Fresh Starts & Storybook Beginnings
Every new year feels like a fresh start, an opportunity to explore new ideas and renew our spirit. And 2023 is already shaping up to be a fabulous year at the Mill. All of our signature events and exhibitions will again be live at the Mill, and we are bringing back more social happenings and pursuing exciting new programming as well.
We will also be celebrating 30 years of fine art photography and 10 years of the Youth Art Exhibition, two incredible milestones. In this issue of The Grist, we take you back in time as we look ahead, sharing a bit of history about our youth art programs. For more than 90 years, our rich history has shaped our future. Be a part of it!
Now in its 10th year, the Phillips’ Mill Youth Art Exhibition will be on display at the historic Phillips’ Mill for the first time since the pandemic, which is incredibly exciting for the student artists. There is no other show like it in the area.
“We display the kids’ art the same way we display the prestigious Phillips’ Mill Juried Art Show, so it is very professionally done,” explains Kathy Schroeher, founder and co-chair of the show. “It’s great for the kids to see their work in a beautiful space and professional gallery. It’s different from having it shown at your high school art show. They get the chance to reach a much broader audience, and you can see what the other kids are doing.”
The 2023 show is curated by art teachers from 22 high schools located within a 25-mile radius of the Mill.
Advice to Young Artists: “Just Create”
Ellen Pietsch remembers going to see her older sister Alexandra’s artwork on display at the Phillips’ Mill Youth Art Exhibition and thinking, “Wow, the artwork here is so out of the box, things I haven’t seen before. Paper cutouts in a shadow box, the color and detail in paintings. How do people get these ideas?”
She was drawn in, and knew there was something there for her too, although her artwork was just developing. “When I was younger, I was inspired by my sister, who went to art school and is a pastel artist,” she notes. “We both grew up experiencing it together, but we both love art (and do art) in different ways.”
Ellen’s path from wide-eyed younger sister to future secondary art teacher included four years as an exhibitor at the Phillips’ Mill Youth Art Exhibition herself.
“I had only seen my artwork on my work desk. It was so different to see it on a wall in a gallery,” she says. “I just felt happy knowing it was there.”
History of Youth Art at Phillips’ Mill
This year, as the Phillips’ Mill Youth Art Exhibition (YAE) celebrates its 10th anniversary, we would like to recognize the contribution Phillips’ Mill Photo made to youth art programs at Phillips’ Mill.
After two successful juried photography shows, Spencer Saunders and many volunteers expanded the annual show to include a youth photo exhibition. He invited several local high schools to participate, starting in the mid-1990s. Over the next 20 years, the program earned great respect among students, teachers, parents, and the community at large. Awards were presented during the show, and eventually, a scholarship program was established.
“There is no better feeling than giving a kid an award in front of their parents and teachers,” Spencer says.
Today, Phillips’ Mill continues to encourage youth artists of all kinds to explore their interests, whether it be photography, sculpture, playwriting, digital art, painting, art education, or any other creative endeavor.
CALL FOR ART
Submissions: February 1 - 28, 2023
The prestigious Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition, now in its 30th year, is a month-long celebration of the fine art of photography. The exhibition will be on display at the Mill from April 2 to 21, 2023. It is the premier annual juried photography exhibition in Bucks County and recognized internationally.
This year’s show will be juried by Jill Enfield, an internationally acclaimed fine art photographer, and a leading authority in Alternative Photographic Processes. We’ll be spotlighting Jill in our next issue of The Grist. Be sure to look for it!
For now, please enjoy this studio tour with Jill Enfield.
Click play below to watch “The Psychology of Submitting to an Arts Show,” a conversation between Spencer Saunders and Dr. Daniel Goldberg.
Photographers: Please check the Phillips’ Mill website in the coming weeks for more details and the 2023 Call for Art.
Salon at Phillips’ Mill
Storytelling with John McDonnell
Thursday, February 16, 7 pm
At the Mill
This literary/artistic salon focuses on storytelling, an age-old form of entertainment that helps us learn new things about ourselves and our fellow human beings.
“We all have stories to tell,” says host John McDonnell, a novelist, playwright and short story writer. Anyone who wants to tell a story can sign up. There will be a limit on the number of storytelling slots available, so sign up today!
Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition
April 2 – 21, 2023
At the Mill
Join us in celebrating 30 years of fine art photography at Phillips’ Mill. The prestigious Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition returns to the Mill in April as part of a month-long event that culminates with the “Not Your Run of the Mill” Photo Show.
“Not Your Run of the Mill” Photo Show
April 23 – 30, 2023
At the Mill
Our second photo exhibition of the year, the “Not Your Run of the Mill” Photo Show, is a members’ show featuring the works of the volunteers/photographers who work so hard every year to produce the prestigious annual juried Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition.
Join Our Cast and Crew!
Every spring, the Drama Committee at Phillips’ Mill produces a comedic musical. The audience, seated cabaret style, becomes a part of the collaboration.
We are still in the early stages of planning our next production, May 17-20, so it’s not too late to get involved. We’re looking for volunteers to help with singing, dancing or acting, stage set and/or prop design. No experience necessary. Just the desire to have fun and build our community.
TO LEARN MORE, or sign up, email Betty at bettsb@yahoo.com or Valerie at valerie.eastburn@gmail.com.
We Remember Bernice Farlee Snyder
Bernice Farlee Snyder, a longtime member and generous supporter of Phillips’ Mill, passed away on January 3, 2023. She was an honorary member of the Mill since 2016 and will be missed by many.
A Word of Thanks
Thank you to all who contributed to all of our programs, and especially to the Preservation Appeal. If you missed it, it’s not too late. We accept gifts toward preserving the Mill and property any time of year.
