Amanda Lee Condict, Instructor and Key Volunteer, she/her
https://www.instagram.com/amandaleecondict/
Amanda Lee Condict has studied at Kutztown University, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Albright College, and Empire State College.
An illustrator and designer, Amanda has always worked in graphic arts and publishing– first as a product and fashion illustrator for Boscov’s department store; then as art director of County Magazine; and finally operating Condict and Company, a design and illustration studio which created catalogs, textbooks, and advertising collateral for a variety of clients, many of them in the fashion and beauty industries. Over the course of 30 years, her company grew to eight artists and several administrative staff before the recession of 2008 caused her to downsize. She then returned to her roots as a free lance illustrator while also teaching illustration and design in the fashion department at Albright College.
Amanda recently retired from her adjunct instructor position and creates an eclectic array of artwork, in many different styles and media. The one constant in her work is the theme or subject; it is always about people and positions them as central, as subjects in their own lives, as well as subjects in her artwork. It speaks of their relationship with things they own, their relationship with each other, their relationship with themselves, their relationship with her.
Amanda exhibits her art in various local galleries and accepts portrait commissions. She often is inspired to create art for a cause and has donated her talents to many charitable organizations, most recently painting a victim of gun violence for the Souls Shot’s traveling exhibit. She is on the roster of the PA Council of Arts visiting artists’ program, doing artist residencies at libraries and other public spaces. She has taught art at Yocum Institute, Clay on Main, and Albright College’s Total Experience Learning; operates Vincent van BYO, a painting party studio; and paints murals, mostly as community projects. She curates the traveling group show “The Female Gaze” and was a forensic sketch artist on an episode of “The Dead Files.” She was honored with the 2021 Coggins Award of Excellence for her creativity, innovation, and service to others. She serves on several area arts committees including Public Relations for Berks Art Alliance, Berks Arts Council’s Roundtable, administrator of the Sketching Workshop, an international organization of artists, and the board of Clay on Main.
Mike Andrews (he/him/his) and Paula Taylor (she/her/hers), Half Moon Managers
Mike Andrews and Paula Taylor of Meadowood Music sponsor and book the music for the Half Moon and front room. We own/operate Meadowood, and are grateful that CoM exists, promotes the arts, and includes a musical performance in its embrace.
Dolores asked us to include our pup, Riley, in our info because she is the CoM music ambassador. She’s a 6-year-old poodle who would love to greet you at the Friday evening concerts.
Rhonda Counts, Key Voluenteer (She/Her/Hers)
Rhonda’s works are instantly recognizable for their unique textures. She creates her canvases by sculpting various mediums, even perhaps finger-painting in patterns and then “impressing” natural elements, such as leaves, into the mediums. Fluid acrylics are then applied, letting the colors flow over and in the textural crevasses. In the flow, there is a constant applying, lifting and reworking of the paints over the texture. Inspiration for this method came during her career as an Art Director for Walt Disney Imagineering. An intriguing technique used by the Disney Imagineers, is stamping patterns into cementitious materials to create “natural themed landscapes”. Rhonda has adapted this technique in her painting process. In her studio in Fleetwood, Pa, Rhonda enjoys the serenity and mindfulness in the process of creating art. She welcomes you to visit her website at www.rhondartstudio.com .
Madeline Consugar, Instructor and Studio Tech, She/Her
Madeline is a passionate ceramic artist whose journey began at West Chester University, where they graduated in 2020 with a degree in Fine Art with a concentration in Ceramics. Inspired by a desire to immerse themselves in the world of ceramics, they embarked on a transformative path that led them to discover their true calling in the medium.
In 2021, Madeline found their way to Clay on Main, where they volunteered their time mixing glazes and loading kilns. Madeline was offered the opportunity to step into a teaching role at Clay on Main in 2023. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of a new chapter in their artistic journey. Embracing the role of educator, they discovered a profound sense of fulfillment in sharing their knowledge and expertise with eager students.
Through her work, Madeline invites viewers to engage with the tactile and visual elements of the ceramic medium, encouraging them to contemplate the beauty found in the marriage of form and surface. Madeline’s goal is to evoke a sense of wonder and connection, inviting viewers to explore the intricate details and hidden stories within each piece.
She celebrates the imperfections and irregularities inherent in each piece, embracing the unique fingerprints and tool marks that bear witness to its creation. These traces of the human hand not only add character but also serve as a testament to the intimate relationship between artist and material.
Instagram: @consugarcreations
Website: consugarcreations.com
Dolores Kirschner, Director (she/her/hers)
Dolores Kirschner was born and raised in Philadelphia, growing up with her father, a plumber, and her mother a stay-at-home mom to her and her 4 siblings. Dolores Kirschner received her BFA from the University of the Arts in 1977 with a concentration in glass and ceramics. For the last 20 years, she has been fully engaged in her work as the founder and director of Clay on Main, a rural arts-based non-profit in Oley, PA. Her work has been focused on social engagement and the growth of rural arts development. Kirschner has taught for many years in non-traditional environments such as Uppattinas, a democratic free school for students K-12 from 2006-2011. She continues to teach at the adult level in her work at Clay on Main
Ray Lapinski, Communications Manager (they/them/theirs)
Ray Lapinski graduated from Temple University with a BA in advertising with a concentration in Art Direction in 2022.
Ray is the founder and creative director of Skullduggery Studios, an alternative apparel and jewelry company. Because of this unique career path, Ray has experience in social media marketing, product design, graphic design, and sales. Additionally, Lapinski works for Clay on Main as a communications manager.
Driven by a desire to expand the conversation around art and history Lapinski is interested in accessibility to the arts first and foremost. As a disabled queer individual with years of advocacy experience, the inclusion of all individuals regardless of income, race, religion, or ability level is Ray’s passion.
Ray received their master’s degree at Moore College of Art and Design for Socially Engaged Arts in 2023.