Now On Display, Art of the Schuylkill

Best of Show, Butter Valley, Ink Wash by Edward McCarty

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area

The Schuylkill River region encompasses a varied landscape replete with pastoral beauty, scenic woodlands, charming towns and modern cities. Those settings provide limitless subject matter for area artists who draw inspiration from the scenery around them.

For 13 years, the Annual Scenes of the Schuylkill Art Show has brought together works by local artists that focus on the beauty and character of the region. The exhibit has grown steadily over the years, and this year includes 98 drawings, paintings and photographs—a record number.

Hosted by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area in partnership with Montgomery County Community College, the juried exhibit will hang from November 9 to December 9 at the college’s West Campus Gallery at 16 West High St. in Pottstown. This year’s show includes a record number of drawings, paintings and photographs. 

All works were carefully selected from 127 submissions by juror Carrie Robbins, Curator/Academic Liaison for Art & Artifacts, Special Collections and lecturer, Department of History of Art at Bryn Mawr College.

This is the 13th year the Schuylkill River Heritage Area has organized an art event. The Scenes of the Schuylkill Art Show began as a print competition in 2003, and has evolved into an annual juried exhibit that has become more competitive each year.

Robbins selected three winning entries and two honorable mentions. Edward McCarty earned Best of Show for his ink wash “Butter Valley,” a highly detailed woodland scene. That award came with a cash prize of $300. 

The second place award went to Brian McNeill for his ink jet print “Green Lane Pastoral,” and Mary Ann Dailey took third place for her photograph, "A Different Point of View." McNeill and Dailey were awarded $200 and $100, respectively.


The two honorable mentions selected included “Fresh Tracks,” an acrylic painting by Richard Sassaman and “Moon Burst,” a photograph by Carol Brightbill. 

In addition, the Schuylkill River Heritage Area staff selected a Staff’s Choice award that went to Terry Souders for his watercolor, “Farquhar and Foxtails.” Honorable mentions and staff choice all receive $50 awards. All winners also will be given gift certificates to North Penn Art, in addition to the cash prizes.

This year, for the second time, the show will be extended with a selection of art to be exhibited at Valley Forge National Historical Park in the Visitors’ Center from Dec. 14 to Jan. 27. A total of 15 pieces will be on display at Valley Forge, expanding the reach of the increasingly popular exhibit, and maximizing exposure for the artists and the show’s top pieces.

The Scenes of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area art show relies on sponsorships from community-minded businesses and organizations. 

This year's sponsors include: Sager & Sager Associates, Dolan Law Group, Campbell Thomas and Company, and North Penn Art.

Most works in the show are available for sale, and a portion of all proceeds benefits the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.

The show is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are: M-Th. 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. New Saturday hours: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

For more information contact the SRHA at 484-945-0200. For photos of the winning entries and more show details: www.schuylkillriver.org/Detail.aspx?id=1546.

The Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area, managed by the non-profit Schuylkill River Greenway Association, uses conservation, education, recreation, cultural and historic preservation and tourism as tools for community revitalization and economic development. For more information visit www.schuylkillriver.org.

Exelon-fueled Grants to Improve Water Quality in the Manatawny

Photo provided

Schuylkill River Heritage Area Executive Director Kurt Zwikl announces the 2012 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund grant recipients on the Russell Guntz Farm, in Oley, on Thursday. Looking on are (l to r) PA House Rep. David Maloney, Exelon Generation representative Chris Gerdes, Delaware River Basin Commission Planner Jessica Sanchez, and farm owner Russel Guntz.

Blogger's note: The following was submitted by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.

OLEY -- The Schuylkill River Heritage Area distributed over $200,000 in grants Thursday to nine projects that will improve water quality in the Schuylkill River and its tributaries.

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund grants were funded by Exelon’s Limerick Generating Station, the Philadelphia Water Department and Aqua PA, and administered by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area (SRHA). 

Manatawny Creek at Memorial Park in Pottstown

The grant announcement took place at the Russell Guntz Farm, in Oley, a Restoration Fund recipient for a recently completed agricultural remediation project.

Speakers included Christopher Crockett, Deputy Commissioner of the Philadelphia Water Department; Kurt Zwikl Executive Director of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area; Jessica Sanchez, River Basin Planner with the Delaware River Basin Commission; Chris Gerdes, representative of Exelon’s Limerick Generating Station; and state Rep. David Maloney, R-130th Dist.

Maloney presented certificates of recognition to property owner Russell Guntz and Berks County Conservancy Senior Ecologist Larry Lloyd for their work in significantly reducing the agricultural run-off from the Guntz dairy farm, located along Manatawny Creek.

Following the grant announcements, Guntz and Lloyd led a tour of the farm, highlighting the agricultural remediation projects. 

Among the projects completed as a result of the grant were: construction of a manure storage tank, a new roof over the barnyard, rain gutters, stream bank fencing and a stoned animal walkway. All the projects help prevent manure and other pollutants from washing into the Manatawny Creek, which is a tributary of the Schuylkill River.

This is the seventh year the grant program has been available. 

This year, money was distributed to five projects that will mitigate stormwater runoff and agricultural pollution. There are also four land transaction grants, totaling $4,000 each, to assist with costs associated with permanent protection of priority watershed parcels. (Please see 2012 Grant Awards list for recipients and project descriptions).

All the projects will benefit the entire watershed because they reduce the amount of pollution that enters creeks, and ultimately, the river, which is a source of drinking water for 1.5 million people.

“Over the past seven years, the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund has helped fund 30 projects, effectively reducing the amount of pollutants entering the river and its tributaries,” said Zwikl. “We are grateful to the unique partnerships that have formed to support this fund, which is helping us improve water quality throughout the watershed.”

This year, Exelon Generation contributed a total of $211,092 to the fund, while the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) donated $100,000. Aqua PA, a first time contributor, provided $2,500. All funds not distributed for 2012 projects will be rolled over into the 2013 grant round.

The Land Transaction Assistance Grants program, introduced last year, provides for matching grants of up to $4,000 per project. It will pay for costs associated with property purchases and conservation easements, in order to facilitate preservation of high priority lands for water quality and habitat protection. A total of $16,000 in land protection transaction grants were distributed to assist with protection of four properties.

Exelon has provided $1.6 million to the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund since it was established in 2005. The annual fund began as part of a demonstration project for what is known as the water supply program at Exelon’s Limerick Generating Station. That program is under the purview of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC).

For the past several years, the Schuylkill Action Network (SAN) has been working to grow the program by seeking additional funders. This is the third year the Philadelphia Water Department has contributed, and the first year Aqua PA has donated, so that more projects can be undertaken. SAN continues to seek additional contributors in an effort to further expand the fund.