This month’s Grist is your guide to all that is happening at the historic Phillips’ Mill this spring. From the readings of the winning plays in the Play with Words Student Playwriting Challenge, to our first-ever members art show, to a special evening showcasing the life of Julia Child (with plenty of French wine on hand), there are so many reasons to join us at the Mill!
Artists are invited to submit an artistic representation of the historic Phillips’ Mill to be considered as the signature image for the 95th Annual Juried Art Show at Phillips’ Mill. The selected image will be used on all promotional materials for the juried art show, including posters, advertisements, invitations, postcards, digital banners and social media.
The winning artist will receive a $400 honorarium, and the artwork will be featured for sale at the annual juried show. (The winning artist is free to submit additional entries to the show as outlined in the show’s prospectus.) This is a dynamic opportunity for high visibility of your work, your style and your name within our community of collectors.
Don’t Miss This New Art Show & Sale!
On Display March 16–17 and March 23–24, 2024, 12 to 4 pm
Open House - Saturday, March 16, 2024, 12 – 4 pm
We are excited to present an all-new Mill exhibition this spring, an in-person Members Art Show & Sale at our historic grist mill. This non-juried show is a tribute to the visual arts creativity of Mill members and the founding members of Phillips’ Mill Community Association nearly a century ago. The exhibition will showcase a range of fine arts and crafts throughout both levels of the Mill, upstairs and down.
The Mill’s membership is rich with artists well-known in the community who will be exhibiting work never before shown at the Mill, including paintings, works on paper, sculpture, ceramics, photography, textiles, and more. All works will be for sale, and a portion of every sale will benefit the upkeep of the 18th-century former grist mill. It's a great opportunity to add to your collection while supporting the Mill.
“We hope this inaugural event will be the start of an ongoing tradition of further supporting our artists,” says ceramic artist Shawn Campbell, chair of the show.
The following works will be among those exhibited at the Mill Members Art Show & Sale:
Members: There’s Still Time to Submit Your Work
Now through March 7 via Smarter Entry
We will accept submissions on a first-come, first-served basis according to the schedule detailed in our prospectus.
Actress Linda Kenyon transforms herself into Julia Child as she reveals fascinating details about the iconic cook’s life and rise to fame, as well as her close connection to the local area.
Following the performance, enjoy a glass of French wine and a selection of cheeses while you chat with other guests and view an array of Mill members’ artwork, which will be on display during the Mill’s first Members Art Show & Sale.
ArtTalk with Sean Mount
Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 7 pm
Sean Mount is a self-taught oil and watercolor painter and recipient of a 2019 fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. A native of Solebury, Pa., Sean spent a decade in New York City working in film and television as a scenic artist. He has won three Art Directors Guild Awards for his work on “Mr. Robot” and “The Night Of.”
ArtTalk with Thom Goertel
Thursday, March 28, 2024, 7 pm
Join us as we chat with award-winning photographer and multimedia producer Thom Goertel, who is the juror for the 2024 Phillips' Mill Photographic Exhibition.
Working on projects for corporations, institutions, NGOs and publications, Thom has shot in locations ranging from the White House in D.C. to dung huts in Uganda. His work has been published in National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, among others, and has been shown in galleries across the U.S., and is part of several private collections.
Meet the Winners of the 2024 Play with Words Student Playwriting Challenge
Join us in congratulating the winners of the second annual Play with Words Student Playwriting Challenge:
Finn Anderson, Grade 12
Upper Dublin High School
Matilda Bray, Grade 12
Solebury School
Corinne Brintnall, Grade 7
Tohickon Middle School
Saskia Cooper, Grade 10
Pennington School
Srikar Pothuraju, Grade 11
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
Avigail Wus, Grade 9
Pennsbury High School
“We are proud and thrilled to provide an encouraging and informative venue to nurture young writers, and to share their creations with the community,” says Valerie Eastburn, chairman of the Drama Committee at Phillips’ Mill.
Reading of Winning Plays
Sunday, March 3, 2024, 3 pm
The winning scripts of the local students will be read by actors on the historic stage of Phillips’ Mill. Come and hear what these young voices have to say. This event has just sold out, an important reminder to register early for our events!
The public is invited to share this celebration of young writers. Theatre Resident Griffin Horn will host the event and share his insights on playwriting with the audience. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged.
Storytelling
Tuesday, March 26, 2024, 7 pm
“We all have stories to tell,” says John McDonnell, host of the Salon, “and with this Salon we’re inviting people to come and tell their favorite stories.” The stories can be up to three minutes long and must be original to the storyteller. They can be family stories, memories, personal experiences — anything that is memorable and appropriate for a general audience. Storytelling is an age-old form of entertainment, and it helps us all learn new things about ourselves and our fellow human beings.
