Plein Air West Reading winners announced; ‘Back to the Future’ exhibit opens in Boyertown [Spotlight]
Plein Air West Reading 2023 drew a record crowd to the June 16 award presentation and public opening of the exhibit the following day at Art on the Avenue.
Thirty artists from six states participated in week-long fine art competition to capture the beauty and character of Berks County. The $6,700 in awards that juror Nancy Tankersley presented was the highest purse in the event’s eight-year history. The winners were:
First prize, Fred Jackson, “Gring’s Mill Foot Bridge”; second, Lori Cusick, “And Then the Rain Came”; third, Sarah Baptist, “Rainy Day Painting”; honorable mention, Jay Dombach, “Of Church and Iron,” and Cheryl Hart, “Keeping Cool”; Best West Reading, Ed Lewandowski, “Date Night”; Berks History, Steven J. White, “Before the Rain, Allegheny Aqueduct”; Garden Arty, Debra Moffitt, “Rain-Washed Garden”; Mansions, Monuments and Centre Park, Marita Hines, “Centre Park Beauty”; Berks Farmways, Denise McDaniel, “Morning on the Farm”; Berks Waterways, Ed Bell, “Tulpehocken Creek”; Artist Choice & People’s Choice Awards, Fred Jackson.
Over 150 people attended the Patrons Preview & Awards Presentation at the Olympian Ballroom, West Reading. On the following morning, the exhibit was rehung as the centerpiece of Art on the Avenue, the borough’s one-day street festival, where over 800 people toured the plein air exhibit.
Fifty of the artists’ favorite paintings will remain on exhibit through July 2 at Art Plus Gallery, 604 Penn Ave., West Reading, and neighboring Say Cheese! Restaurant.
Exhibit
The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles, 85 S. Walnut St., Boyertown, is hosting guest curator Tom Silknitter for a special exhibit this summer: “Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Roads: A Back to the Future Tribute.” The main feature of this exhibit is Silknitter’s tribute car, an exact replica of the DeLorean time machine used in the “Back to the Future” film trilogy, which he recreated using production notes and drawings.
Also part of this exhibit is Silknitter’s collection of “Back to the Future” memorabilia, from toys to DeLorean models to skateboards. Rare concept art from the film trilogy will be featured, as well as production notes and drawings Silknitter used to build his tribute car.
The exhibit also features a “selfie station” modeled after the 1955 Enchantment Under the Sea prom from the first “Back to the Future” film.
Silknitter is the author of “Build It With Some Style: Unauthorized Tales of the Time Machines from Back to the Future,” which will be for sale in the museum gift shop for the duration of the exhibit, which runs through August.
Several other events are scheduled to coincide with the exhibit:
• On July 22 at 1 p.m., the museum will host a special screening of the 2021 documentary film “88 MPH: The Story of the DeLorean Time Machine,” followed by a Q&A with director Tom Quigley and others involved in the making of the film. A second DeLorean time machine will be at the museum that day, offering patrons the chance to sit in the car in exchange for a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. This event is free with museum admission.
• On July 28 at 6 p.m., the museum will host a Trivia Night. Participants will receive a special after-hours look at the museum, enjoy light refreshments and test their “Back to the Future” trilogy knowledge. Pre-registration is required for this event. Tickets are $15 per person.
• On Aug. 12 at 2 p.m., the museum will host a book signing and paperback sale. Silknitter will lead a discussion about the creation of his tribute car and his collection of memorabilia, and will be available to sign his book. Copies will be available to purchase at the book signing. This event is free with museum admission.
The museum is open daily, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and AAA members, and free for ages 15 younger. For more information, call 610-367-2090 or visit www.boyertownmuseum.org.