CLARION – Three PennWest Clarion alumni will showcase their work and discuss how art meshes with their lives when they join Clarion Summer Fest 2025 as artists-in-residence.
Jason Anthony (Class of 2022), Melanie Belinsky (Class of 2005) and Chloe Boden (Class of 2010) — each a professional artist — will create art and be available to talk with festivalgoers from noon to 3 p.m. on different festival Saturdays.
Nancy Hanna, creator and executive director of Summer Fest, held the first weekend of each summer month, said the artist-in-residence program began last year with Kaersten Colvin-Woodruff, associate professor in PennWest’s Department of Visual and Performing Arts.
“The idea is inviting area artists to create unique art experiences during the festival,” Hanna said. “Kaersten participated, offering a workshop and demonstration of metal arts. She had the idea to invite three Clarion grads who are professional artists to participate in our three festivals this year.”
“Having artists-in-residence at local festivals provides a glimpse into a cultural area that some may not be aware of in their community,” said Colvin-Woodruff, who helped organize this year’s artist-in-residence program. “It especially encourages the youth of a local community to pursue an art form of their interest. They are able to witness the artists working in real time, which allows them to ask questions about the process of artmaking.”
Each artist will set up a booth on downtown Clarion’s Main Street, where they will create artwork during the Clarion Summer Fest activity days, she said.
In addition, the artists’ work will be on display throughout the summer in Carlson Library’s University Art Gallery in “Summer Fest Art Exhibit: Recent Works by PennWest Clarion Graduates.” The exhibition will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, June 6 through Aug. 8. An opening reception from 6:30 to 8 p.m. June 6 will feature Anthony, the June artist-in-residence.
Artists are:
• Jason Anthony — A visual artist based in Pittsburgh who works primarily in two-dimensional media, including charcoal, pen and ink, paint, and mixed-media techniques. His work draws inspiration from Gothic themes in American folklore and fantasy, incorporating macabre motifs that emphasize the grim aspects of the human condition.
• Melanie Belinsky — An artist of miniatures who developed an early love for both reading and craftsmanship — passions that now inspire her intricate sculptural work. Based in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, she creates unique miniature vignettes, book nooks, jewelry and 1/12th scale upholstered furniture, with each piece capturing the charm and emotion of everyday life.
• Chloe Boden — A multidisciplinary Pennsylvania artist who works in watercolor, acrylic and digital media. Her work explores themes of nature, connection and shared creativity. From 2010 to 2014, she was part of Building Bridges and Breaking Barriers, a collaborative series involving artists from the United States and Pakistan, which was exhibited internationally and at PennWest Clarion.
As it has each year of Summer Fest, PennWest Clarion will welcome the community to its popular Stars Over Clarion show in Peirce Planetarium for free shows hosted by physics alumnus James Sanders at 7 p.m. June 6 and Aug. 1, and at 3 p.m. July 5.
Hanna notes that several other students have helped to grow the festival, which began by producing pop-up shops for local entrepreneur/makers.
“We’ve worked with several marketing students to help us with our events and social media. This year’s intern is Chloe Guntrum. Chloe is helping us line up our pop-up entrepreneurs,” she said.
Previously, Hanna worked with students in English professor Dr. Ellen Foster’s grant writing class to secure funding. Foster said the class was designed to partner students with community organizations. The students who worked on the Summer Fest grant and have since graduated include Amariliz Sanchez, Kathy Sutton, Jenna Manning and Bryn Jarusewski.