ACOR - The African-American Coalition of Reading: Studio 240| OUR HISTORY AND MISSION:
ACOR was initially known as the African-American Planning Committee of the Reading Public Museum. For two years, we worked in conjunction with the Museum for the February Black History Month events. As of April 2001, our name was changed to the "African American Coalition of Reading, PA". In February 2002, ACOR presented their first Black History Month program using the theme "Masakhane" which means: "Let's Build Up One Another".
ACOR is now an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance education through the arts and to enlighten all people to the essence of African-American art, history, and culture. We can only accomplish this goal with your help. We invite you to become a member of ACOR and welcome your support.
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Berks Arts Council: Studio 523The Berks Arts Council’s mission is to encourage and promote all the arts, to develop an appreciation of the arts and to enrich and enhance the quality of life through education, presentation, and collaboration with other arts groups. Since 1971 we’ve been accomplishing that mission with the following programs:
- FirstEnergy Berks Jazz Fest – A 10-day festival of Jazz throughout Greater Reading. March 16 to 25, 2007.
- Chevrolet Bandshell Concerts – Fridays in July and August in City Park, Reading. Free
- Pa. Partners in the Arts Re-Grant Program (A PCA program) – awarding grants for arts projects in Berks, Schuylkill, Lancaster and Lebanon.
- Gallery 20, 602 Penn Ave., West Reading – a co-operative gallery of fine artists. Hours: Tues.-Sun. 11-5, Thurs. 11am-8pm, or by appointment.
- The Pagoda Awards – bestowed annually on individuals who have made a significant, life-long commitment to the arts. The 2006 awards will be presented Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 6:15 in the Reading JCC.
- The Music Composition Award – bi-annual program for composers of all ages. 2006 recital of winning compositions will be held at 3 p.m. Oct. 22, 2006, in the Institute of the Arts, 1100 Belmont Ave., Wyomissing.
- Arts Opportunity Fund – Awarding grants of up to $500 to public schools wishing to engage artists in residency.
- Berks Movie Madness Film Festival – Oct 4 to 12. Celebrating actors, actresses and other cinema heroes born in Greater Reading and Berks County. www.BerksMovieMadness.org/li>
- A bi-monthly newsletter—BerksArts—to feature member artists and arts organizations and market their events.
- Opportunities for artists to show their art
Arts Partner Website:
http://www.berksjazzfest.com
http://www.berksarts.org
http://www.gallery20.org
http://www.berksmoviemadness.com
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Berks Ballet Theatre: Studio 401Berks Ballet Theatre is a non-profit performing dance company whose primary purpose is to provide serious dancers with the best possible forum of training and performance in classical ballet and contemporary dance in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Dancers study with the highest quality staff teachers as well as many master guest teachers and choreographers. Since 1990, the company has been a member of Regional Dance America Northeast. |  |
Berks Classical Children’s Chorus: Studio 529Berks Classical Children's Chorus (BCCC) provides a performance based, music education to young people ages 8 through 18. Through a rigorous music curriculum, singers acquire an outstanding education and learn crucial life lessons - like teamwork, time management, prioity setting, self-presentation, communication and personal responsibility. Singers are held to high expectaions that they WANT to meet!
The BCCC office and rehearsal spaces, now in the goegraphically accessible GoggleWorks, is better positioned to provide more opportunities to any child who wants to sing. For more information, contact BCCC Executive Director Dail Richie at 610-898-7674 or visit the BCCC website |  |
Arts Partner Phone:
610-898-7674 Berks County Commission for Women: Studio 502| Our Mission
To address issues of importance
to women and their families in
order to ensure equal opportunity
and treatment in all aspects of
their lives by forming productive
community partnerships to
advocate, educate, research
and maintain an accessible
public research center.
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Berks County Living: Studio 525Berks County Living is the region’s premier lifestyle magazine dedicated to highlighting all that is unique and wonderful about the Greater Reading/Berks area. BCL’s first issue was published in the spring of 2000. Now in its sixth year of publication, this monthly lifestyle magazine continues to inform readers about what makes Berks County an exceptional place to live.
As a high-end publication that is compelling and attractive in design, and thought-provoking and entertaining in concept, each monthly issue brings to light an abundance of activities available to Berks Countians. BCL features a variety of topics, from home improvement and décor tips to fashion and beauty trends. Also featured are regular profiles that spotlight the experience of dining out at area restaurants as well the talent of local artists, craftsmen, musicians, and locally owned businesses and organizations. The ongoing mission of Berks County Living is to adequately reflect the sense of pride Berks County residents have in their community and to encourage residents to make the most of living in Berks. |  |
Berks Genealogical Society: Studio 413The Berks County Genealogical Society is a non-profit corporation established in 1980. We are located in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Our purpose is to collect, preserve and disseminate genealogical data. We are staffed entirely by volunteers and our membership is open to anyone with an interest in genealogy.
Hours of operation:
Monday through Friday: 11:00 am to 4:00 pm,
Saturday: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, and Sunday: 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm |  |
Arts Partner E-Mail:
berksgenes@dejazzd.com
Arts Partner Phone:
610-921-4970 Community School of Music & the Arts: Studio 553Our Purpose is to provide the highest quality instruction that will lead to a full and satisfying appreciation of music and the arts.
