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Seeing Stella Exhibit Opening Reception
Imagine a world before Pinterest and online sites influenced our design choices and tastes. That is the world you enter when you step inside the Hicks Art Center Gallery’s “Seeing Stella: An Installation by Jen Blazina” September 9 to October 17 at Bucks County Community College’s Newtown Campus.
The solo artist exhibition examines the life and impact of Stella Elkins Tyler (1884 - 1963), on whose estate the College was founded more than 60 years ago. Jen Blazina, a Philadelphia-based sculptor and printmaker, creates an immersive tableau of sculptures, reliefs and 2D works inspired by Tyler’s decoration of her Newtown mansion built in 1930, her personal objects on display there, and the flora and fauna that surround the estate.
“The exhibition continues the theme of cultural evolution in America’s history during this semiquincentennial year, following our highly successful ‘Visions of America’ show this summer,” said Clifford Eberly, the College’s senior manager of galleries and exhibitions.
The public is invited to an opening reception on Wednesday, September 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. with remarks at 6 p.m. Admission to the gallery and reception is free.
A visit to Tyler Hall sparks creativity
The seeds of the show were planted two years ago when Blazina visited the Newtown Campus and Tyler Hall to prepare for her contribution to the 2024 group exhibition “Skull Sessions” at the Hicks Art Center Gallery.
Blazina’s imagination was sparked by seeing some of Tyler’s personal items on display, such as a comb and brush vanity set, crystal eau de parfum bottles, and her suitcase imprinted with her initials “S.E.T.” and still emblazoned with stamps from traveling on trans-Atlantic steamships more than 100 years ago.
The artist recognized a kinship in Tyler’s fascinating belongings with her own curiosity in uniquely designed, highly decorative historical objects that function in utilitarian daily life and rituals.
Eberly says he worked closely with the artist to select pieces for the exhibition.
“Jen and I talked and texted for many months attempting to get inside Stella Tyler’s decorative consciousness for Indian Council Rock, her and George Tyler’s country manor estate,” Eberly recalled. “The French Norman architecture and formal gardens, the hand-painted wallpaper, the opulence of the tapestries Stella made, combined with the stories written and related to us, all contributed to Jen’s creative process of realizing this installation.”
The serene gallery exhibition subtlety alludes to the peace Tyler found in creating art and in being outdoors, noted Eberly.
“Jen’s sculptures, reliefs and patterns visually communicate how Stella took pleasure in nature and the arts to find mental peace and to ameliorate the effects of losing loved ones on the Titanic and living through two world wars,” said Eberly.
Stella Tyler’s uncle and cousin, members of the Widener family of Philadelphia, went down with the Titanic on April 15, 1912. George Tyler (1883 – 1947), a former state commander of the American Legion, was devoted to helping veterans of The Great War return to society and overcome “shell shock” – what we now know as PTSD. He also collected original WWI propaganda posters, many of which remain in Bucks County Community College’s permanent collection.
Questioning our collections
Through her installation, the artist invites us to question the purpose of our collected belongings and find the answers within our own minds.
For instance, what is the function of a cast glass, perfume bottle poof in this exhibition? The glass poof clearly no longer functions as its soft, spraying original. However, as art, it takes on new, cultural value as an object of potential collectible desirability; a symbol of this mutable, transformative process. Some viewers might remember using a poof to spray a beautiful scent on their skin. That memory now becomes a nostalgic transaction between artist, the sculpture, and the viewer.
While some may view conjuring nostalgia in art as a sentimental shortcut to comfort, Blazina digs deep, embracing it to signal personal and collective memories, and at the same time, celebrating both historic decorative design and critiquing consumer culture.
Underneath it all, the artist asks, “Can we find total happiness in the objects we make and collect?”
In a note found in her exhibition catalogue to her art instructor and mentor Boris Blai, Stella Tyler wrote: “To my Maestro and ‘Pupil’!! With all my thanks and deep appreciation for helping me to open the doors of Happiness.”
