Under the baobab: Centre County event organizers workshop ideas for better coordination
Art builds bridges to diverse people and cultures, creating language that transcends words and transforms worlds. Individuals have ideas, thoughts, passions. Collectively, as a people we have created cultures, communities and a country.
Our community is home to one of the world’s great universities. Penn State University is an academic epicenter, a major research generator and a championship-caliber college sports hub. Centre County, the most important artistic concentration between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, supports many diverse cultural festivals: Central PA Festival of the Arts; People’s Choice Festival; Latin Festival; Rhoneymeade Festival; Centre Film Festival; State College Pride; BookFestPA; MLK celebration events; Summer Sounds Music Series; Juneteenth Festival; XL Improv Festival; Bellefonte Arts Festival; Multicultural Unity Fair; WPSU International Children’s Festival; Phillipsburg Heritage Days; Acoustic Brew Concert Series; Central PA 4th Fest; Burning Ma’aM; Central PA Theatre and Dance Fest; Hoppy Valley Brewers Fest; Penns Woods Music Festival; Grange Fair; Titan Hollow Mad Halloween; Sips and Sounds Downtown; Penns Valley Apple Fest; Bellefonte Cruise; Asian Festival/ Chinese New Year; Bellefonte Under the Lights; First Night; Pennsylkrainian Festival; and Lion Bash, to name a few.
However, sometimes our festivals seem to lack harmonization, working in conflict, not coordination.
Steve Carpenter, Dean of the College of Arts and Architecture and Sita Frederick, Director of the Center for the Performing Arts, invited in some artistic movers and shakers to Cultural Asset Mapping Community Gathering, a workshop, to brainstorm ideas for better coordination and expansion.
The gathering included: Ady Martinez, Joe Leahy, Latino Fest; Ann Mitra; Ann Van Kuren, VanDance Inc.; Charles Dumas, Under the Baobab; Jo Dumas, LAF Theatre Company; Deborah Atwater, CPA Leadership Council; Emily Aubertine, PSU; Erica Quinn, 3 Dots; Folayemi Wilson, Arts and Architecture; Fritz Smith, Happy Valley Adventure Bureau; Jessica Whitley, Borough of State College; Justin Dorsey, State Theatre; Karen Woods, Galaxy Program; Kendall Mainzer; Kevin Sims, Open Music; Krista, The For Good Performance Troupe; Laura Sullivan, CPA staff; Linda Mantz, Print Factory; Lisa Schroeder, Nittany Valley Symphony; Liz Grove, Pine Grove Hall; Mark Higgins, Centre County Commissioner; Melinda Stearns; Melissa Showalter, Performing Arts School of Central PA.; Michele Crowl, Discovery Space; Michele Dunleavy, PSU Dance program; Molly Kunkel, Centre Foundation; Naana Nti, Community Diversity Group; Novie Hartoyo; Pearl Gluck, Centre Film Festival and PSU Laurette; Sarah Hamilton, WPSU; Sarah Rito, State College High School; Shih-in Ma, CCU; Tom Hesketh, retired; Zsuzanna Nagy, Woskob Family Gallery; Sheryl Shaffer, CPA staff.
Seeking to nurture the creative environment, they contributed ideas to expand their own and each others programs. Future conferences have been planned.
Happy Valley happenings
Natascha and the Spy Boys performed for dozens of delighted folks in the MLK Plaza for Wednesday’s Live After Five Concert Series. Future Wednesday shows will feature: Home Planet, Keystone Cats Jazz Trio, A Rock Show, Urban Fusion, Cass and The Bailout Crew, and Cajons & Cajones.
Pine Grove Hall will be presenting Groove Society with Melanie Morrison on Saturday, Aug. 2. On Sunday, folk singer and writer Ethan Eckenrode will perform. Blues singer and composer Deanna Bogart will perform at the venue on Thursday, Aug. 7.
On First Friday, 3 Dots kicked off their newest artist residency, “Rest, Rhythm, and Revolution” by Ray Dray Presents, which featured a curated series of performances, exhibits, and community programs designed to amplify Black women’s stories, spark local dialogue, and foster healing through creative connection.
And the resistance continues. Some Jewish sisters and brothers and other concerned citizens are sponsoring a hunger strike and protest vigil, “No words ... Come. Fasting Against the Starvation of Gaza” at the Allen Street Gates on Sunday, Tisha B’Av , the Jewish day of mourning for the destruction of the Temples and other historical catastrophes. Refusing to remain silent, they will be standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza, who are being subjected to starvation and forced displacement by the Israeli government. Shalom.
Charles Dumas is a lifelong political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for the U.S. Congress in 2012. He is a Lions Paw honoree. He lives in State College with his wife and partner of over 50 years.