ECCOTA Artist Opens Brick-and-Mortar Retail Shop

PA Made Clothing & Arts Co., a unique Elk County-based shop offering a variety of apparel and merchandise all inspired by Pennsylvania, Elk County, and the outdoors is celebrating the grand opening of their brick-and-mortar store located in Weedville, PA. Grand opening activities will include merchandise giveaways, light refreshments, and a drawing for a gift certificate. The celebration is slated to be held Friday May 27th and Saturday May 28th during store hours 10AM-5PM at 18452 Bennetts Valley Highway, Weedville, PA 15868.

“I created PA Made as a business and brand that celebrates our local area, the people, and the outdoors,” said Mickayla Poland, owner and artist of PA Made. “Since starting in 2017, we have received so much support from the community and the tourists that opening the storefront was naturally the next step. This is a dream of mine and I’m very excited to celebrate it at our Grand Opening.” Each PA Made product is a unique original design drawn or created by Poland. She started with just a few stickers and now expanded into over 30 sticker designs and a variety of clothing, keychains, and more. The new PA Made shop also includes a variety of other products handmade by Pennsylvanian artisans that are also inspired by nature like candles, body products, and jewelry.

The new location is conveniently located on the popular route 255 in Weedville and provides ample parking for the public to come celebrate and to shop the new PA Made store firsthand. For the summer season, PA Made will be open 10AM-5PM Tuesday thru Saturday and 10AM-1PM on Sunday.

ABOUT PA MADE

PA Made is a clothing and arts company whose mission is to celebrate how special Pennsylvania and the PA Wilds are through art and unique graphic products. PA Made is a member of the Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania winning the Great Design Award from the Champion of the Pennsylvania Wilds Awards in 2021. Owner and artist of PA Made, Mickayla Poland, is also a current Elk County Council on the Arts Board Member and Arts in Education teaching artist. Poland is also a self-taught wildlife painter specializing painting on the glass of old wooden framed windows.

For more information on PA Made or Mickayla, visit www.pamadeshop.com or on Facebook at PA Made.

Elk County Council on the Arts Summer Theater Camp: Junie B. Jones, JR.

Under the direction of Mr. Adam Brooks, the Elk County Council on the Arts Summer Theater Camp will present Junie B. Jones The Musical JR., a 60-minute student version of the witty and charming show featuring a book and lyrics by Marcy Heisler and music by Zina Goldrich, which was adapted from the Junie B. Jones series of best-selling books by Barbara Park on Friday, June 17, 2022.

It's Junie B.'s first day of first grade, and a lot of things have changed for her: Junie's friend, Lucille, doesn't want to be her best pal anymore and, on the bus, Junie B. makes friends with Herb, the new kid at school. Also, Junie has trouble reading the blackboard and her teacher, Mr. Scary, thinks she may need glasses. Throw in a friendly cafeteria lady, a kickball tournament, and a Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal, and first grade has never been more exciting.

Summer Theater Camp is a weeklong experience for youth entering grade 3 in the fall of 2022, through this spring’s graduating seniors. Camp will be held Monday, June 13 through Friday, June 17 at the St. Marys Area High School.

*** Registration is now closed. ***

Facebook Event Page

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The public is welcome to join us for the performance of Junie B. Jones The Musical JR. on Friday, June 17 at 7PM at the St. Marys Area High School Carpin Auditorium. Doors open at 6:30PM. Admission is free. Donations at the door are appreciated but not required.

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A word from Mr. Brooks regarding casting and auditions:
The musical, Junie B. Jones, is completely based on the book series by Barbara Park which I am sure most of our children are familiar with. Regarding casting the musical: there is a place for everyone who auditions and attends the camp. There are solos, duets, speaking parts, ensembles parts... it's a standard musical meant for everyone.

I really want to cast the character Junie B. Jones as a younger, elementary or middle school actor. This will add to the effect that all characters are meant to be in the elementary grades. Same with her "friends". This will be your time to shine! There are certainly roles for older students as teachers, parents, and ensemble members. I want lots of singers and dancers for the big scenes and definitely need the leadership of older students. I will send out an audition night soon (videos are also welcome) for those interested in speaking/solo roles.

