is an actual place—the City of Johnstown,” says Shelley Johannson, Director of Marketing and Communication for the Johnstown Area Heritage Association.

A special feature of the museum is the Inclimber – an installation formed in the shape of Johnstown’s Yoder Hill. Children will be outfitted with a lighted hardhat and sent off to explore mine tunnels filled with surprises. The exterior of the Inclimber features a replica of world-famous Inclined Plane, while inside children can use a slide to travel the length of the installation.

“The Mystery of Steel”

The Iron and Steel gallery pays homage to the industry that historically symbolized Johnstown. At the hub of this three-story gallery is a theatre for the showing of “The Mystery of Steel”, a short film on the Johnstown steel industry comprised of historic photography, reenactment scenes and footage shot at the Johnstown Bethlehem mills in the early 1990s.

Beginning Monday, June 15th, 2009, the Johnstown Children’s Museum and “Mystery of Steel” will be open for regular business.

There is much more information on the Heritage Discovery Center at the JAHA Web site (www.jaha.org/DiscoveryCenter/).

Keeping up to date with the Heritage Discovery Center couldn’t be easier. You can subscribe to their email newsletter (click here to register) and receive updates on Facebook (click here to become a fan).

The Heritage Discovery Center is located at 201 6th Avenue, Johnstown (click here for a map).