While we may not always be joyful, Tyler found her true happy place expanding her creative repertoire while courageously starting to make sculpture in her later years.
“Seeing Stella: An Installation by Jen Blazina” - funded by the College’s Cultural Affairs Committee – is on view September 9 – October 17 at the Hicks Art Center Gallery at Bucks County Community College, 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa. Admission and parking are free.
‘Souls Shot Portrait Project’ Honors Those Lost to Gun Violence
From a cherubic child to a middle-aged veteran and more, their faces and stories are memorialized in the “Souls Shot Portrait Project,” an exhibition on display through September 17 at Bucks County Community College’s Gallery at Lower Bucks Campus. The project, on display in Bucks County for the first time, pairs fine artists with families who have lost loved ones to gun violence, creating deeply personal portraits that honor the unique lives of the victims. Speakers at the August 28 opening reception included Bucks County District Attorney Joe Kahn, Bucks County Sheriff Danny Ceisler, and several people who shared stories about loved ones taken too soon. The gallery, which is free and open to the public, is located at the Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks in Bristol, Pa.
Youth Commissioner of Philadelphia Makayla Myers listens to speakers at the opening reception for the “Souls Shot Portrait Project” at Bucks County Community College’s Gallery at Lower Bucks Campus. Myers, 23 years old, told the dozens in attendance about the shooting deaths of her boyfriend, best friend, and two other loved ones, several of whom are memorialized in the exhibition that runs through September 17.
Walter Mims (foreground), executive director of Neighborhood First, awaits his turn to speak at the opening reception for the “Souls Shot Portrait Project” at Bucks County Community College’s Gallery at Lower Bucks Campus. Mims runs the Bristol-based nonprofit aimed at preventing gun violence by providing mentoring, monitoring, and guidance to youth. The portraits, honoring those lost to or affected by gun violence, are on display through September 17 at the College’s Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks.
A visitor to the Gallery at Lower Bucks reads the story of a veteran who lost his life to gun violence. It’s among dozens of victims remembered in the “Souls Shot Portrait Project” at Bucks County Community College’s Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks Campus in Bristol, Pa., on display through September 17.
Visitors to the Gallery at Lower Bucks Campus examine an interactive display that tells the story of a young man lost to gun violence as part of the “Souls Shot Portrait Project” on display through September 17. The project pairs fine artists with families who have lost loved ones to gun violence, creating deeply personal portraits that honor the unique lives of the victims. The Gallery, which is free and open to the public, is located at Bucks County Community College’s Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus in Bristol, Pa.
Bucks County Sheriff Danny Ceisler (left) and District Attorney Joe Kahn (right) greet Bucks County Community College President & CEO Patrick M. Jones (middle) at the opening reception for the “Souls Shot Portrait Project” at the Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks. The project pairs fine artists with families who have lost loved ones to gun violence, creating deeply personal portraits that honor the unique lives of the victims.
Photos by Mel Evans for Bucks County Community College
Firefighters are Ready to Serve After Graduation Ceremony
Bucks County Community College celebrated its most recent firefighter graduates with an August 13 ceremony at the Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks. A total of 19 volunteer firefighters completed Basic Fire Academy Training at the Lower Bucks Public Safety Training Center in Croydon and earned national certifications, enabling them to help fill the critical shortage of first responders. Training included a structural burn session, fighting a controlled blaze that replicated a real-life emergency. Steve Coyle of Yardley, a volunteer with the Yardley Makefield Fire Department, was recognized for his leadership with the outstanding student award. Bucks County Community College is the largest provider of fire and emergency services training and certification in Pennsylvania, training approximately 45,000 first responders annually in all 67 counties in the Commonwealth.
Friends, family, and fellow first responders attended the graduation ceremony for the most recent firefighter graduates at Bucks County Community College’s Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks. The 19 volunteers earned national certifications to better serve their communities.
