Celebrating Bethlehem's Southside Culture
In a studio bursting with colorful glass, Kim Hogan stood among her artworks big and small at the Banana Factory Arts Center. The sun highlighted her mosaics as we discussed her inspirations for her art and her plans for the future. Seven years ago, Southsider’s Sam Sorensen met with Hogan and wrote extensively on Hogan’s…
ArtsQuest, a Bethlehem staple for community events, hosted a series of events called “Come Dance With Us” throughout the fall and winter. Celebrating the empowering success of various women in pop music, the series cultivated a space where members of the Lehigh Valley community were able to let loose, dance, and meet other locals with…
On July 11th, the seven-piece band Stella Ruze performed at Levitt Pavilion as a part of their free concert series. Stella Ruze is a folk-rock band from Philadelphia that wowed the crowd at SteelStacks with their impressive four-part harmonies and wide variety of instruments. The band consists of guitarist & singer Brendan Johnson, singer &…
One Earth ReggaeFest was a free celebratory festival that took place from noon on July 6th until midnight. For 12 hours festival goers enjoyed music, dancing, local vendors, and food. Musicians and DJs performed on two stages: the Highmark Blue Shield Community Stage and the Levitt Pavilion stage. The performers primarily played reggae music that…
Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night during the summer, SteelStacks hosts free concerts as a part of their Levitt Pavilion Summer Concert Series. These are well attended by the Lehigh Valley community. On the night of May 31s, the lawn in front of the Levitt Pavilion stage filled up quickly with an audience excited to…
During the summer, Levitt Pavilion offers numerous free concerts for residents of the Lehigh Valley to enjoy on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Typically, audience members bring camping chairs and set up on the grass in front of the stage to enjoy the music. Shows at Levitt Pavilion are a great way to spend a summer…
On June 25th, Artsquest and Steelstacks hosted another “Levitt in Your Living Room” free concert to share the “sultry sound, clear tone, [and] funky groove” of Gina Chavez. The concert, shared on a live stream from Gina Chavez’s living room, featured Chavez playing as a one-woman band, and interacting with listeners through chat on Facebook….
Lehigh Valley SoccerFest & Viewing Party (SoccerFest) at SteelStacks has drawn thousands of visitors in the five short years since its creation. Featured as part of Fox Sports’ nightly World Cup wrap-ups, this year’s festival offered screenings of the U.S. women’s matches on giant, outdoor LED screens at SteelStacks. Each viewing party had live music,…
My first spring in Bethlehem has been delightful: the flowering trees alone have made this one of the most beautiful springs I’ve ever experienced. After the Southside Arts & Music Festival, I’m even more excited for what summer in Bethlehem has to offer. Thanks to ArtsQuest, spring in Bethlehem signals not only the start of…
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…