Email me if you have any questions at abrooks@smasd.org

Upcoming Class: Still Life Painting for Beginners

Join artist Samila Sosic to learn about still life composition. This class is created for beginners, as well as intermediate painters.

Learn about elements of art and principles of design, talk about how to mix the right colors, create the illusion of depth, present light in your painting, and many more tricks of the trade of painting.

Participants will learn the step-by-step process of creating a still life painting using acrylic paint. Develop your own style and technique along the way!

Ages 10+

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Register to attend

This class will take place in the Elk County Council on the Arts sales gallery, 237 Main Street, Ridgway, on Thursday, June 23, 5-7PM.

Space is limited to 12 participants. Cost is $40 per person.

Pre-registration is required: REGISTER HERE

About Samila:
samilasfineart.org
upb.pitt.edu
artworksonthesummit.org

Upcoming Class: Exploring Encaustic with Collage

Join artist Merry Ryding to explore the technique of encaustic painting and create your own work of art.

Encaustic, a hot wax medium, is the perfect vehicle to transform bits of ephemera into a personal work of art. Learn techniques to use this translucent wax medium with paper scraps and other lightweight materials. Participants may bring copies of photos, poems, quotes, or other things printed on paper.

Consider copies of letters, scraps of wallpaper, feathers, fabric, pressed and dried leaves or flowers, tiny shells, and other small, lightweight materials. The lighter the better, metal objects, stones, cardstock, and thicker papers do not work well. All other supplies will be provided.

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What is encaustic?

“Encaustic is an ancient medium, used in the Minoan and Mycenean cultures of the Aegean Sea (they revered honey bees) and by the Roman-era Egyptians for the famous Fayum portraits. The medium is simply melted beeswax, sometimes combined with damar resin, with finely ground pure pigments for color.
Encaustic painting is done on a rigid surface, typically cradled wood panels. Unfinished wood surfaces take the encaustic medium well or the surface may be coated with specially formulated encaustic gesso. Occasionally, for an interesting background, I wrap the panel in hand-dyed fabric and layer with an encaustic medium. The important thing is to have a support that 'grips' the wax medium.
Painting with encaustic involves multiple repeated steps, but the many layers provide many chances to tweak your individual creative process. Begin on the panel with several base coats of encaustic, scraping down any ridges for a uniform surface, and then fusing each layer before adding the next.”
- More at mrydingartworks.com

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Register to attend

This class will take place in the Elk County Council on the Arts sales gallery, 237 Main Street, Ridgway, on Saturday, May 28, 10AM - 1PM.

Space is limited to 8 participants. Cost is $55 per person.

Pre-registration is required: https://form.jotform.com/212506063911144

About Merry: mrydingartworks.com

Express Yourself! DIY Zine Workshop with Author John Schlimm

As an extension of The Smile Zine project, local author John Schlimm is offering two FREE DIY Zine Workshops in July. John will lead and inspire you to create your own zine page and collaborate to create a finished project as a group.

Saturday, July 9, 1-3PM, ECCOTA Gallery, Ridgway or,
CANCELED - Saturday, July 23, 1-3PM, Johnsonburg Community Center - CANCELED

What is a zine?
A zine is a self-published, non-commercial print-work that is typically produced in small, limited batches. Zines are created and bound in many DIY ways, but traditionally editions are easily reproduced—often by crafting an original “master flat,” and then photocopying, folding, and stapling the pages into simple pamphlets. Zines may also be sewn, taped, glued—or even exist in unbound and other non-folio formats. The main rule is that there are no rules!
People who create zines are likely to be more motivated by self-expression and artistic passion than they are by profit: zines are usually inexpensive and sometimes distributed for free or in trade for other zines, goods, and services. The history of zines is vast and fascinating.
Zines can touch on a variety of topics from music and art, to politics, sexuality, humor, and personal memoir. Their content may be written, drawn, printed, collaged, or any other form of combining words and imagery—a zine’s structure may be narrative, journalistic, comic-like, or completely abstract. (From: binderymke.com)