Recent graduates of Bucks County Community College’s Basic Fire Academy Training show off their certificates of completion after an August 13 ceremony at the Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks. The 19 first-responders volunteer with fire departments in Bucks and Montgomery Counties.
Steve Coyle of Yardley (center), a volunteer firefighter with the Yardley-Makefield Fire Department, earned the Outstanding Student award for his leadership among 19 first responders who graduated August 13 from Bucks County Community College’s Basic Fire Academy Training. He was congratulated after the ceremony at the Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks by Patrick M. Jones, Ph.D. (left), the College’s President and CEO, and Ronni Fuchs, Esq. (right), chair of the College’s Board of Trustees.
Volunteer firefighters prepare a ladder to fight a controlled structural burn at the Lower Bucks Public Safety Training Center in Croydon this summer. The hands-on preparation was part of Bucks County Community College’s Basic Fire Academy Training course, in which 19 first responders earned national certifications to better protect their communities.
Volunteer firefighters train a firehose on a blaze in a controlled structural burn at the Lower Bucks Public Safety Training Center in Croydon this summer. The hands-on preparation was part of Bucks County Community College’s Basic Fire Academy Training course, in which 19 first responders earned national certifications to better protect their communities.
Volunteer firefighters participate in a controlled structural burn at the Lower Bucks Public Safety Training Center in Croydon this summer. The hands-on preparation was part of Bucks County Community College’s Basic Fire Academy Training course, in which 19 first responders earned national certifications to better protect their communities.
(Photo Credit: Eric Parker, Bucks County Community College)
Visitors Flocked to ‘Birdhouse Bacchanal’ in Outdoor Art Contest
Bucks County Community College students (left-right) Ali Vafaee of Princeton, Ryan Roberts of Bensalem, and Monique Perry of Churchville accepted a $500 check from Warrington Township and Gateway Kia on August 14, joined by Clifford Eberly (right), the College’s senior manager of galleries and exhibitions. The students created “Birdhouse Bacchanal” in their Intro to Sculpture class, which was the top vote-getter in this summer’s outdoor sculpture exhibition at Warrington’s Lions Pride Park. It now becomes the first work in the township’s permanent outdoor collection. (PHOTO: Mel Evans for Bucks County Community College)
“Birdhouse Bacchanal,” a mixed media sculpture created by students in Bucks County Community College’s Introduction to Sculpture class, was the top vote-getter in the first-of-its-kind outdoor sculpture exhibition installed along the trails of Warrington’s Lions Pride Park this summer. The township presented a $500 check, courtesy of Gateway KIA, to the artists on August 14 to purchase the sculpture as the first work in the park’s permanent collection. The exhibition, installed along the park’s walking trails, showcased three collaborative sculptures created by Bucks students and two works by alumni.
Students from Bucks County Community College's Intro to Sculpture Class show off their mixed media creation “Birdhouse Bacchanal,” which was chosen by visitors to Warrington’s Lions Pride Park to be purchased as the first piece for the township’s permanent outdoor art collection. Pictured (left-right) are Ali Vafaee of Princeton, Monique Perry of Churchville, Dave Miller of Yardley, and Ryan Roberts of Bensalem. (PHOTO: Mel Evans for Bucks County Community College)
“Tapestry,” a mixed media sculpture created by students in Bucks County Community College’s Sculpture Foundry class, was one of five works that were part of an outdoor exhibition this summer at Warrington’s Lions Pride Park. Pictured with their creation are (left-right) Sunny Howard of Doylestown, Bill Sticker of Warminster, Bob Rauch of Upper Dublin, Cyna Worthman of Washington Crossing, and Chuck Bennett of Wrightstown. (PHOTO: Mel Evans for Bucks County Community College)
Charis Hasney, left, and Chuck Bennett of Wrightstown show off “Bucky,” which they created with their fellow students in a recent 3D Design Fundamentals Class at Bucks County Community College. The mixed media sculpture was among five works by students and alumni on display this summer along the walking trails at Warrington's Lion's Pride Park. (PHOTO: Mel Evans for Bucks County Community College)
Storytellers Wanted: Search Begins for the Best Short Fiction Tale
Bucks County Community College is searching for the best short fiction tale in the county, College officials announced, with the winning scribes getting the opportunity to read alongside a well-known author.
