April Showers Bring?

Summer Rhapsody, an original pastel painting that I used in the promotional materials for Art Thrives on 45.

It's shaping up to be a very busy year and unfortunately I've just spent the past week-and-a-half sick in bed with the flu. This was not as I had hoped to start this spring, but I'm recovering and I'm beginning to get back on track with my work. I'm busy finishing up a couple of new cityscapes for my first show of the season in Montclair, New Jersey and I'm also learning how to use a new wide format printer that I recently purchased for creating my limited edition prints. In addition, thanks to help from my husband, I hung an exhibition of recent works at our local hospital this past week.

But perhaps the most exciting thing going on right now is my participation in a new endeavor called Art Thrives on 45. This idea emerged in part through a grant from the Pennsylvania Tourism Office of the Pennsylvania Office of Economic Development and several other sponsoring organizations, including the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, The Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania, The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, and more. The program highlights Pennsylvania artisan trails throughout the state. In our region of central Pennsylvania, this "trail" is Route 45. To borrow wording from the program's promotional materials:

"A trip along Route 45, also known as the Purple Heart Highway, is a 100 mile journey through scenic central Pennsylvania's Huntingdon, Centre, Union, Northumberland, and Montour Counties. It was christened the 'Purple Heart Highway' since the Route 45 corridor has been home to many recipients of the Purple Heart, America's decoration for military personnel who were wounded in combat. Today, Route 45 celebrates its latest incarnation as a thriving artists' trail."

I couldn't agree more with that last statement. Our trail here in central Pennsylvania may be the most active one in the state, with over 40 artists in a variety of media participating. The goal is to help visitors to our area explore the fine arts and crafts that local artisans make. Participating artists' studios are open during posted hours or by appointment and there's lots of great stuff to see from original fine art to glass, pottery, sculpture, and much more. To help tourists feel more at home, several Inns and Beds and Breakfasts are partnering with the program and there are some unique festivals throughout the year, including the Iron Heritage Festival, the Bellefonte Victorian Christmas, and the Lewisburg Arts Festival. So, the next time you're visiting this area, I hope that you'll check out the great cultural offerings available here.