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Youthful Creativity Shines at 31st Annual High School Art Exhibition
Crowds like this one last year are expected to visit the 31st Annual High School Art Exhibition at Bucks County Community College’s Hicks Art Center Gallery. (PHOTO CREDIT: Mel Evans)
Bucks County Community College invites the public to the 31st Annual High School Art Exhibition March 18 – April 5 in the Hicks Art Center Gallery, including an awards ceremony and reception on Sunday, March 29.
High school art teachers have selected their students’ best work for the exhibition, and for submission to the Congressional Art Competition, held in every congressional district each spring. The first-place winning artwork will be sent to Washington, D.C., to be displayed in the corridors of the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for a year, representing Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District.
Clifford Eberly, the College’s senior manager of galleries and exhibitions, says the show is an opportunity to see youthful ingenuity flourish.
“Now in my fifth year of working with high school instructors and their students for this annual exhibition, I have seen the breadth of astounding creativity from the county’s young artists, and it is truly inspiring,” said Eberly. “It is important for us to foster art and culture in our region while promoting the legacy of Bucks as a vital source of creative education.”
A reception takes place from 12:30 – 3 p.m. Sunday, March 29, in room 100 of the Hicks Art Center, featuring an awards ceremony at 1 p.m. presented by Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-01), who will announce the winning entry. The reception features free refreshments and an opportunity to meet the young artists and their instructors.
The Hicks Art Center Gallery is located on the campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., where there is ample free parking. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and noon – 4 p.m. Saturday. The gallery is also open Sunday, March 29, from 12:30 – 3 p.m. for the reception and awards ceremony.
All events are free and open to the public. To learn more, visit hicksgallery.bucks.edu, email gallery@bucks.edu, or call 215-968-8432.
Floral Design Program Wins Again at Philadelphia Flower Show
Bucks County Community College’s floral design program has once again taken home a prize in only its second year participating in the Philadelphia Flower Show. Students, alumni, and instructors earned a bronze medal for “Rooted in Art,” reflecting the College’s origins of being founded on the Newtown estate of artist and educational philanthropist Stella Elkins Tyler. The exhibit features Tyler’s sculpture “Joan of Arc at Orleans,” donated to the College by Carol Tyler, who visited the show with College President & CEO Dr. Patrick M. Jones. The exhibit features seven original floral designs, each interpreting the connection between nature, art, and education, alongside six selected student works from the College’s School of Arts and Communication.
Dr. Patrick M. Jones (left), President & CEO of Bucks County Community College, and Carol Tyler admire the College’s floral design program’s exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show featuring “Joan of Arc at Orleans” by Stella Elkins Tyler. The sculpture, donated to the College by the Tyler family, is the centerpiece of the College’s award-winning “Rooted in Art” exhibit. The College was founded on the Tyler estate in Newtown more than 60 years ago.
Melanie Poff (left) and her mother Els Poff, both Certified Floral Designers from Doylestown and students in Bucks County Community College’s floral design program, helped surround “Joan of Arc at Orleans” by Stella Elkins Tyler with botanical beauty at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The sculpture is part of the “Rooted in Art” exhibit, reflecting the deep connection between art, education, and nature that Stella Elkins Tyler championed throughout her life.
Amparito Arriaga, a Certified Floral Designer from Exton and a student in Bucks County Community College’s floral design program, installs part of the “Rooted in Art” exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The exhibit features seven original floral designs, each interpreting the connection between nature, art, and education, alongside six selected student works from the College’s School of Arts and Communication.
A team of 20 students, alumni, and instructors from Bucks County Community College’s floral design program helped install “Rooted in Art” at the Philadelphia Flower Show, which reflects the College’s origins of being founded on the Newtown estate of artist and educational philanthropist Stella Elkins Tyler. The exhibit features one of Tyler’s original bronze sculptures, “Joan of Arc at Orleans,” pictured in the background.
Marc Elias Keller of Yardley Named Short Fiction Contest Winner
Officials at Bucks County Community College have announced the winners of the Bucks County Short Fiction Contest.
Marc Elias Keller of Yardley won first place for his story, “The Sweet Drop.” Bob McCrillis of Doylestown placed second for “Holding Ground.” And Susan Lederhouse of Yardley captured third place for “Dear Adrienne.”
There were also two honorable mentions. Tom Casola of Pipersville received first runner-up for “Home by the Lake,” and Lee Davis of Doylestown was named second runner-up for “Free Ride.”
The final judge was John Phillips, whose debut short-story collection, Dress Whites, was published last fall.
A celebration will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, in Tyler Hall, room 142, on the Newtown Campus. During the event, the top three winners will read from their stories. Phillips will join us to discuss his writing life. The event is free and open to the public.
Of Keller’s first-place story, Phillips wrote that is “a well-done story that is a parable for our times. Sugar works very well as a metaphor for all kinds of addiction - power, fame, dominance - and the costs to civilizations in deaths and a way of life. ‘The Sweet Drop’ deftly depicts how quickly long-established rules of behavior can change when there is ‘sugar’ in the air. The descriptions of the ant colony are intriguing, and the author has maintained nice tension throughout the story.”