Dennis Tafoya, author of “Dope Thief” and other crime novels, will be the final judge, said Elizabeth Luciano, the language and literature professor who is the director of the contest.
“The first-, second-, and third-place winners will be honored at a reading in November on the Newtown Campus, and will be joined by Mr. Tafoya,” Luciano said. “We are thrilled to have a bestselling novelist as our final judge and guest.”
Tafoya, who lives in Bucks County, is the author of three crime novels set in and around his native Philadelphia. “Dope Thief,” originally published in 2009, was republished in 2025 in conjunction with its release as an Emmy-nominated series on Apple TV. Tafoya is also the author of the novels “The Wolves of Fairmount Park” and “The Poor Boy’s Game.” His short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies such as Philadelphia Noir and “Best American Mystery Stories.”
Luciano noted that the contest is open to Bucks County residents over the age of 18 who have not previously placed first. Bucks County Community College employees are not eligible. The top three winners will receive honoraria of $200, $100, and $50.
The deadline for submissions is noon Thursday October 8. Stories must be previously unpublished, including in blogs and online platforms, and must be submitted online. Use of artificial intelligence in any form is strictly prohibited. Complete contest rules and the link for submissions can be found by visiting the short fiction contest website. A short fiction contest for high-school students will be held in the spring.
The Bucks County Short Fiction Contest receives funding and administrative support from the School of Language and Literature at Bucks County Community College. For further information, contact Professor Elizabeth Luciano at Elizabeth.Luciano@bucks.edu.
Professor Mary Dura Earns Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award
Mary Dura, Ed.D., who has taught nursing at Bucks County Community College for more than 20 years and worked in the profession for many years before that, has received the prestigious 2026 Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching.
The honor reflects her long-term commitment to high-quality instruction and student success and celebrates teaching that is challenging, clear, and lasting in its effect on a student's worldview.
Dura, who earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing and Master of Science in nursing at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and her doctor of education at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, said she was shocked and deeply humbled by the news.
“My immediate feeling was gratitude—to my students, colleagues, mentors, family, and the nursing profession itself,” said Dura. “Teaching nursing has never felt like simply a job to me. It is a privilege and a responsibility, so to be recognized for something that means so much to me personally was incredibly moving.”
Arguably her biggest fan, her young daughter, was by her side when she received the award.
“One of the most meaningful parts of the celebration was sharing it with my 10-year-old daughter, Julia,” Dura recalled. “She can be a little shy, so I was especially touched when she unexpectedly decided to walk up to the stage with me. Seeing the pride in her eyes made an unforgettable day even more special.”
Dura’s transition into higher education began unexpectedly during graduate school when a professor encouraged her to teach a health assessment course. For years, she balanced clinical nursing practice with teaching, bringing real-world patient scenarios directly into her lectures. She eventually transitioned to full-time education to make a broader impact by preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals.
In the classroom, Dura uses dynamic methods such as case studies, high-fidelity simulations, guided discussions, and clinical practice to help students build strong critical thinking and clinical judgment skills. Emphasizing adaptable learning styles, she meets students where they are while ensuring they master modern healthcare demands, including patient safety, evidence-based care, and emerging technology.
“Without question, the feedback that means the most is hearing from former students who tell me they felt prepared when caring for patients during difficult moments or that something they learned in class helped them make a safe clinical decision,” said Dura. “Nursing is such a human profession, and knowing that students feel more capable, compassionate, and confident in caring for others is deeply rewarding.”
Bucks County Community College offers an associate degree in nursing that prepares graduates to take the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) to become licensed registered nurses. To learn more, visit our associate degree nursing website, email ADNursingDirector@bucks.edu, or call 215-968-8353.
