Celebrating Bethlehem's Southside Culture
*Cover artwork is by Sammy Wendland. The students at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts (Charter Arts) are pursuing something beyond a traditional education. They are pursuing the integration of their artistic development with all of the comprehensive education that we require of high school students. As they take risks and explore the…
As many of us remain in quarantine, Southsider returns to the Banana Factory for a deeper dive into the beauty of one of their digital exhibits.
Seldom do we think of the little things in our daily lives. Sounds in particular, such as offhand remarks, unusual questions, overheard exclamations, and lingering phrases, bounce off the ear without a second thought. However, artist Martha Rich appears hyperconscious of these moments. Rich is a Philadelphia-based artist whose art primarily involves drawing, painting, and…
Anyone who has visited the Southside of Bethlehem knows that the area takes art very much to heart. At practically every corner is a distinct, fiery-colored planter that consists of elements of Bethlehem. And lest we forget, drivers and passersby alike can now enjoy the recently completed murals located near the New Street Bridge and…
There are many things about Bethlehem that makes it stand apart from other cities. For example, can you name any other pottery studio that hosts a “Paint With a Sloth” event, where attendees can BYOB, learn how to paint, AND snag a selfie with a real life sloth? You guessed it – Color Me Mine….
Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Artist Collective member Michelle Lee about her involvement with the Collective and her work. A dynamic group of artists from across the country comprise the ArtsQuest’s Artist Collective, a resource of creative, networking, professional development, and career opportunities for visual artists. A talented artist, Lee resides in…
David Sommers, a resident artist at the Banana Factory Arts Center, has known Bethlehem for many years. As an artist, Sommers started with just a black chalkboard: “I just drew and drew as a kid. I would draw out memories of films.” He tried to capture his surrounding environment while growing up in Guyana, South…
For Banana Factory Arts Center resident artist Stephanie Smith, Bethlehem ties run deep. Both sides of Smith’s family are from South Bethlehem, and steel workers dot her family tree. Arriving in the US in 1890, her paternal great grandfather was one of the South Bethlehem’s earliest Slovak immigrants and worked at Bethlehem Steel. He also…
The Banana Factory Arts Center has been Kim Hogan’s home for ten years now. Years ago, she took over the summer programs of a departing resident artist and has stayed with us as a teaching artist since. Here at the Banana Factory, Hogan wears many hats: resident artist, summer camp teacher, outreach program facilitator, and…
Since the age of seven, Melissa Perhamus knew that “there was something powerful” to her art. So, from the third grade on, she decided to dedicate her life to her artistic passions. The mixed-media artist hails from upstate New York, but has been established in the Lehigh Valley for nearly 20 years. Perhamus received her…