Pssst…All Art-Reach Members

Have we got a great deal for you!  Utrecht Art Supplies is offering you a special 10% discount on all your purchases from both of their stores in Center City and will throw in free delivery for any orders over $100.

Why is this such a great deal, you say?  Well, it gets even better.

Utrecht is a Brooklyn-based company (they still make their own paint) started by two brothers 60 years ago and has been serving the Philadelphia community for almost 30 years. It already honors local competitors’ coupons by matching them. So get out those scissors and start clipping, and you can save 10% off already low prices on the highest quality paints, papers, and other materials for your organization or agency.

And there is another little reason to patronize this family-run, socially responsible business. Jennifer Demmer, the indefatigable outreach coordinator for Utrecht Philadelphia, informs us that the company  "hearts" Art-Reach: “Utrecht is proud to partner with an organization that gives access to the arts for groups such as at-risk youth, people with disabilities, and elderly people in need.”

Show Utrecht some Art-Reach love back. Click on this link http://philly.utrechtblog.com to start shopping for great deals on quality art products. They also have a knowledgeable staff of working artists to help you make the best selections. Satisfaction Guaranteed!

-by Kathy Spillman

The Independence Arts Studio Yearly Winter Exhibition

This Friday, December 11 from 4:30 to 7:00 pm, artists from the Independence Arts Studio (IAS) host their yearly winter exhibition in the Atrium lobby of The Sovereign Building located at 714 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. IAS is a member of Art-Reach and consists of talented artists who have disabilities. Their work will be available for purchase with 50% of each sale going to the IAS artists. Silk and Velvet hand dyed scarves and pillows will be available as well as watercolors, cards, prints and book marks. The event includes light refreshments and the artists will be on hand to talk with people visiting the exhibit. Permanent weavings and textiles will also be on display. For more information contact 215-634-2000 x333. 

Keswick Theater’s Toying With Science

Garry Krinsky played to a packed house on Monday morning at the Keswick Theater, and it’s fair to say that most of the 3rd through 5th graders in the audience got their share of “play” in as well.  Toying with Science is a colorful and energetic ride through some basic principles of science – some not so basic.  As a college graduate, I felt stumped by some of the questions asked by our host that some of the kids were able to readily answer.  When Sokhum, 12, told me that one of the new things that he was so excited to learn from Krinsky’s performance was what a fulcrum does, I thought, “…me too.”

A professional juggler by trade, in front of this wide eyed and attentive crowd, Krinsky became an experimental scientist. He walked us through the principles of balance, gravity, air resistance, and the elements of all sorts of simple machines with a thoughtful acronym that I heard kids rapping when the show ended.  “Don’t SLIP on the two W’s.”

A fun and educational field trip indeed, and one that has likely encouraged some students at Logan Hope to keep requests for more coming to teacher Lia Blankenship.  Others were just as excited to build their already-existing repertoire of learning experiences outside of the classroom.  Somy, 11, proudly recalled her last field trip to me, where performers created a fun show based on the alphabet, “…and I’ve seen plays before,” Emily, 11, added enthusiastically.  Thanks to the school staff, our Arts Partners, and Art-Reach, seems like “Edu-tainment” is a term that is being introduced to this crowd pretty early on.  That too was a term that I was excited to learn.

-by Brooke Whitaker