Benefitting from and adding to this milieu is Studio Gallery 234, located on the corner of South Pershing and West College Avenues. Its owner, Mary Todenhoft, is committed to presenting the work of local artists and craftsmen in a structure that she acquired and restored.
The gallery opened in 1988 and was originally located at 234 West Market Street, hence the name. Todenhoft then moved her business to the current address five years later. “I purchased the building from the York Redevelopment Authority,” she says, “and set about the task of renovation.” She shares a scrapbook that chronicles the extensive work. “It was way over budget,” she intones.
Todenhoft resides on the second floor, a practical arrangement that keeps overhead low, benefitting her stable of more than 30 artists and their patrons. The owner also offers an on-site framing service, which, she confesses, helps to pay the bills. “I use only archival framing materials,” says Todenhoft. “But the mark-up is half of what most framers charge.”
Across South Pershing from 234 is Penn Park, so named because the land was an original grant from William Penn. “During the Civil War, that area accommodated a tent hospital,” says Todenhoft, eyeing the grassy tract. “And this building was constructed in 1867.” A second-story turret window over the corner entrance betrays its 19th-century origins.
History aside, Studio Gallery 234 is a model for successful art promotion. Todenhoft earned a BFA from Radford (VA) University and an MFA from Penn State. The 51-year-old Arkansas native is an instructor at PSU York and York College. Contacts developed through teaching, and other pursuits have served to advance her enterprise. “My best advertising is word of mouth, and most of my patrons are local,” she says. “They’re often professionals, or young people just starting to acquire art for their homes. I’ve had many clients in the corporate world, as well. I also get involved in philanthropic activities, and through them I meet people I wouldn’t otherwise know.” Consultant is another of Todenhoft’s roles, as she assists patrons in selecting the art and appropriate framing for their interiors.
Consistent with the region’s conservative tastes, most of 234’s exhibitions feature representational artists. But the range is broad. At one end is graphic artist David Sites, who produces imaginative landscapes with oil enamel and computer-generated images printed on paper or canvas. Of a similar stripe is Ry Fryar, whose pieces employ a variety of mediums frequently applied to unconventional surfaces. On the opposite side are more traditional painters like Joseph Berezansky, with his magical, polished acrylics that call to mind the clarity and exactitude of Grant Wood. Marion Stephenson’s inventory of impressionistic oils features European (mostly Italian) landscape.
Currently at Studio Gallery 234, an exhibition dubbed Bau Movement – a title that initially gives one pause – runs through March 20. Curator Frederick Haag, professor of art at Penn State York, explains, “Bau Movement is a tongue-and-cheek play on the Bauhaus,” he says. “The objectives are very open-ended. The work is meant to be seen and occasionally read. There is a little bit of an edge to some of the pieces, but I wouldn’t say that is always the case.”
“The work involves a variety of media and approaches to image-making, with an emphasis on strong shapes, colors and lines, or text,” says Haag. “We are working with images and text to bridge poetry, propaganda, graffiti, some pop elements and whatever strikes us as urgent or cool.” Joining Haag in the show are Daniel Kent, Jon Owen and Chelsea Parkent.
Haag’s paintings are an appealing blend of opposites. “I like dualities, ambiguity and clarity, color and draftsmanship, manufactured and natural,” he states. “My work is tied to my immediate surroundings and personal experiences, hence it is autobiographical. I often work with subjects and shapes that are derived from direct observation, from conversations and memories, as a departure point.”
Parkent is a psychology major at PSU Harrisburg with an interest in art therapy. She maintains interest in two mediums: drawing and painting. “Most of my drawings are black and white. I like the dryness and boldness of black and white,” she says. “It can convey differences in emotions.”
“My paintings are often the opposite of my drawings. I like to show dichotomy with rich colors and textures.” Parkent finds inspiration in the work of Käthe Kollwitz, Picasso, Soutine and Van Gogh. Another strong influence is musical rhythm. “Most of my friends are musicians,” she says.
With his background in engineering, science, design and mathematics, Dan Kent’s work suggests the visual tension expected from a man who has taken those skills and immersed himself into the aesthetic process.
“I work mainly without a plan,” says Kent. “The pieces just start coming together as I go – adding color, shape, line and texture. I am interested in working until I feel the composition is just about right, leaving room for a bit of discomfort.”
Jon Owen has been focused on sculpture as he completes his art degree in Oregon. “My work is often about the process and working through ideas or current issues in life,” he says. “It changes with what is happening in my life and the environment around me. Politics, love, sex, finances, mental health, entertainment, cheekiness and art history are just some of the themes found in the work that is in the Bau Movement show." 717
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