“Holding Ground” by McCrillis was cited because “there are excellent details of the fishing life and good dialogue throughout that make this story standout. Particularly nice dialogue is when the granddaughter is telling her grandfather about one-night stands. It’s funny and at the same time reveals differences between generations. Nicely done.”
Of Lederhouse’s story, “Dear Adrienne,” Phillips commented: “This story defines melancholia. The writing – through the beat of its sentences and gentle recollections of people, places and their histories with the family – leaves us dripping with melancholy. Even the discovery that the couple had been murdered seems just an inevitable part of life to endure.”
The contest is open to adults who are residents of Bucks County. The winners receive honoraria of $200, $100, and $50, respectively. The contest is funded by Bucks County Community College and receives support from the School of Language and Literature. Professor Elizabeth Luciano is the contest administrator. A short-fiction contest for high-school students is taking place this spring. For more information, contact Professor Luciano at elizabeth.luciano@bucks.edu or visit the Bucks County Short Fiction Contest web page.
'A Tribute to the Tenors' Salutes More than a Dozen Singers
Bucks Live! – the series of cultural events at Bucks County Community College that brings world-renowned entertainment to Newtown – proudly presents “A Tribute to the Tenors” with John D. Smitherman at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 13.
One of the original Three American Tenors, Smitherman pays homage to more than a dozen songsmiths, varying in style, including such iconic artists as Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Tom Jones, Mario Lanza, Andy Williams, Luciano Pavarotti, and others. The show features many favorites, including “You Raise Me Up,” “It’s Impossible,” “Magic Moments,” “Time to Say Goodbye,” and many more.
The concert showcases Smitherman’s incredible vocal range, commanding stage presence, and heartfelt storytelling. With a voice equally at home in operatic arias and popular classics, Smitherman takes audiences on a musical journey celebrating the greatest tenor voices of all time. The concert takes place in the intimate Zlock Performing Arts Center, located on the Newtown campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., where there is ample free parking. The Zlock Lobby Bar serves drinks and snacks starting 90 minutes before curtain and during intermission. Reserved seating tickets are only $25, and free for Bucks County Community College students with current student ID.
“A Tribute to the Tenors” is part of the Bucks Live! series of innovative programs that entertain, inspire, and enrich Bucks County’s cultural landscape. Take in world-class live music, dance, and theatrical performances close to home and at an affordable price. Explore more opportunities at the Zlock Performing Arts Center.
International Guitar Sensations Perform Two Shows in Newtown
Bucks Live! – the series of cultural events at Bucks County Community College that brings world-renowned entertainment to Newtown – proudly presents two March concerts in collaboration with the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society.
Laura Snowden, a British-French guitarist and composer known for her intense and poised performances, graces the stage of the Zlock Performing Arts Center at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 7. Snowden’s eclectic musical output has ranged from playing guitar solos on Lorne Balfe's soundtrack for the Marvel film “Black Widow,” to performing Lisa Streich’s guitar concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Next, The Volterra Project Trio comes to campus at 3 pm. Saturday, March 21. The multinational group reimagines classical guitar trio music, drawing inspiration from European impressionism, Mediterranean folk melodies, and cinematic scores. The trio is comprised of Antigoni Goni from Greece, Luca lsolani from Italy, and Maarten Vandenbemden from Belgium, who together breathe fresh life into the guitar, treating it as a miniature orchestra and exploring its unique sounds, dynamics, and colors.
Reserved seating tickets are only $25, and free for Bucks County Community College students with current student ID. Each concert takes place in the intimate Zlock Performing Arts Center, located on the campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., where there is ample free parking. The Zlock Lobby Bar serves drinks and snacks starting 90 minutes before curtain and during intermission. To reserve tickets, visit the Zlock Performing Arts Center ticketing website. For directions and a campus map, visit the Newtown campus web page.
The concerts are part of the Bucks Live! series of innovative programs that entertain, inspire, and enrich Bucks County’s cultural landscape. Take in world-class live music, dance, and theatrical performances close to home and at an affordable price. Explore more opportunities at the Zlock Performing Arts Center.
Public Input Sought on Associate Degree Nursing Program
The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing is hosting a public forum for in-person comment March 25 and accepting written feedback by March 9 Bucks County Community College invites public input as it seeks to continue accreditation for its Associate Degree Nursing Program.
The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) will be visiting the Newtown Campus Tuesday – Thursday, March 24 – 26, as part of the accreditation process.
The visit includes a forum from 2 – 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25 in Founders Hall Room 140, where the public is invited to share comments about the two-year program that prepares students to become registered nurses.
In addition, the ACEN is gathering written comments that must be received by March 9. To submit, email public-comments@acenursing.org, or mail to:
ATTN: Accreditation ServicesAccreditation Commission for Education in Nursing3390 Peachtree Rd. NE, Suite 1400Atlanta, GA 30326
To learn more about the Associate Degree Nursing Program, visit the program web page, email adnursingdirector@bucks.edu, or call 215-968-8353.
Bucks County Community College is located at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, PA 18940. For a campus map and directions, visit the Newtown Campus web page.
