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Art, for centuries, is how all humans have communicated.
Music, with its beats and rhythm—either heard or felt—reaches everyone, eliminating speech barriers. Dance has been used throughout history as narration.
A perfectly curated plate of food delights the palate, with aromas possessing the distinct ability to transport us to different places in time, almost immediately.
Colorful, textured, and patterned fabrics stitched together, have always aesthetically woven unspoken words. Even the cavemen drew and carved on walls to tell their stories.
Art is, and has always been, our universal language.
Art doesn’t show people what to do, yet engaging with a great piece of art can connect with the senses, body, and mind. It can make the world felt. This feeling can spur thoughts, further creativity, and elicit change. And that is exactly what’s been happening in the Lehigh Valley.
Art and music centers, theatres, galleries, restaurants, outdoor art with colorful murals, glistening mosaics, hand-carved stone, and metal sculptures, all adorn and highlight this creative community. We encourage you to find an artist that speaks to you, support their art, and communicate their story to others.
Below, meet some of the artistic trailblazers of the Lehigh Valley. They choose to live creatively, openly, and with bravery, ensuring the artistic legacy of the Lehigh Valley continues to adapt and thrive while uplifting those of us who live here.
ROEY EBERT
Acrylics and Oils on Canvas
roeyebert.com
roeyebert@yahoo.com
When someone looks at Ebert’s art, she wants them to smile. “I want them to look at my paintings and have them evoke a happy memory. Maybe it’s a flower their mother used to like or a wildflower field that they saw on a family trip. It’s all about happiness for me. Painting brings me so much joy, and I feel blessed to have an outlet for my creativity.” For Ebert, experiencing that shared sense of happiness is what being an artist is all about.
WHERE TO VIEW HER WORK
At Ebert Furniture Gallery at 3602 Broadway in Allentown, or online at roeyebert.com or Instagram @roeyebertart
JACQUELINE C AGENTIS
Fine Art Photography
JCAgentisArt.com
jagentis@mac.com
484.221.3930
A soulful interest in the history of the subjects she chooses to photograph—a building, a chair in a cafe, a busy or quiet street—is what compels Jacqueline to pick up her camera. She strives to convey a sense of history and time using color, architectural elements, texture, long exposure, and time.
AL JOHNSON
Mixed Media Expressionistic Artist
aljohnsontheartist.com
al.aljohnsonart@gmail.com
Al Johnson is a resident artist of Bethlehem’s Banana Factory in studio 347.
His main goal is to help keep the creative energy flowing between his fellow resident artists and the community in the Lehigh Valley. Al also offers art coaching and mentoring program workshops in both fine arts and commercial arts communications.
All this while exhibiting his artwork worldwide, he stays connected to the accomplishments created.
WHERE TO VIEW HIS WORK
Painting in Reverse
WARD VAN HAUTE
Mixed Media: Oils on Reverse of Kiln Formed Glass Panels Mounted on Board
bethlehemhousegallery.com
484.690.1569
IG: @wardvanhaute
FB: @wardvanhauteart
Ward is the director/curator at Bethlehem House Gallery and resident artist at Studio 945.
These works are a study of continuous line paintings on the back of glass panels mounted on painted wood. Created with a single line and using vibrant color fields to complete the subject, then mounted over deep black voids. This series observes the duality of light and darkness while highlighting the continuity of humanity.
WHERE TO VIEW HIS WORK
Bethlehem House Gallery at 459 Main Street, Bethlehem
Studio 945 at 945 Bethlehem Drive, Bethlehem
Ward Van Haute & Rachel Bell
BETHLEHEM HOUSE GALLERY
Home is where the art is
459 Main Street, Bethlehem
610.419.6262
bethlehemhousegallery.com
At Bethlehem House Gallery, original contemporary artwork by regional artists is displayed in a real-world, home-like setting. Their innovative approach walks you through beautifully-staged spaces designed to look like a living room, dining room, bedroom, or bar—and helps you imagine the art in your home. With four unique exhibitions a year, there’s always something new and surprising at the gallery. Stop in and find a piece that speaks to you!
BERRISFORD BOOTHE
“I’ve arrived at a new juncture in my life. My past was a tapestry of familial blessings and responsibilities. It was also nearly three decades of passionate teaching and program building at Lehigh University, and eight years of collecting, curating, and exhibiting African American Art for the Petrucci Family Foundation Collection.”
Berrisford also managed to build an art career of value including NYC and Philadelphia gallery representation, a major installation artwork at The Fabric Workshop & Museum, a decade as a traditional and giclee printmaker, a creator of short-format art videos, and another half-decade involved in improvisational performance and art-making. Berrisford also initiated and produced several bodies of artwork in his now familiar and ongoing circle format during the last 20 years—five as a Banana Factory Resident Artist and 10 at his current Karl Stirner Arts Building Studio.
Boothe’s work will be featured in this year’s annual Cocktails & Collecting at the AllentownArt Museum, November 6 and 7.