- The school is open to all who wish a music or arts education.
- Scholarships and financial aid are awarded on the basis of ability and financial need.
- Governed by a board of directors, the school is staffed by professional musicians and experienced teachers. Many hold degrees from America's finest colleges and universities and perform professionally.
Arts Partner Website:
http://www.berkscommunitymusicandarts.org |  |
Arts Partner Phone:
610.374.7167 David Guest: Studio 536
David Himes: Studio 538| Composer |  |
Arts Partner E-Mail:
stewhimes@comcast.net
Arts Partner Phone:
610.898.7689 Donna Searle - Writing Workshops by Design: Studio 327Donna Searle leads writing workshops designed to awaken the sleeping writer. A writing consultant for school districts and a writing coach for authors of all ages, she sometimes uses art to tap into the creative space deep within. Donna has published newspaper and magazine articles, and has written a memoir, To the Waters, chronicling her life-long love of beaches.
She is currently offering a series of classes for beginning writers of all ages. If you have a secret hankering to write, this is the class for you! Email her for a registration form or with questions or special requests: donnaj@dejazzd.com — or phone 717-371-2832. |  |
Hoffman Entertainment: Studio 410Wayne Hoffman has performed for thousands of audiences across the United States and continues to be ranked one of the top entertainers in his field. If you are looking for an entertainer that delivers an amazing, unforgettable, professional, and unique act, look no more.
Phone: 1-866-99-MAGIC (62442) Toll Free
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Institute of the Arts: Studio 324| Mission Statement
The Institute of the Arts’ mission is to operate an educational facility for the arts in Southeastern Pennsylvania, to provide the best instruction possible, and to provide performance and exhibition opportunity to students of all ages while maintaining a realistic tuition base.
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Jane Palmer: Studio 534| Writer |  |
JazzWare, Ltd. - Alvin Booth: Studio 537Alvin E. Booth, a native of Reading, Pennsylvania, is a self-taught artist. Acrylic on canvas is his preferred medium, and his use of color in landscapes, portraitures and original concepts is highly unusual. His subject matter is the mind, the heart and the soul.
Alvin’s work has been displayed in Southern California and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He also has ongoing exhibits at various galleries in Richmond, Virginia. His work has been displayed at the Moja Arts Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, the Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Pennsylvania, and Albright College’s Cultural Center. He has had two recent one-man shows at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading, Pennsylvania where he also has a studio.
Alvin fells that art, like jazz, is best when improvised. |  |
Kutztown University: Studio 326
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MALI: Studio 412Arts Partner E-Mail:
mali.institute@verizon.net
Arts Partner Phone:
610.374.4088 Outsider Folk Art Gallery: Studio 504The Outsider Folk Art Gallery presents art produced by people with little or no formal art training from the 19th 20th and 21st centuries."Ordinary people making extraordinary art".The art is primarily from the collection of Sue and George Viener: long time collectors of Americana and Self-taught art. |  |
Polish-American Heritage Association: Studio 509The Berks County Polish-American Culture Center is a joint venture of the Polish-American Heritage Association of Reading and Berks County and the Polish-American Board of Education of Berks County.
Thomas Gajewski, Sr., Dolores Klosowska-Taras and Mary Ann Zerkowski founded the Heritage Association in 1992 in response to a call from the Honorable Judge Albert Stallone of the Court of Common Pleas requesting Polish-American participation in the Columbus '92 celebration. Judge Stallone's request gave birth to a renewed interest in displaying pride in our Polish heritage.
Since its inception, the Heritage Association has sponsored many events designed to bring focus on the traditions and accomplishments of people of Polish descent. Some activities that were conducted during the past thirteen years include: an ethnic artifacts exhibit at the Reading Public Museum; presentation of the famous puppet show Krakus and the Dragon; participation in an exhibit focusing on the Ethnic Diversity of Berks County in the Berks County Historical Society; participation in the Festival of Nations sponsored by the Cultural Collaborative; sponsoring the television program, The Polish-American Connection, produced and hosted monthly on BCTV by Thomas Gajewski, Sr.; sponsoring a concert to recognize the accomplishments of Frederick Chopin; and of course there are the polka dances and the beautiful floats presented in various parades designed with Polish-American themes focusing on the contributions of notable Poles such as Pope John Paul II and Lech Walensa. The current president of PAHA is Dolores Klosowska-Taras. Meetings are usually, but noy always, the third Sunday of every month at 2 pm in the 3rd floor Conference Room at the GoggleWorks.
The Polish-American Board of Education of Berks County was founded in 1945 by members of the Berks County Polish-American community who were concerned that less than 2% of all high school graduates of Polish descent in Berks County enrolled in a college or university to further their education. The following year, the organization began to provide scholarships to high school seniors of Polish-American descent. In the spring of 2005, at its 60th Anniversary dinner the members of PABE paused to reflect on their accomplishments during the past sixty years. Thanks to the many generous contributions from members of the Berks County Polish-American community and former scholarship winners, the organization has awarded $370,000 in scholarships to 165 high school students of Polish-American descent. Mary Ann Zerkowski is serving as president of PABE. More information about PABE can be found on its website, at www.pabe-berks.org.
