Destination ARTS! Grand Opening Weekend July 19 – 21  — Waynesboro, PA to be “transformed into a work of art”

The grand opening weekend of Destination ARTS! is set for July 19 from 5 – 8 pm, and it will continue to be open every Friday 5 – 8 pm, Saturday 11 am – 6 pm, and Sunday 12 pm – 4 pm from that point on until October 27.

Seven vacant buildings are being simultaneously converted into full-fledged, curated art galleries, and an additional eight to ten storefront displays will also exhibit art.  Music and other performing arts, children’s activities, art demonstrations, and other special events are being planned for several hours every day. All activities are open to the public and free of charge.

An initiative of the non-profit Arts Alliance of Greater Waynesboro (AAGW), Destination ARTS! is an ambitious attempt to revitalize a small town and stimulate economic development.  Hundreds of volunteers are involved, working on everything from art selection and installation, building preparation, event programming, warehousing, and the coordination of “docents” to greet the public in each gallery during open hours.   The event has united landlords, artists and arts organizations, businesses, local government, and the general public in a single goal — to  bring vibrancy back to our downtown, and to share our enthusiasm for the natural beauty, history, and talent of the area with others.

Some of the most highly respected fine artists in the Mid Atlantic region are participating, including Benjamin Jones, David Buckley Good, Fritz Biggs, Brad Clever, Kevin Kutz, and Steve Navada.  There are also photographers such as Raymond Gehman, Janie Moltrup, and Denny Bingaman, ceramic artists such as Hilda Eiber and Mike McIntyre, and other artists far too numerous to mention.  The exhibits will feature paintings, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, photography, and fiber arts.  All art will be for sale, and gallery exhibits will change every six weeks.

A unique feature of this event is that most of the buildings involved are available to rent, and volunteers will be helping to find  viable long-term tenants who will add quality to the community.  As buildings are rented, art galleries will move to other vacant buildings and then repeat the process.  Our hope is that Waynesboro will become a destination for arts lovers, and that a project of this bold scope will encourage people to consider investing in the town, and revitalize and reenergize Main Street.

The gallery locations and themes are:

• 50 West Main St.  –  “Small Town Hosts Big City Art”  – Paintings by our most prominent and metropolitan artists
• 37 West Main St.  – Furniture Market Showroom –  “Homegrown Art” – Art by professional or amateur artists who grew up in the Waynesboro area
• 32 West Main St.  –  “A Taste of the Arts” – Sampling of Gallery Arts, note cards and prints, and all sales transactions
• 30 West Main St. –   “Palette to Canvas” – Paintings of all genres
• 22 West Main St.  –  “Through the Lens and Of The Earth” – Photography, digital arts, pottery and fiber arts
• 2 East Main St. –  “Scenes, Shapes, and Surprises” – Paintings, sculptures, and the unexpected
• 13 South Church St.  –  Special Features of the Ceramic Arts Center  – Diverse pottery and more, in Waynesboro’s newest arts center

In addition, storefront art displays will be presented in both existing businesses and other vacant buildings, including:

• 24 East Main St.
• 30 East Main St.
• 33 East Main St.
• 35 East Main St.
• 37 East Main St.
• 43 East Main St.
• 81 West Main St.
• 96 West Main St.
• 106 West Main St.

Music in Waynesboro for the opening weekend  (performers and performance venues  are subject to change; all performances are FREE unless otherwise noted):

Friday, July 19

• Ken Jankura (vocals & upright bass), Brett Crawford (tenor & soprano sax), Joe Dennison (guitar), Fred Griggs 9drums) — (5 – 8 pm, Waynesboro Square – inclement weather site 22 West Main St.)
• Rebecca Reed (vocals) & Justin Streletz (piano) – BROADWAY & STANDARDS — (5 – 8 pm, 2 East Main St)
• Eric Wengert (ukulele) – VARIETY — (5 – 8 pm, 50 West Main St.)
• Tommy Lancaster – FOLK & BLUES — (6 – 9 pm, Christine’s Cafe)
• “Old Tyme Jam” – BLUEGRASS — (7 – 10 pm, Beck & Benedict Hardware Music Theatre) – $4

Saturday, July 20

• Ken Jankura (vocals & upright bass), Joe Dennison (guitar), Fredd Griggs (drums) – JAZZ — (3 – 6 pm, Waynesboro Square)
• Beth Malone, Gillian Malone & Kathy Katy Altfield – SHOW TUNES — (2 – 5 pm, 50 West Main St)
• “Unheard Of” – Eric Wengert (ukulele) &  Brian Wengert (bass)  – VARIETY — (2 – 5 pm, 2 East Main St))
• “Lucky Punk” – ROCK  — (6:30 pm – on the patio at Christine’s Cafe)
• Kody Norris and the Watauga Mountain Boys from Mountain City Tennessee – BLUEGRASS — (7:30 pm – Beck & Benedict Hardware Music Theatre) – $14

Sunday, July 21

• “Mountain Air” – Bobbi Smith (guitar & vocals), Bob Murphy (upright bass), Lisa Donohoe (mandolin & vocals) – ACOUSTIC CONTEMPORARY FOLK & POP COUNTRY — (2 – 4 pm, 50 West Main St.)
• Missy Eckert (vocal/guitar soloist) – VARIETY — (2 – 4 pm, 2 East Main St.)

More things being scheduled!  Check the website often!

Waynesboro is surrounded by beautiful countryside and parks, and there are many other activities and events to offer visitors.  Renfrew Museum and Park and Renfrew Institute offer a wide variety of cultural events and environmental programs.  There are great hiking trails along the Appalachian Trail, apple and peach orchards, excellent restaurants, and award winning chocolate shops.  Pen Mar Park, once a tourist destination that drew as many as 20,000 visitors a day to the area, is still majestic and offers stunning views and dancing to live music on Sundays.  History is everywhere, and the  battle of Monterey Pass was one of the important events of the Civil War.  Beck and Benedict’s Hardware Music Theatre presents “Old Tyme Jams” of  bluegrass and country western music every Friday night, while Christine’s Cafe offers folk music and blues.  The Arts Alliance of Greater Waynesboro looks forward to sharing the natural beauty and talent of the area with all who attend Destination ARTS!

For more information about Destination ARTS! visit www.artsalliancegw.org or email [email protected]