New exhibition in Kutztown celebrates barn star painter Milton J. Hill [Spotlight]

Jul. 2—Just in time for the Kutztown Folk Festival, a new exhibition celebrating the life and work of Berks County barn star artist Milton J. Hill opened Friday and runs through Sept. 30 in the gallery at the DeLight E. Breidegam Building, headquarters of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University.

Through original works of art, cultural artifacts and ephemera, discover how this innovative, third-generation barn painter from Virginville preserved and transformed traditional barn decoration among the Pennsylvania Dutch.

Hill (1887-1972) began his career as a traditional barn painter in 1902 at the age of 14. As a third-generation painter inspired by the art of his father and grandfather, Hill's work continued a well-established artistic tradition for the decoration of barns throughout the region.

As both an artist and innovator, Hill was best known for producing the most elaborate geometric star patterns found in the region. His signature barn star design is known as the Hill Star in honor of his unique contributions to the agricultural folk art of the region.

Long before the coining of the term hex sign by the tourist industry in the 1920s, three generations of Hill family of barn painters used the original Pennsylvania Dutch vernacular terms for the art form, "Scheier-Schtanne," meaning barn stars.

Combining tradition and innovation, Hill's works bridged the gap between traditional barn art and the contemporary revitalization of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art in the 1950s and '60s. Often credited with having been the very first to produce traditional barn stars on commercial sign board, Hill's work remained traditional and received national attention through his participation in the Kutztown Folk Festival.

Hill's art continues to inspire new generations of artists who paint his signature design, the Hill Star, as a homage to his legacy in the region.

Admission to the exhibition is free. Visitors can explore the exhibition during regular gallery hours, 10 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the DeLight E. Breidegam Building, 15155 Kutztown Road, Kutztown.

Special extended hours during the Kutztown Folk Festival, running through July 9 only, provide access daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information, visit https://www.pagerman.org/milton-hill, follow PGCHC on Facebook, call 610-683-1589 or email heritage@kutztown.edu.

Music

The Kutztown University Summer Music Festival runs through Saturday as 55 talented students from around the world join forces for a one-week, fully immersive musical experience, working with the festival's renowned roster of devoted musicians and pedagogues.

Concerts and workshops are free and open to the public.

The opening night program will be held tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Schaeffer Auditorium. This program will present two of the chamber music literature's most popular and enduring large-scale works: the lyrical and dramatic Clarinet Trio by Brahms and brilliant Schubert "Trout" Quintet and the energetic and passionate String sextet "Souvenir de Florence" by Tchaikovsky. The performers will include festival faculty, joined by international guest artists from Chile and Greece.

The Monday concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research will feature the festival's faculty performing works by Bach, Bruch, Piazzolla and Shostakovich.

The remainder of the week will showcase the students of the festival in mixed chamber ensembles and works for small orchestra.

The Summer Music Festival offers one week of intensive study to ambitious high school and college age musicians, including daily private lessons and chamber music coaching. It is open to piano, strings and winds, with faculty from The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, University of Macedonia in Greece, University of Chile, Kutztown University, the New York City Ballet Orchestra and other prestigious institutions.

Participants have the opportunity to work on solo repertoire, learn and perform works from the core chamber music literature and receive instruction on audition preparation. In addition to the intensive chamber music experience, students have the opportunity to participate in a series of intriguing and informative seminars and workshops on a variety of musical topics.

Founded in 2010 by pianist Maria Asteriadou, the Kutztown University Summer Music Festival features an intensive and comprehensive approach to learning the core chamber music repertoire for piano, strings and winds. The festival's mission is to provide opportunities that go far beyond the traditional summer music camp experience, creating a stimulating environment for musical and personal growth through and international exchange of talent and ideas.

Nurturing the love of great music and developing the young artists of the future, KU's Summer Music Festival allows emerging musicians to experience the Art of Chamber Music with internationally acclaimed artists.

Books

Lori A. Hafer, who uses the pen name Lori A. Oswald, of Fleetwood and her granddaughter, 3-year-old Dahlia Vogelsang, are co-authors of "Dolly Lolly Lollypop: Grandma's Magic House," a children's book centered on the unlimited potential of a child's imagination.

There will be a book signing on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Show 'N Shine at the Park car show and flea market at Fleetwood Community Park, 334 W. Main St., Fleetwood

In addition to the book signing, the authors will be selling Dolly Lolly Lollypop merchandise, including an activity book, key chains, stickers, lollipops, travel totes and more.

The book is available for purchase at www.amazon.com.

----"Big Red," a new science fiction book by T. Martin Koller of Birdsboro, has been released by Dorrance Publishing Co. Inc.

When Dream Qwest, an electronics corporation with ties to the military industrial complex, and in direct competition with the virtual reality gaming industry, releases a new gaming concept whereby a gamer can go anywhere in the world, experience any adventure, play any sport or create one's own scenarios between friends or lovers — all from the comfort of home — it's not hard to imagine how popular the software becomes. After all, all one needs is a Big Red and a game, purchased, of course, through Dream Qwest.

All is fine until a federal prosecutor for the state of Illinois is found dead wearing a Big Red. Now it's up to Agent Frank Kelly to quietly recover the Big Red for the government in a case that threatens to expose a deeper corruption.

"Big Red" is a 114-page paperback with a retail price of $14. (ebook $9) The book is available at https://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/big-red..