Centre County ‘pink church’ reinvented as arts center

Artist Mary Vollero looked at many spaces for a home/studio/art exhibit, but when she saw a late 1860s church in Unionville, she knew she’d found the right spot.

With its distictive color, the space also found itself a fitting name: Mary’s Pink Church.

Formerly a Methodist church built in the late 1860s, the building was sold 10 years ago and became an antique shop. The pink color has a simple explanation.

“When it became an antique shop they painted it a dark red, but the paint oxidized and soon changed to the deep pink color it is now,” Vollero said.

Mary Vollero’s Pink Church on Old 220 and Rattlesnake Pike in Unionville is home to works by some of the area’s most talented artists. Vollero teaches art at Penn State DuBois and for Continuing Education at University Park and works in a variety of 2-D media, from painting and printmaking to photography and video.

Vollero moved into the church this past summer, after looking for a new home and studio for almost a year.

“I must have looked at more than 20 houses before I found the church,” she said. “I knew right away that it was perfect.”

Vollero’s artistic and spiritual pursuits have found a home there and ideas for events and shows seem to evolve organically in the bright and welcoming space.

“I never specifically planned to live in a church or even display art, but now that I am here, it makes perfect sense,” she said. “The church is large enough to make art and show art by myself and others.”

Besides displaying her own art, some of the artists and works Vollero has featured so far include outdoor sculptures by Kersey Bradley, including one that depicts his Vietnam Memorial; paintings and prints by Nancy Brassington; oil paintings by Jean Forsberg and performance by Sarah Kipp.

Over 100 of late artist John Mangan’s self-portraits are currently on display at the pink church. These include charcoal, pastel drawings and lithograph and woodcut prints, ranging from his undergraduate to his more recent works over the last few years. Although a large retrospective of Mangan’s work was on display at Penn State’s HUB Robeson Gallery this past summer, many of these self-portraits have never been seen.

Mangan, an art instructor in Drawing and Painting for 20 years with Penn State’s Continuing Education, passed away in September 2014. He was a longtime colleague and friend of Vollero’s.

“John was a gifted artist with a unique visionary aesthetic,” Vollero said. “He was amazingly prolific and completed hundreds of self-portraits throughout his lifetime.”

Mangan’s self-portraits will be on display through Dec. 5, with a closing reception 1-4 p.m. on Dec. 5. Some prints of Mangan’s artwork will be available for sale, with all proceeds going to help support and preserve his collection, his studio and future exhibits.

In 2016, Vollero will have 2nd Sunday Soups and Sharing on the second Sunday of each month from 1-4 p.m. Visitors can stop in to see the art, enjoy soup and bread, meet with old and new friends and share a song, story or poem. In February, a group art show for bird lovers called “Love Birds” will open with a reception on Feb. 14.

Vollero also has a small printmaking studio on the first floor where she has two presses and has been giving lessons in dry point printmaking on request and by appointment.

“It’s also a great place to display my collection of religious art and kitsch, my Last Suppers, icons, bleeding heart images,” she said. “All are at home here.”

Vollero feels that central Pennsylvania is lucky to have a vibrant community of artists, musicians, and writers who value creativity. Her pink art church provides another place where artists can come together to share their artwork, their songs, poems, food, thoughts and ideas.

“There is large sign by the entrance that says ‘Thank God for Art!’” she said. “I hope those who visit experience this enthusiasm and sense of gratitude.”

This story was originally published November 25, 2015 at 10:54 AM with the headline "Centre County ‘pink church’ reinvented as arts center."