1 week Ago By Reading Eagle
The Dancing with the Reading Stars: Battle of the Businesses event is set for May 2 at Stokesay Castle in Lower Alsace Township. Doors open at 5 p.m.
for a night of entertainment, food and lively competition as local businesses battle it out on the dance floor to raise funds for the Yocum Institute for Arts Education.(Courtesy of Yocum Institute for Arts Education)This year’s event will feature local businesses competing with a 90-second dance routine. In celebration of its 90th anniversary, all performances are ’90s themed.
Get ready for hits like “Ice Ice Baby,” “No Diggity” and maybe even some Britney Spears. Teams will raise funds through sponsorships and votes, with each vote costing $10. Voting is open now and will continue throughout the event.
Tickets for the event are $100 and include dinner, dance performances and access to the after-party with DJ Sir Hamilton of H VIDAL events.All proceeds support the Yocum Institute’s mission to provide high-quality arts education and outreach programs to the community, including scholarships, productions and offsite programs offered at little or no cost to those in need.Whether you’re supporting your favorite team or just looking for a fun evening, Dancing with the Reading Stars is an event you won’t want to miss.
For more information on tickets, voting and sponsorships, visit www.yocuminstitute.org or call 610-376-1576.
ArtArt Plus Gallery, 604 Penn Ave., West Reading, presents “Wandering But Not Lost: Painting Between the Worlds — The Art of Karen Weber,” a captivating solo exhibition by artist Karen Weber of St. Lawrence.
An exhibition by Karen Weber will be on display at Art Plus Gallery in West Reading. (Courtesy of Karen Weber)This collection, on display from May 1-31, with the opening reception on May 9 from 5-8 p.m.
, invites visitors into a whimsical and thought-provoking world of transformation, storytelling, and imaginative wonder.“Unfolding Stories” by Karen Weber. (Courtesy of Karen Weber)Weber’s latest work combines vibrant landscapes, animal motifs and symbolic elements that explore the balance between fate and free will.
Using oil paints and alla prima techniques, each piece serves as a narrative, challenging the viewer to consider the journey between worlds — both literal and metaphorical.“I’ve been drawn to imagery that captures transition, growth, and the power of choices,” Weber said. “This exhibition reflects the shifts I’ve experienced in my life, both personal and artistic, as well as my fascination with the mysterious threads that connect us all.
”The exhibition also introduces new works inspired by the themes of bees, spiders and books— recurring symbols that have woven their way into Weber’s creative process, offering subtle clues to the viewer’s own inner exploration.For more information, visit www.karenweberfineart.
com or contact [email protected].•••The Reading Public Museum has announced the acquisition of a rare and important plasterwork frame to house its portrait of George Washington by painter Gilbert Stuart.
The painting and its new frame are on display in the museum’s Jerome I. Marcus American Art Gallery.“George Washington” by Gilbert Stuart, circa.
1795, pictured in its new frame, is on display at the Reading Public Museum. (Courtesy of the Reading Public Museum)The museum’s Curatorial Department frequently peruses auction catalogues to keep abreast of art market trends, and to spot potential acquisitions that will soon cross the auction block.In one such search, a museum-quality ornate plasterwork frame decorated with an eagle, stars and American flag motifs and bearing a plaque with the artist’s name, Gilbert Stuart, captured the attention of Director Geoff Fleming.
Since 1939, a bust-length portrait of George Washington (referred to as The Jonas Miller-Cake-Joseph Stewart Portrait) by famed American portraitist Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828) has been an important part of the museum’s American art collection.The portrait was previously housed in a worn, plaster poor quality frame that had lost much of its original gilding. As luck would have it, the dimensions of The Museum’s portrait perfectly aligned with the frame coming up at auction.
The overall grandeur, matching size, presidential theme and the artist’s name on the plaque made acquiring this frame an opportunity that could not be missed. On Jan. 18, after back-and-forth bidding, the Reading Public Museum was victorious.
“The moment that I saw the frame, it struck me as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire something of this importance and quality for our Gilbert Stuart portrait,” Fleming said. “We are so delighted to have beaten out so many other bidders to win this for the museum and our community.”The frame dates to the middle of the 19th century and once was owned by the noted Washington, D.
C., art dealer Victor G. Fisher.
Victor Geza Fisher (1848–1925), born Victor Fischer in Budapest in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, immigrated to the United States and became a naturalized citizen in 1886. He was an artist and owner of the Victor G. Fisher Art Company on Fifteenth Street in Washington, which specialized in old master paintings.
The painting will be on display through August.The Reading Public Museum, 500 Museum Road, is open daily from 11 a.m.
-5 p.m. Admission per day is $10 adults (18-64), $6 children/seniors/college students (with ID) and free to members and children 3 and under.
Visit online at www.readingpublicmuseum.org.
MusicThe Wheatland Chorale presents Serenade to Music on April 27 at 3 p.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church, 5 Wyomissing Blvd.
, Wyomissing.(Courtesy of The Wheatland Chorale)The Wheatland Chorale, under the direction of Artistic Director David J. Fitzpatrick, will weave a rich tapestry of choral compositions that reflect the profound impact music has on all our lives.
Experience the effervescent joy of young love, the tranquility of divine comfort and the timelessness of nature’s song.In addition to Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Serenade to Music, they will present music from Aaron Copland, composers with roots in Philadelphia and York and works by some of today’s leading composers, all exploring music’s place in the human experience.Tickets may be purchased at the concert venue with cash, check or credit card.
General admission tickets are $25, group sales (6 or more) $20 per ticket and students (with ID) $10. Children under 12 are free. For advance tickets and additional information, go to www.
wheatlandchorale.org.•••A continuing education service of the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture in cooperation with the Reading Symphony Orchestra League will present Know Your Symphony Lecture Series on April 23 at 7:30 p.
m. at The Highlands, 2000 Cambridge Ave., Wyomissing.
The lecturer will be David Himes, educational manager of the RSO.EventsThe Santander Arena in Reading has announced the following shows:• Zach Williams & Friends, Sept. 14: Williams is an American Christian rock artist from Jonesboro, Ark.
From 2007 through 2012 he was a member and lead vocalist of Zach Williams & The Reformation. He was also the lead singer of the Christian group Brothers of Grace, renamed as Zach Williams and the Brothers of Grace.• Leanne Morgan: Just Getting Started: Morgan is an American actress, author, and stand-up comedian.
Her 2023 Netflix special, “Leanne Morgan: I’m Every Woman,” ranked in the top 10 comedy specials on the platform. She also played Gwyneth in this year’s romantic comedy “You’re Cordially Invited.”Tickets are available at ticketmaster.
com..
