Homegrown Happy Valley

Kick off your holiday shopping by going local. The talented ladies at the Surface Artist Cooperative have added the following special dates to their calendar:

Local supporting local, November 19

Surface is holding its first fundraiser on Thursday, November 19 from 9 a.m. - 6p.m. Fifteen percent of total sales that day will benefit the Corl Street Elemetary PTO.

Add Surface to your holiday shopping route, November 27 and 28

Surface will be open on Friday, November 27 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. In addition, other local artists will share the space and sell their goods on Saturday, November 28. The following artists have been invited to join them:

Check out our Flickr slide show of the Central PA Festival of the Arts and People’s Choice Festival for 2009. If you have more photos of either festival (especially the musicians), upload them to our Flickr group.

WREATHS AND FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS

What do you get when a keen interest in gardening and flowers goes wild? Greensleeves Dried Flowers.

Mary Stanley, owner of Greensleeves, a small, family-run operation located just outside of Bloomsburg, Pa.,  always romanticized the work of florists. “All those flowers!” she says, “And the fragrance, so delightful.” But Stanley managed to top her dream of working in a flower shop by owning it, too.

Stanley, who is at the People’s Choice Festival this weekend, starts her wreaths and flower arrangements with seedlings in her greenhouse, which she then transplants into her gardens. The flowers are harvested when they reach the right stage of development and then hung to dry in her 150-year old barn. The flowers dry quickly in the heat and dark, thereby retaining their color and form.

Throughout the week, Homegrown Happy Valley will be profiling some of the local artists from the festivals. The artists below can be seen at The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in downtown State College.  We’ll be including artists from the People’s Choice Festival of Pennsylvania Arts and Crafts later in the week.

Painting

It’s that time of year again in Central Pennsylvania for reuniting with family and friends, hiding from the stifling heat, and renewing our love and commitment to art and the people who produce it.

This year 45 locals will display their creations at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.  And that doesn’t include the musical and theatrical performances by Happy Valley denizens. Meanwhile, in Boalsburg, The People’s Choice Festival will celebrate its 17th year showcasing arts and crafts from artisans around Pennsylvania, including more than a dozen local artists in our own backyards.

If your summer camp memories include putting up with snoring bunkmates, running endless laps in the sweltering heat, or singing kumbaiyah for the hundredth time, do your kid a favor and give her something different. Even though my daughter is a few years away from attending summer camp, I’m researching options now so I won’t have to read about it on her blog later.

Paying attention to fun alternatives to the more traditional summer camps, I discovered some local options that incorporate fun and education, not to mention an artistic flair and a pinch of something unique.  These are all offered at area venues and started by locals looking to spread their love of art, music or cooking to a younger set. Last time we checked, there were still slots available. 

Make room in your produce bag for next week’s Boalsburg Farmers’ Market. Tuesday, June 23rd marks the second annual Art at the Market, which means you’ll be ogling more than food.

What could be better than browsing for fresh food, while admiring–and maybe even buying–paintings, jewelry, photography and fine crafts by fellow locals? The artists will be there to discuss and demonstrate their work and some will even be painting scenes from the market.