A new exhibition in the Freyberger Gallery running this fall will highlight and honor the works of art created by Penn State Berks students and faculty.
“Signature,” an exhibition sponsored by the Freyberger Gallery and Penn State Berks Art Club, will showcase the vision, talent and voices of Penn State Berks students and the campus community.
Works ranging from paintings and drawings to photographs, sculpture and mixed media pieces will be on display, perfectly representing the diversity that makes Penn State Berks such a lively and vibrant campus.
The exhibition runs through Nov. 12.
The idea for the exhibition stemmed from Penn State Berks’ history with art. At one time, the Commuter Lounge served as the campus gallery and offered a space for students and community to come together and celebrate creativity.
“While that tradition eventually faded, the spirit of art never left our campus,” said Samayun “Sam” Uday, president of the Penn State Berks Art Club. “’Signature’ was created to revive that legacy and establish a new tradition where students, faculty, and community voices can be seen, heard, and celebrated.”
The vision has been in motion since last semester, but took shape after Uday lived in New York over the summer.
“Exploring the city, every street, every corner, I saw art in its rawest forms,” he said. “I felt that New York was a hub of people striving to create their own legacies. If I were to host an exhibition there, each piece would carry its own theme, its own story, its own signature. That realization inspired the concept behind this exhibition: that every individual leaves behind a unique mark, and together those marks create something greater.”
Abbey Muza, visiting artist and director of the Freyberger Gallery, said they hope this exhibit will encourage more students and members of the Penn State Berks community to discover the gallery.
“This is the first student exhibition I’m working on since I’m here, and I hope it will lead to greater engagement with the gallery on campus,” she said. “Art is a great way to bring all areas of the campus together. I engage with students from all majors, and I really get to see that in some way, all students are connected to art. This exhibition really celebrates that and all the disparate students across campus.”
Uday hopes viewers walk away with a deeper appreciation for the boundless creativity and different perspectives within the Penn State Berks community.
“Art has a unique way of connecting people, sparking conversations, and inspiring new ways of thinking. rom a visitor’s perspective, seeing a spectrum of works — different shapes, colors, and mediums all sharing the same walls — should create a sense of belonging, like a society where every voice has a place,” he said. “More than celebrating technique or awards, this exhibition honors expression, individuality, and the courage to create. If even one person leaves feeling inspired or more connected, then the exhibition has exceeded its expectations.”
For more information on the Freyberger Gallery, visit https://berks.psu.edu/freyberger-gallery-exhibitions.
Music
KU Presents! will kick off its Performing Artists Series with the Chicago-based Mariachi Herencia de Mexico at 4 p.m. on Oct. 26 at Schaeffer Auditorium at Kutztown University. The band is known for their energy, virtuosity and innovative approach.
Mariachi Herencia was founded in 2017 by director Cesar Maldonado, who opened a mariachi music academy in Chicago for local, inner-city youth. After the first year of classes, an audition was held for advanced students to form Mariachi Herencia de Mexico. This new generation of 14 mariachi musicians (ages 18 to 32) debuted their first of five albums, the Latin Grammy-nominated “Nuestra Herencia,” that year; “Herederos” was also nominated in 2023. Their latest album is “Viva La Musica.”
Mariachi music, which is recognized as Mexico’s Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO since 2011, is beloved all over the world for its passionate singing, beautiful and exciting blend of instruments and beautiful melodies. Developed in the rural areas of Jalisco in the 19th century, traditional mariachi is based on the folksong genre known as son Jalisciense. The songs were accompanied by a vihuela (a small high-pitched Spanish-style guitar); two violins and a guitarron (a very large acoustic bass guitar).
As the form moved from the country to the urban center of Guadalajara, it evolved into the larger ensemble that we recognize today: up to eight violins, two trumpets, guitar, guitarron and vihuela. The players often take turns singing lead, and all participate in backup singing.
Mariachi music now incorporates many forms, including polkas, waltzes, rancheras, cumbias, boleros and more. Members wear charro costumes — a nod to the ranching origin of the music — which include long pants or skirt and a short, highly embroidered jacket, a silk tie and big sombrero.
