All roads lead to local artists during the Hawk Mountain Arts Tour to be held on June 7 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
The tour includes more than 40 artists and businesses stationed throughout the Kempton valley plus a satellite location hosted by the Hamburg Area Arts Alliance at Etchberger Memorial Park.
Stops include local businesses and studios hosting artists, who will display a variety of crafts, such as pottery, photography, woodcarvings, fine art illustrations, mixed media and jewelry.
The free driving tour takes place within a 25-mile radius of scenic Albany Township, and a downloadable map of the stops can be found at hawkmountain.org/artstour. Printed maps will also be available to pick up at the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary’s Visitor Center, which is the first stop on the tour.
“The route is beautiful during this time of year, and this event is a great opportunity to explore the local community and enjoy a wide array of local talent and small businesses,” said Hawk Mountain Communications Specialist Gigi Romano, who helps organize the annual event. “And some artists will even be demonstrating their craft!”
The stops are numbered, but the tour is self-guided. It is recommended that participants choose the artists that interest them the most and visit those first.
“The route is completely up to you, so prioritize and plan your best route,” Romano said. “Be sure to stop by the Hamburg Arts Alliance satellite location at Hamburg Park.”
In addition to the displays, visitors will be able to purchase pieces and products at most stops. Multiple host locations will be open for business to provide refreshments and locally sourced treats. This unique event exposes participants to the vibrant local culture and talent of Berks County and allows for a day of exploration and art appreciation.
For information about participating artists, driving directions or other event details, visit hawkmountain.org/artstour.
About Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: The 2,500-acre Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is the world’s first refuge for birds of prey and is open to the public year-round by trail-fee or membership, which in turn supports the nonprofit organization’s raptor conservation mission and local-to-global research, training and education programs. To learn more about Hawk Mountain or other programs, call 610-756-6961 or visit hawkmountain.org.
Books
John Yamrus of Spring Township, a prolific and successful writer of poetry, has released his 43rd book, “Captain Beefheart Never Licked My Decals Off, Baby.”
The author, whose work is known for its offbeat humor and unusual approach, describes this book as “a little memoir of sorts, loosely framed around Captain Beefheart’s classic 1968 album, ‘Trout Mask Replica.’ It’s really a chance for me to talk about pretty much anything that comes to mind, including the genetic duplication of woolly mammoths, the pleasures of running away from home and Salvador Dali designing windows for Bonwit Teller in the 1950s. Crazy, huh?”
In a recent interview with a Canadian magazine, Yamrus also described his new book as “kind of a poem with a thyroid condition,” while a recent review labels it “a non-poem with its finger on the trigger.”
This is the fourth of his books to be published by Anxiety Press, including the author’s highly acclaimed memoir, “The Street,” which is a look back at what it felt like for him, growing up less than wealthy in a Pennsylvania coal mining community in the late 1950s.
“Captain Beefheart Never Licked My Decals Off, Baby” is available from Amazon or local indie booksellers.
Concert
The Greater Reading Encore Chorale will present a free choral concert Don’t Let the Music Stop at 3 p.m. today in Alsace Lutheran Church, 2201 Kutztown Road, Muhlenberg Township.
Documentary completed
Marabella Enterprises and Schott Productions have completed the feature documentary “Il Mio Posto a Tavola” (My Place at the Table).
Produced in collaboration with the Film Commission of Valle d’Aosta and Red Sled Films, the film tells the story of Santo D. Marabella’s adoption from Italy by his American parents, Anna and Sam. It introduces the audience to the “Baby Scoop” era when unwed mothers were forced to give up their babies at birth, a practice with many similarities to modern-day child trafficking.
The film is directed by Tracy Schott and executive produced by Marabella.
Schott’s previous credits include “From the River,” a short documentary on the history of Reading and Berks County. Schott and Marabella have collaborated on many theater and film projects since 2008, including co-founding the ReadingFilmFEST in 2015.
Their latest project presented challenges, including the need to travel 4,000 miles to Aosta, Italy, where Marabella was born. After months of research and development, the team shot three days in Pennsylvania and seven days in Italy. Post-production was completed in April, and film festival submissions have begun.
Public screenings will be held after distribution planning and film festival submissions are complete later this year.