Anyone who wants to tell a story can register. Anyone who just wants to hear some good stories can, too. There will be a limit on the number of storytelling slots available, so sign up today! Free. Donations welcome.
Interested in acting, stage management, singing, dancing, costuming, props or front of house, and having a really good time? Rehearsals are starting for our Spring Musical Cabaret, “The Mill’s Guide to the Best Vacation Ever,” and it’s not too late to email your fellow thespians to join this year’s production. The show will be on stage May 15-18, 2024. Contact Valerie at valerie.eastburn@gmail.com or Fran at ademyoung@gmail.com.
Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition
March 31–April 19, 2024
Submissions have closed for the 2024 Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition, and excitement is building for the opening of the show, widely regarded as the premier juried photography exhibition in Bucks County. To all who entered, we thank you!
The Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition is part of a month-long celebration of the fine art of photography. Please join us!
A Mill Photo Committee Show - April 21–28, 2024
Sun, Wed & Thurs, 1 to 5 pm • Fri & Sat, 1 to 8 pm
This show features the works of the Phillips’ Mill Photo volunteers and photographers who work so hard every year to produce the prestigious annual juried Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition.
Now in its fourth year, the “Not Your Run of the Mill” Photo Committee Show is an exceptional collection of works by a cohesive, creative group of photo-oriented Mill members.
Zoya Gupta Shares Her Passions and Her Artwork
Zoya Gupta enjoys music, birding, badminton and strolling around the Princeton University campus. “It reminds me of Hogwarts,” she says. “It is such a pretty place. It is especially beautiful when it snows, which is pretty new to me.”
The West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South junior lived in multiple warmer-climate cities around the world, mostly in India but also in Dubai, before her family settled in West Windsor. Moving and feelings of displacement are recurrent themes in her artwork, including the extraordinary painting “Dislocation,” which won Best of Show in the 2024 Phillips’ Mill Youth Art Exhibition.
Congrats to our 2024 People’s Choice Award Winner!
As is now tradition, a special “People’s Choice” award was announced at the closing of the 2024 Youth Art Exhibition. The winner, Miles Szwarc of Hillsborough High School, received a $100 cash prize for his painting, “Coyote.”
This award recognizes a piece that did not win an award, but that the majority of the 550+ exhibition visitors thought should have.
We Remember Joe Phillips
We say goodbye to Joe, a man of many talents and advanced degrees. But here at the Mill we knew him as “the drummer in the band.” We will remember this longtime Mill member as a caring soul who genuinely loved the Mill. Joe applied his extensive scientist's and architect's knowledge to the many challenges of maintaining an 18th-century mill, and helped with the drama productions—mainly stage sets and live musical accompaniment. His partner of twelve years, Betty Benton, is choreographer and dancer in the drama productions. He loved playing while she danced. We miss him.
Chair Needed: Building & Grounds Committee
Over the years, Jim Grossholtz, Joe Phillips, George Plough and Billy Beaumont took meticulous care of our lovely grounds and historic structure. Each worked as a one-person committee to maintain and improve the Mill building and physical plant. Their dedication and TLC allowed all the cultural activities at the Mill to proceed with minimal disruption, and for this they have our eternal gratitude.
We no longer have George or Jim or Billy or Joe taking care of the Mill, and we are having difficulty finding a replacement. We have established a Building and Grounds Committee so all duties no longer fall on one person, but we need a B&G Chair. The Phillips’ Mill Board is therefore appealing to you, Mill members all, to help us fill this position. While architectural and facilities expertise would be useful, more important is a commitment to ensuring that this wonderful property gets the love and attention it needs.
For more information or to volunteer, please call Patrick Fowles at 267-446-8063 or email grounds@phillipsmill.org.
Free Open Rehearsal
Saturday, April 6, 3:30 pm • At the Mill
Phillips’ Mill is thrilled to host the Concordia Chamber Players again this year for this free open rehearsal of their upcoming program, “Thirty Thousand Days.” Please join us. Space is limited.
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
As the Photo Committee is preparing for this year’s exhibition, they wanted to share with you this image by Scott Hoerl, which was accepted into last year’s show. Scott captured the shot in Rome, where he came across an oversized painting in a shop window.
“The image was a bit faded and painted on what appeared to be an old barn door. People have asked if this is a composite shot — it isn’t. Because it was just at sunset, I was able to capture a reflection of the building across the street and a light in the upper corner (perhaps a passing car’s headlight). I spent a lot of time in Photoshop bringing out the colors and massaging the image to arrive at the final print. I’m not sure the image would have worked if I had taken it an hour earlier or an hour later. I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.” —Scott Hoerl
