07/06/2026
There is a bittersweet magic that fills the air for me on the eve of the 2026 Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. 💔🌱
This week marks the historic 60th anniversary of the festival, and to me it marks my 35th year of setting up my booth at this beautiful summer tradition. Standing here on the threshold of this milestone, looking out at a town that has watched me grow as an artist, my heart is completely full—and incredibly heavy with nostalgia for the decades that have flown by.
To honor this double anniversary, I am reflecting on a piece of my art that remains the heartbeat of my collection, and one that still brings tears to the eyes of those who love it: "The Elms of Penn State."
I captured this photograph at dawn in the spring of 1986. Looking up the Allen Street mall toward Pattee Library, it preserves a lovely glimpse of campus history—the breathtaking majesty of the beloved Penn State elms framing the walkway. Their sprawling branches, rich with decades of history, form a natural cathedral—one that generations of Penn Staters walked beneath, studied beside, and held dear.
The gentle morning light in this image serves as a quiet tribute to the enduring spirit of Penn State. While time and nature may have changed the landscape a bit, the memories built beneath those trees refuse to fade. They live on in our hearts and in our shared love for this campus.
Whether you walked beneath the elms decades ago, or you’ve walked past my booth over the last 35 years, thank you for letting my art be a keeper of your memories.
Please come and visit my booth this week and let’s look back, and celebrate the deep unbroken bonds that still tie us all to Happy Valley. 🕊️✨
📍 Find me at Booth -73 (Right near the corner of S. Allen St. and Fairmount Ave.)
🖼️ Featured In My Gallery: "The Elms of Penn State"
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