Abington Art Center
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| Location | Montgomery County, Pennsylvania |
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| Coordinates | 40°05′33″N 75°07′02″W / 40.0924°N 75.1171°WCoordinates: 40°05′33″N 75°07′02″W / 40.0924°N 75.1171°W |
| Type | Community arts center |
| Website |
www |
Abington Art Center, located in Abington Township, a northern suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a community art center located in a 1939 manor house with exhibition galleries and a sculpture park.[1][2] The center offers rotating exhibitions of contemporary artists, a studio school for visual arts and dance, community education programs, and public events. It is located in Jenkintown PA, in a 27-acre (11 ha) woodland Sculpture Park.
Early beginnings
The Abington Art Center originally began life as the Old York Road Art Guild by a group of woman who believed in the "benefit of cultural enrichment for individual and community life to be derived from creative artistic expression."[3] In 1965 the guild's educational elements were brought under a separate non-profit entity called Abington Art Center. On Christmas Day 1969, a rare book and print collector, Lessing J. Rosenwald and his wife Edith, donated their estate, Alverthorpe Manor, to the Abington community for the purpose of allowing residents to gather for cultural and recreational purposes.[3] Shortly afterwards, the organization appointed its first paid director and the guild formally ended.
Development
In 1981, the center expanded into the old gallery wing of Alverthorpe Manor when the Rosenwald Collection was moved to the Library of Congress [4] in Washington, D. C. This doubled the instruction space as well as the center's student capacity.A nationally recognized sculpture garden was opened in 1990. In 1996, the Art Center expanded within the building and initiated a 5-year renovation project designed to transform Alverthorpe Manor from a private residence to a public place. Currently, the center contains a gallery, six studios, classrooms, and a sculpture park, and stages outdoor events throughout the year.[5]
Art exhibitions and community outreach
The Abington Art Center has been described as having a "proven ability to retain its diversity, exhibit formats, and professional standards."[6] The center has promoted the work of local artists, like Cynthia Back, Bruce Campbell and Mickie Rosen, and provided a platform for their work.[7] The 27 acres (110,000 m2) of lawn and woodlands that make up the sculpture park includes works by Joy Episalla, Robert Lawrance Lobe, Jeanne Jaffe, Thomas Matsuda, Brian McCutcheon, Steven Siegel, Steve Tobin, Ursula von Rydingsvard, Jay Walker, and A Reclamation Garden by Winifred Lutz.
In 2003, Abington Art Center devised a plan for the purposes of developing Alverthorpe Manor property into a 27-acre "cultural campus" within a suburban community. The plan was developed by Wallace Roberts & Todd. Leora Brecher, a sculptor who taught ceramics at the Center for 18 years, said, "It's different here compared to other art centers I've seen. As well as a studio school, it has the sculpture garden and outreach to the community. Other places are more about teaching than the public."[5] The center has hosted the annual "Touch the Future" juried art show, featuring the work of young artists from the area.[8] In 2005, the center received a $500,000 pledge of a matching grant from the state of Pennsylvania, with the objective of assisting the economic development goals of the surrounding municipalities. The first phase of development was completed in 2011.[3]
Finances
Abington Art Center is a small nonprofit organization with an estimated budget of less than $1 million. [5] Its income is derived from : classes, workshops, and facility rentals for weddings and other affairs (38 percent); foundations (24 percent); membership duees (11 percent); corporate and government support (9 percent); and gift shop sales, fund-raisers and other sources (18 percent).[5]
References
- ↑ "Abington Art Center celebrates 75 years". Glenside News Globe Times Chronicle.
- ↑ Donohoe, Victoria (1994-07-03). "Sculptures At Art Center Complement The Setting". Philly.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
Abington Art Center occupies the gallery wing of Alverthorpe Manor, overlooking the rolling turf of the scenic sculpture garden that has evolved since 1990.
- 1 2 3 "Abington Art Center". volunteer.phila.gov. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
- ↑ "The Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection (Selected Special Collections: Rare Book and Special Collections, Library of Congress)". Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Scavuzzo, Sam Fran (25 April 2009). "'Give people a creative, personal experience' The Abington Art Center, turning 70, deals with recession.". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
- ↑ Donohoe, Victoria (1 May 2009). "Abington Art Center celebrates with its own". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
- ↑ "Abington Art Center". philagrafika2010. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
- ↑ "Abington Art Center Hosts 24th Annual Touch the Future Exhibit". KYW-TV. Retrieved 22 December 2013.