GETTYSBURG –Current exhibits at HACC-Gettysburg Campus include paintings, photographs, a collection of illustration art, handmade pottery, stained glass, and an Underground Railroad quilt that was hand pieced.
All of the exhibitors have some connection with the campus, hence the title, “HACC Connections.” The exhibits are available for viewing through Aug. 12.
In the gallery hallway, Linda Wickmann of Nazareth, the mother of Heather Watt, campus admissions recruiter, displays her photos of historic buildings in the Lehigh Valley area of Nazareth/Bethlehem and “beautiful scenery and sites of interest from wherever my journeys take me.”
Photographer Ron Harris, an adjunct instructor in computer information systems, took pictures during a major campus reconstruction and renovation project in 2008-09. For this exhibit he chose representative images to show how the campus was transformed and to recapture the experience for students and staff.
Also in the gallery hallway are four paintings by Andrea Miller Theisson, a noncredit instructor in art, architecture and other creative subjects. Theisson, who describes herself as a “paintweaver,” says her expressionistic paintings and tapestries reflect her love of nature, landscape, philosophy and literature.
A collection of floral images in different techniques is shown by Beverley Bigham, campus program coordinator who also is chair of the campus Art Exhibit Committee. Her exhibit includes a silk screen of geraniums, a batik of ferns, and acrylic paintings of flower arrangements and a garden scene.
“The Palette Beneath the Giants,” a large oil painting by Brenda Marie Black, is described by the artist as a scene from Longwood Gardens in which “the sun casts a brilliant light upon the colorful ‘palette’ of rhododendron blooms and invites one to explore the brightened path beyond.” Black, an administrative office technician in the Academic Affairs office, is a primarily self-taught artist specializing in all types of paintings. She creates custom design work – decorative items for the home and garden.
The exhibit includes original illustration art from the private collection of Kevin and Leslie Boon. Examples include advertising and pulp art, book cover art and magazine illustration. Works range in age from the 1940s to present day. The exhibit includes a preliminary sketch from Walter Velez and reproductions by Kevin Boon, who is a local writer, artist, and professor. Leslie Boon is director of the campus Office for Academic Success.
An Underground Railroad quilt, hand pieced and quilted by Ruth Hagie Negley, also is displayed in the gallery hallway. Negley, an associate professor of biology, has been quilting since she was in third grade and is a member of LeTort Quilters Group in Carlisle. She has chosen to reproduce traditional quilt patterns which, according to legend, may have been used to send secret messages to slaves escaping the bonds of captivity during the American Civil War.
Intricate stained glass images depicting “America,” “Cowboy & Indian,” and “Quilter Scraps” created by Darlene and Ron Kratovel hang on gallery rods in the Learning Commons and fireplace lounge. The Kratovels started making stained glass as a creative outlet when they retired. “As the pattern designer of our team, I try to tell a story, convey a message or make a statement with the design,” said Darlene Kratovel, sister of Marilyn Teeter, campus director of nursing. “I select and cut the glass, foil and burnish the glass. Then Ron takes over. He solders the glass, frames, patinas, etc. until we have a finished product.”
Displayed in the campus library is a variety of handmade pottery by Willis and Denise Myers of Clay Craftsman. Willis Myers, who has been a noncredit instructor at the campus, has been creating wheel-thrown pottery for 20 years. His wife creates hand-built pottery such as bird houses and folk art, as well as paintings on pottery. Their exhibit includes both utilitarian and decorative pieces, some of which are for sale.
HACC’s exhibits are free and open to the public during summer hours, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-noon Fridays. The campus is located at 731 Old Harrisburg Road. For more information, visit www.hacc.edu and click on Gettysburg Campus/Events/Arts & Culture or call the campus at 337-3855.