The recent sale of two historic Polish-American clubs, the Knights of St. Casimir and the Polish Falcons, Nest No. 55, both founded by the Polish immigrants who settled in the south side of Reading, gave impetus to the establishment of the Polish-American Culture Center at the Goggle Works. There were many artifacts in these two social clubs that related to the activities of the Polish immigrants. The members of PAHA and PABE want to preserve these artifacts that are associated with the history of the people of Polish descent in Berks County. Thus, the idea of a Polish-American Culture Center at the Goggle Works was conceived. We look forward to a vibrant future using this venue to share the rich traditions of our Polish culture with the Berks County community. |  |
RACC: Studio 328, 329, 330Reading Area Community College is a two-year, open enrollment college that provides the first two years of a bachelor's degree, career education for immediate employment, courses to assist in the transition from high school to college, community education and public service activities and training for area business and industry. Classrooms at GoggleWorks are used for both credit and non-credit classes and activities. |  |
Reading Buccaneers: Studio 551The goal of drum corps is to strive for excellence, promote musical pageantry, and entertain. In addition to these elements, one can also find fellowship and make life-long friends through the drum corps experience. The dedication and perseverance required are celebrated through the thrill of performing in front of thousands of fans at field shows, concerts, and parades.
Founded in 1957, the Buccaneers are a non-profit, education-oriented musical organization. The Buccaneers are a charter member of DCA and won the first-ever DCA world championships in 1965. Additional titles followed in 1968, 1979, 1980 and 2005. In 2005, the Buccaneers enjoyed the finest competitive season in the organization’s history, completing an undefeated season with a world championship in which the Buccaneers won every judged category and posted the second highest score in DCA championships history. |  |
Reading Choral Society: Studio 529Founded in 1875, the Reading Choral Society is one of America’s oldest musical ensembles, and from its earliest days has pursued performances characterized by vocal excellence and musical distinction. Under its current music director, David P. DeVenney (only the tenth person to hold this position), the Reading Choral Society continues to evolve and change. While continuing the tradition of programming choral masterworks, the Society has expanded its repertory to include the more frequent performance and commissioning of new music and the exploration of more “popular” literature, like folksong, spirituals, and musical theatre.
Its educational programs now encompass regular performances with invited local high school and college choirs and continuing collaborations with the Berks Classical Children’s Chorus. In addition, the RCS sponsors a Young Composers Project and, more recently, the Young Artists Competition, both designed to give college and university music students early professional experience.
The Reading Choral Society is comprised now, as it has always been, of dedicated amateur singers from all walks of life, between the ages of 20 and 80. Determined to present the highest calibre musical performances possible, the 75-voice Society rehearses weekly in a professional atmosphere, fulfilling the lives of its members by immersing them in great music, and through RCS performances enriching and enlivening the musical life of the greater Reading community. |  |
Arts Partner Phone:
610-898-1939 Reading Musical Foundation: Studio 503The Reading Musical Foundation (RMF) is an umbrella funding organization for music and the allied arts in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Started more than 76 years ago in the living rooms of area music lovers, the foundation today is the largest public funder of music in the region. A not-for-profit organization that applies 100% of the community’s support to programs, the Reading Musical Foundation continues to fund music performance in Berks County and reward proficient student musicians, through merit scholarships. RMF also provides music instruments, private lessons and enrichment experiences to music students in financial need. RMF’s recent initiatives help children select instruments, encourage persistence in middle school, and reward teamwork among school-age musicians.
Keri Shultz, RMF Program Director |  |
Arts Partner E-Mail:
kshultz@readingmusicalfoundation.org
Arts Partner Phone:
610-376-3395 RiverPlace Development Corporation: Studio 541RiverPlace on the Schuylkill is a community-based non-profit initiative inspired by its mission: To use the power of the River as a catalyst to unite communities and foster economic development. Our vision is to create an environment where the Berks County Community comes together to enjoy living, playing, and working in and on both sides of the River and its neighborhoods. |  |
Arts Partner E-Mail:
info@RiverPlacePA.com
Shirk Communications: Studio 533/535Shirk Communications is a marketing, advertising and public relations agency specializing in writing and design and one that serves international, national, regional and local accounts. Over the years, the agency has received Philly Gold, ADDY, Neographics, APEX Award for Publication Excellence and the Silver Microphone Award for its website, www.shirkcom.com.
The agency was founded in 1977 in Allentown, Pa., by F. Alan Shirk, who was later joined in the business by his eldest son, Michael A. Shirk. Shirk Communications has been based in Wyomissing, Pa., since 1984.
Our customers tell us they like our work for its quality and creativity and that they use us because we focus on helping them solve their communications challenges with a minimum of hands-on supervision. We take pride in meeting deadlines, in serving as a sole-source supplier from design through printing and in supporting our customer’s overall marketing objectives.
Alan Shirk is also an award-winning artist (acrylics, mixed media) and fine arts photographer. |  |
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