Summer Traditions
This summer, members of the Mill are invited to attend a “brilliantly British” evening supporting the Phillips’ Mill Preservation Fund and honoring the leadership of Kathy and Ted Fernberger. Our biggest fundraiser of the year, the Summer Fête will feature specialty cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, singing by the Bucks County Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and a delicious dinner from Catering by Design.
Of course, it wouldn’t be summer at the Mill without a performance by the Phillips’ Mill Players. This year’s Premiere Showcase, “Voices: A History of the VIA of Doylestown,” is in its final weeks of rehearsals for the July 20-23 performances.
Read all about both events — and more — in this issue of The Grist.
Summer Fête
Saturday, August 19 at 5:30 pm
A Hip! Hip! Hoorah! We are toasting Kathy and Ted Fernberger for their leadership in preserving our historic Mill at this year’s summer fundraiser.
Enjoy a brilliantly British evening at Phillips’ Mill along the Primrose Creek!
$160 per person
Includes food, drinks, and entertainment.
This event is open to members of the Mill first.
RSVP by August 4 to ensure your spot.
Not a patron?
Please consider making a gift to benefit the Phillips’ Mill Preservation Fund.
94th Annual Juried Art Show
September 23 – October 29
At the Mill | Daily 1 to 5 pm
The prospectus for the 94th Annual Juried Art Show at Phillips’ Mill is now online. After registering, participants will need to drop off their submissions at the Mill, where this year’s jurors will review them in person.
We are excited to continue our new tradition of also presenting the show online, offering greater accessibility to art lovers everywhere.
Artist Submissions
Sunday, July 30, through Sunday, August 27, 2023
Our Distinguished Jurors
The Juried Art Show at Phillips’ Mill has new judges every year to give the show a fresh look and perspective. We are proud of the shows they design for us and invite you to meet this year's jurors:
GRAPHICS AND PAINTING JURORS
Al Gury is an artist, educator and writer. He is a professor of Painting and Drawing at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia.
Curlee Raven Holton is a printmaker and painter whose work has been exhibited in more than 40 one-person shows and 100 group shows.
TK Smith is a Philadelphia-based curator, writer and cultural historian. He is the Assistant Curator: Art of the African Diaspora at the Barnes Foundation.
SCULPTURE JURORS
Syd Carpenter is a sculptor living in Philadelphia. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and others.
Lauren Sandler is a ceramic artist and educator based in Philadelphia. Her work examines the myriad chronicles told by objects as a means to explore stories that have been erased, distorted and rewritten.
We Thank Our Supporters
Our generous art supporters enable us to continue the legacy of William Lathrop, founder of the Phillips’ Mill Community Association, and the many other New Hope School artists who became the core of Pennsylvania Impressionism.
We are deeply grateful for our longtime art supporters and welcome all newcomers interested in honoring our past and supporting the local arts community.
“Voices: A History of the VIA of Doylestown”
July 20–23, 2023
Opening Night Champagne Reception • July 20, 7:30 pm
Written by Joy Nash
Directed by Griffin Horn
Phillips’ Mill is proud to present “Voices: A History of the VIA of Doylestown” in partnership with the Village Improvement Association (VIA). This historical drama, set in 1895, is a celebration of Doylestown Hospital and the women of the VIA who founded it 100 years ago.
Our Premiere Showcase is a fully staged mounting of an original full-length play performed for the first time in front of a live audience.
Sixth Annual Emerging Playwright Competition
Now Accepting Submissions
The Emerging Playwright Competition (EPC) attracts talented playwrights from a 100-mile radius of the Phillips’ Mill Community Association. Every year, six short plays are selected by a jury to be read on stage, with talkbacks with the audience following the readings.
“I have no idea how our judges are able to select just six plays out of 50 entries,” says Fran Young, Director of the EPC readings. “It is a privilege to cast and direct the readings and to be able to present these works to the public for the first time.”
The goal of the competition is to encourage new work and bring it to the stage. “Plays aren’t written to languish in some saved place. They are written to be performed by actors in front of a live audience,” says Valerie Eastburn, chair of the Drama Committee. “Imagine spending the time and creative energy cooking a wonderful meal and having nowhere to serve it and no one to eat it. The Mill provides the table and the diners.”
ArtTalk with Mark Sfirri
Wednesday, July 19, 7 pm
Mark Sfirri is a woodturner, sculptor, furniture maker, lecturer and writer whose specialty is multi-axis turning. His wooden turnings are humorous and engaging: baseball bats that branch or crook sideways; tables with legs and “bent knees” that appear to dance; candlesticks that appear to be made of mismatched wooden discs.
Join us for a fascinating look at his work and explore his technique.
This episode of ArtTalk is produced by Jean Mihich with guest producer Shawn Campbell.
Appreciation Garden Party for Lathrop Circle and Business Members
On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in June, the Phillips’ Mill Board and Membership Committee hosted an appreciation garden party at Benita Ryan’s Jericho Mountain Orchards property for the Lathrop Circle and Business-level members. Guests were treated to Benita’s lovely gardens and delicious hors d’oeuvres by Richard Hogan’s Culinaria.
Kay Marshall Marik and Eleanor Miller shared stories of Tom and Mary Marshall, the last property owners, and their connection to Dr. George Marshall, who sold the old Phillips’ Mill to the group of artists led by William Lathrop to found the Phillips’ Mill Community Association in 1929. Everyone was fascinated hearing about these adventuresome free spirits.
Remembering Ellie Moskowitz
I am blessed. Because of Ellie Moskowitz.
Ellie was an extraordinary person, and I can say this because to date I have not met anyone like her. She was kind and thoughtful, pleasant and cheerful, gentle and generous. Everyone who met Ellie got the same impression of her and then remarked, “How did I ever meet such a sweet and lovely lady?”
Read the full tribute to Ellie by Angela Marie Franco by clicking on the button below.
Photo of the Month
This photo was taken just before sunset in Bandon Beach, Oregon, by Dafydd Jones, a member of the Phillips’ Mill Photo Committee and a past co-chair of the Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition.
"My most common subjects are nature and landscapes in both color and black and white, many incorporating water, but I have also shot birds, animals, and a few candid portraits. I will shoot anything that can’t outrun me,” he says.