Abby Ogden, owner, with her family & two dogs
FOX AND FINCH STUDIO
502 South Clewell Street
foxandfinchstudio.com
At Fox and Finch, it’s a family affair. Or a birthday. Maybe a microwedding. Perhaps engagement photos? Whatever the occasion, just schedule with one of Lehigh Valley’s best photographers and rent Fox & Finch studio! Bring friends, family, pets, or simply book a solo photo session and capture those fleeting moments. When it’s all about hosting that magical event or getting that perfect shot with just the right background, superb lighting, and the quintessential prop (like Linda…or Gertie), it’s time to play at Fox and Finch.
Check out @foxandfinchstudio where fun, exemplary memories are archived daily.
JOHNNY SMITH & THE NO. 2 SHOW
Instagram: @theno2show
tinyurl.com/TheNo2Show
The No. 2 Show is the perfect show to watch on the post lunch break bathroom trip! Instead of aimlessly scrolling, enjoy content tailored for toilet time. It’s Jimmy Fallon meets the bathroom! Just don’t forget to flush!
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SARAH KING & HIPPIE MOMMA SOAP COMPANY
hippiemommasoap.com
Sarah King, Bethlehem native and Hippie Momma Soap Co. founder, created her line of products that care for your skin, naturally. As a certified Aromatherapist, Sarah uses oils and herbs to infuse her products with the power of nature to soothe and repair.
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METAL WORX JEWELRY
510 Main Street, Pennsburg
610.955.6587
metalworxjewelry.com
Metal Worx Jewelry is dedicated to vintage inspired, upcycled, and hand-stamped jewelry that combines different colors & textures while utilizing unique materials—including vintage glass buttons, typewriter keys, and antique silverware. Metal Worx Jewelry’s brick & mortar store is located at 510 Main Street, Pennsburg, PA. The shop offers a beautiful collection of jewelry but also offers birthday parties and girls’ night out events. These unique party options allow guests to take home a one-of-a-kind party favor with the jewelry they create.
Left: The No. 2 Show | Center: Hippie Momma Soap Co. | Right: Metal Worx Jewelry
Painting: Infinite Worlds
MARLOW RODALE
Oil Painter
marlowrodale.com
Instagram: @wolram
“I have always felt anxious in this world, so I endeavor to create my own otherworldly spaces.”
Each painting is meant to draw the viewer into an often calming, but not always, landscape of color and form creating a meditative space for emotional or intellectual reflection.
MICHELLE NEIFERT
Abstract Impressionist
Art viewings by private appointment
Art available on Saatchiart.com
I feel it is important as a visual artist to convey that which cannot be fully expressed in words, that which is sacred to the self. Painting for me is a spiritual conversation with the canvas. It’s important to value what’s in front of you —to pay attention, immerse yourself, and respond…and for me, it’s all about color.
SARA VITERI
Film, Theater, YouTube
Instagram: @saralaprincesa
Sara is an Ecuadorian actress, producer, and writer. After years of being in front of the camera and learning what goes on behind the scenes in film and theater, Sara decided to launch her own production company. Through La Princesa Productions, she’s produced fashion shows at ArtsQuest, an original musical, as well as multiple skits for YouTube through Galga TV. In 2018, she wrote, produced, and starred in her first, award-winning short film, “Life Happens, Then You Cry.”
Sara is seated on Lehigh Valley’s board of a film maker’s consortium, “FiFo” (Fade in/ Fade Out). Her plan is to help raise funds to produce independent films in the Lehigh Valley. “With all the talent and creativity that exudes here, Lehigh Valley can, and will, be a staple in cinema productions.”
ANTHONY SMITH
anthonysmithjr.com
abstractnarrativepainting.com
IG: @asmithjrnyc
anthonysmithjr@yahoo.com
610.533.3110
“In my work, I aim to create an orderly-but-exotic universe that invites the viewer to play. I make overwhelming work because, for me, the world is overwhelming. Then from time to time, and as a respite from the noise, I paint over it all with a happy landscape that thinly masks the cacophony just beneath the surface.”
Smith’s work will be featured in Moravian University’s Payne Gallery September 9–October 17, and at this year’s annual Cocktails & Collecting at the Allentown Art Museum, November 6 and 7.
LORI FROHNHEISER
Fine Art Painter & Pastel Artist
(Owner of Lou Lou LeRoy Salon)
lori7027@gmail.com
Find her artwork on Instagram @lorifrohnheiser
ANA HAMILTON
Expressions Studio
542 Hamilton Street 3rd floor, Allentown
By appointment only
anahamiltonart@gmail.com
IG: @anahamilton.art
“Art is the unbridled expression of the human soul.”
Ana’s work will be featured in this year’s annual Cocktails & Collecting at the Allentown Art Museum, November 6 and 7.
DR. LEE RILEY
Surgeon by Day, Sculptor by Night
Work on view at the Banana Factory Studio 337, 25 West Third Street, Bethlehem
LeeBRiley@gmail.com
LeeBRileyMD.com
As a surgical oncologist, Riley has learned a great deal over the years from his patients.
“A cancer diagnosis crystallizes what is important in one’s life. My artwork blends glass, minerals, wood, and steel to convey those lessons in abstract forms.”
