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09:49 | BAUMEISTER
Abington The
AUGUST 8, 2019
INSIDE
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She did it: Local athlete made CrossFit podium See page 9.
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PILLARS OF ART
Julie JeFFery Manwarren / FOr abinGtOn Suburban
David Porter of Clarks Summit is the artist behind The Pillar Art Collection which now hangs on the pillars in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church, Clarks Summit.
JULiE JEFFERy MANWARREN | Suburban liFe
Local artist creates collection for church CLARKS SUMMIT — A church in the Abingtons recently added art to its sanctuary. A long-time supporter of the arts, First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit secured artwork for the pillars that flank either side of the auditorium. A member of the church, David Porter, offered to create 10 pieces that would represent themes important to the congregation. Porter has worked in art and design ever since graduating from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture in 1977. He’s been an art director, designer and an artist for newspapers and magazines across the United States. He is a professor in the visual arts department at Keystone College. He recently produced a documentary. He and Donna, his wife of 43 years, live in Clarks Summit. They have a son, Jacob and daughter, Kaitlin. In 2018, the Music and Wor-
ship Committee of First Presbyterian Church was granted funds to decorate the pillars between the stained-glass windows of the sanctuary. Porter volunteered to donate original works of art. He was awarded the Chamberlain Chair for distinguished faculty service at Keystone College in May 2018. The school gave him a sabbatical, so he had the time to devote to finishing the pieces. “Everything kind of aligned at that time and I felt confident I could complete this project,” Porter said. Concepts for the project were solicited from the congregation of First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit. Porter used images to create collages. Each of the 10 pieces focuses on a theme that is important to the members of the church. Though the mixed media artwork is simplistic in theme, the pieces are also complex with layers of images, numerous scenes and various colors.
The images’ relations to and interactions with each other create a variety of concepts. Some pieces have a contrast of black and white art alongside colorful images. In the work titled “Women,” the black and white images show the struggle of women and things women have had to overcome. The piece also has colorful images of women as they rise to leadership and empowerment. Faith is a thread that appeared in many of Porter’s pieces. The work titled “Prayer” has the words to “The Lord’s Prayer” on it. At the top is a large ear which Porter said signifies the ear of God listening to the prayers of his children. “Creation” shows a collage of creatures from many species, scenes of nature and a beam of light signifying the beginning of time, reaching out from a center point. Porter explained he hoped this piece Please see Artist, Page 12
SubMitted PhOtO
David Porter, professor of visual arts at Keystone College in La Plume, hangs his artwork in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit. The pieces are mixed media collages that took a year to complete. Porter presented the church with 10 pieces all focusing on themes important to the congregation.
Growing support by Rich cox StaFF writer
and often held a second job during tax season. The long hours often S. ABINGTON TWP. led to frozen dinners and — Jason Burke, an adfast food. vanced placement (AP) “I can’t imagine what human geography teachit would have been like to er at Abington Heights have to have our own garHigh School, was inden,” he said. “I want to spired when he learned give families the opportuabout Gardens for Single nities that we didn’t have.” Moms, a volunteer projIn relation to the secect that builds gardens tion on agriculture in AP bURkE for single mothers in OrHuman Geography, Burke lando, Florida. So much gives his students their so that he decided to create his own own seedlings to grow on the first program. day of class. The students can keep For Burke, the project hits close the seedlings or transfer the plants to home. After all, he was raised by to the school’s gardens. a single mother. As a child, he witCoincidentally, during the same nessed the challenges his mother, time Burke was teaching the agAlice Manley faced, in order to pro- riculture section this year, he was vide him with the best life possible. asked by his mother to read a post “My mother worked hard to put she found on Facebook: a story food on the table,” said Burke. “We about a grassroots organization always had dinner, she never let us called “Gardens for Single Moms.” go hungry.” With the help of volunteers, the orBurke’s mother worked full-time ganization builds gardens for single
ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER Suburban Subplots
Destination staycation, part two Two weeks ago, I wrote about my favorite staycation destinations – day trips within a two-hour drive from Clarks Summit. I mentioned stops in Ithaca, New York (the Ithaca Farmers Market and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology); the sprawling Hickory Run State Park in Carbon County and Knoebels Amusement Resort near Elysburg. I asked readers to write in with their own recommendations, which resulted in several more trips to add to my staycation bucket list. ■ Readers, Joanne Stetz and Rich Winslow, both mentioned Jim Thorpe. I kicked myself – mentally – for not thinking of it myself. This charming town is “consistently ranked on national media ‘best’ lists and recognized among the most fun, most beautiful, most romantic and best adventure towns to visit,” according to the Jim Thorpe Tourism Agency’s website, jimthorpe.org. It’s a one-hour drive (56 miles) from Clarks Summit via the Pennsylvania Turnpike. “Nestled in the breathtaking Lehigh Gorge, this Victorian town is teeming with history, romance and family fun,” the website continues. “You’ll enjoy the walkable downtown’s accommodations, shops, restaurants, pubs, wine-tasting and live entertainment, as well as all the outdoor adventure you’d expect in the Pocono Mountains.” Winslow described Jim Thorpe as “a quaint town which offers nice restaurants, a nice train ride and an old jailhouse that once held the famous Molly Maguires.” He added it’s especially beautiful in the fall. Stetz said it’s “always a fun place to go. “A few years ago, our two Cocker Spaniels were up in years, so we decided to stay home from your usual shore vacation,” Stetz wrote. “It certainly was a nice week.” ■ Another of her destinations that week was the Delaware Water Gap, where she took the trolley tour of the area, followed by a nice lunch. Information about this tour can be found online Please see Staycation, Page 12
What’s inside
Calendar ........................ 2 Contest .......................... 3 Obituaries ....................... 4 Schools .......................... 5 Just For Fun .................... 8 SubMitted PhOtO
Jason Burke’s geography club students at Abington Heights built and planted 8-by-4-foot raised garden beds for single-parent homes. They also planted deck boxes for African migrants living in Scranton. The gardens include watermelons, tomatoes, broccoli, pumpkins and green bell peppers. mothers. The women are taught how to maintain the garden so they can grow food for their children in the future.
The organization was created by Rob Greenfield in 2018. Greenfield Please see Support, Page 5
Sports ............................ 9 Suburban Family ........... 10 Green Scene ................. 10
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