What sets Mariachi Herencia apart from most Mariachi bands is their biculturalism. Growing up in Chicago, these musicians were steeped not only in their families’ Mexican music traditions, but they heard everything from hip-hop and rock to jazz, soul, salsa, bolero, bossa nova and many other genres. They have incorporated some of those sounds into their arrangements, which use the traditional Mexican instruments plus Puerto Rican and Cuban timbales, conga, bongos and keyboards. They have also added a folk harp, used in the music of the Veracruz region of Mexico, Paraguay, Venezuela, and other areas of South America.
“We’re not afraid to take mariachi to new places,” Maldonado said. “I think we do an amazing job at fusing our instruments with other genres, while retaining the essence of our music. We reimagine music we grew up with and give it a contemporary twist. We do our own arrangements generally. Some of our members compose music, but we’ve also worked with other legendary arrangers in the mariachi genre like Rigoberto Alfaro. Rigoberto wrote music for legends like Jose Alfredo Jimenez and Vicente Fernandez.
“We are thrilled to take ‘La Nueva Generacion Tour’ across the U.S. through next year. I think it’s an important time to share the beauty of our culture. Additionally, we are already working on our next recording project, a new sones album where we rescue and reimagine traditional music from sixteen regions in Mexico. We expect to make our debut in Europe and in Latin America in 2026.”
Tickets for Mariachi Herencia de Mexico are $44 for adults, $42 for seniors and $19 for students. Tickets can be purchased at www.KutztownPresents.org or by calling the KU Presents! Box Office from11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, at 610-683-4092.
Clubs
WCR Center for the Arts invites community members to join its new Knitting & Crochet Club. Whether you’re just starting out with a pair of knitting needles, picking up a crochet hook for the first time or are a seasoned crafter with years of experience, the club offers a place to connect, create and share.
Each meeting features an informal mix of stitching, conversation and idea-sharing. Participants can learn new techniques, exchange project tips and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow makers in a relaxed gallery setting.
Executive director Adam Void expresses a lot of hope for the pilot program.
“Even though we’ve only scheduled three dates so far, based on the feedback I’ve received so far, I think this is going to become a staple for WCR,” he said. “Both knitting and crocheting are great activities, getting folks to slow down, engage in a hands-on activity, and create something.
“We are so blessed to have a space steeped in history and central to our city, and we look forward to this opportunity for more folks to come together and create community around a common interest.”
The Knitting & Crochet Club will meet on Nov. 5 and Dec. 3 from 6-8 p.m. in the WCR Gallery, 140 N. Fifth St., Reading.
Theater
he Fall Festival of the Arts will stage a full production of Irish playwright Brian Friel’s 1979 play, “Faith Healer,” on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and next Sunday at 3 p.m. at the WCR Center for the Arts, 140 N. Fifth St., Reading.
Under the direction of Susan Wagner, former artistic director of Shoestring Productions, the play will star three veterans of local and regional theater.
“Faith Healer’s” unusual structure — in which the three characters never interact onstage, but tell the story of their long relationship in monologues — makes it a challenge for the actors.
“This is a difficult acting assignment,” Wagner said. That is why she took great care in choosing actors with talent and experience.
The title character, Frank Hardy, is played by Larry LaRose, an actor who worked in Reading theater for years before moving to the Maryland/Washington, D.C., area, where he is still active in the theater scene.
Hardy has an unreliable gift for healing, which he has put to use in creating a precarious and nomadic career for himself. His stage manager and agent, Teddy (Allen Moyer) travels with him and his wife, Grace, living in the back of a dilapidated van.
Kathleen Harris Brantman (Grace), described her character as “a complicated, lonely woman.”
Moyer said he was intimidated by the play at first, but agreed to tackle the challenges.
To purchase tickets and for complete information about the events held during the Fall Festival of the Arts, visit https://fallfestivalofthearts.org.
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