curio. Urban Sketching: April
2024-04-20 10:00 - 12:00 (Europe/London) | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Urban Sketching is a wonderful way to explore your surroundings and capture the energy and excitement of what you see. A trusty sketchbook, your favorite travel materials, and your keen eye is all you need to make visually interesting drawings from observation. Architecture, the hustle and bustle of cars and people, powerlines and the movement of the clouds are all possible inspirations in this laid back, exploratory workshop series. Over these 2, two hour sessions, participants can discover how to translate what they see into their sketchbook as instructor Matt Allyn Chapman provides demonstrations and one on one interactions as we visit specific locations.
This two week workshop will be meeting on location Saturday April 20th & 27th 10:00-12:00pm
This workshop is a Bring Your Own Supplies meetup! Bring your favorite items or try something new.
Suggested materials include easily portable items such as:
-Sketchbook
-Fineliner Pens
-Markers
-Travel Watercolor Set
-Graphite Pencils
-Colored Pencils
A few other considerations may be to dress in a comfortable fashion for the forecasted weather and bring along a camp chair should you require a seat for this two hour workshop.

First Friday Artist Reception and Spring Artwalk including Artist Demonstration Painting
2024-05-03 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-05-04 10:00 - 2024-05-05 17:00, 2024-05-05 11:00 - 2024-05-08 16:00 | Red Raven Art Company, 138 North Prince St, Lancaster, PA, 17603, United States
Join us for First Friday’s Artist Reception May 3rd, 5 – 8 pm and Spring Artwalk Weekend May 4th 10 – 5 pm and 5th 11 – 4 pm. Our artist demonstration painting will happen Saturday, May 4th from 11 – 3 pm. You won’t want to miss this, as our three featured artists will all be painting and talking about their latest work!

"Creativity Is..." panel creation event
2024-05-05 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Curio. is excited to be a partner of “Creativity is….A Community Art Exhibition” with Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s Exhibitions Department and Center for Creative Exploration! Along with support from the City of Lancaster Office of Public Art they are hosting an opportunity for the Lancaster community to showcase their visual response to the prompt, “Creativity is…” in an exhibition that will be installed at the Lancaster Amtrak station in two of the public art cases from August 9 – November 14, 2024.
With this special exhibition in mind, we are hosting a free creating event on Sunday May 5th during ArtWalk! The 6″x6″ panels + materials to make with are supplied however registration for a time slot is required to ensure we have enough space to create comfortably. If you don’t finish your panel during the event, that is OK! Please note your panel must be returned by July 29th for inclusion in the station case exhibition.
Registration is required *If the time slots are filled, we are hopeful to have a panel for you to take home and work on at your leisure.

curio. Sketchbook Club
2024-05-07 19:00 - 21:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Sketchbook club is a local drawing meet up where participants draw from a still life each session. Be inspired by the set up, draw the entire still life or focus on one or two objects, find inspiration in color, shape or pattern or draw something else entirely! Use any media you’d like, create one piece or work on several- there are no rules in this relaxed atmosphere.
Free to join, no registration needed. All ages and skill levels are welcome.

curio. Urban Sketching: May
2024-05-16 18:00 - 20:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Urban Sketching is a wonderful way to explore your surroundings and capture the energy and excitement of what you see. A trusty sketchbook, your favorite travel materials, and your keen eye is all you need to make visually interesting drawings from observation. Architecture, the hustle and bustle of cars and people, powerlines and the movement of the clouds are all possible inspirations in this laid back, exploratory workshop series. Over these 2, two hour sessions, participants can discover how to translate what they see into their sketchbook as instructor Matt Allyn Chapman provides demonstrations and one on one interactions as we visit specific locations.
This two week workshop will be meeting on location Thursday May 16th & 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
This workshop is a Bring Your Own Supplies meetup! Bring your favorite items or try something new.
Suggested materials include easily portable items such as:
-Sketchbook
-Fineliner Pens
-Markers
-Travel Watercolor Set
-Graphite Pencils
-Colored Pencils
A few other considerations may be to dress in a comfortable fashion for the forecasted weather and bring along a camp chair should you require a seat for this two hour workshop.

ARTIST. WOMAN. MOTHER. work by Sherry Bowman & Nichole Madonna Opening Reception
2024-06-07 17:00 - 20:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Join us for the opening of ARTIST. WOMAN. MOTHER. featuring work by local artists Sherry Bowman & Nichole Madonna
On view June 1st-July 27th the opening reception is First Friday June 7th 5:00-8:00pm
ABOUT THE SHOW:
We are given a name when we are born, a sort of “absolute word” that serves as an identifier, a sound that when vocalized or read helps us individualize from others. We are all called something, and as we move through life we acquire and collect skills, characteristics, and experiences that also have names. They attach to us and become part of our identity. Sometimes we seek them out and accept them willingly, sometimes they are placed on us. For Sherry Bowman and Nicole Madonna, their names exist alongside three others specifically, “Artist”, “Woman”, and “Mother”.
An incredible trait Sherry & Nichole share is the ability to assume these many identities simultaneously. Being able to give their attention to these competing facets with patience, thoughtfulness, and creativity. Navigating the landscape of their lives as individuals who are connected to others and looked to for their professionalism, authority, and humanity.
Knowing where one of these names ends and the other begins is often difficult. As the Ouroboros consumes its tail and connects its end with its beginning, similar is the relationship of these three elements. Each influencing the others in all aspects of their being. Essential in their role and though one may expand and command a higher visibility for a time, the balance will shift again, providing opportunity for another to occupy the space.
This exhibition calls attention to this balance. Through individual and collaborative works, both artists are able to share their unique perspective and visual language while accentuating their parallels and commonalities. Utilizing the gallery walls as a place to show artworks that were made of only themselves, their own conceptualization, and executed by their hands. Together this collection brings many new names, storyteller, educator, creator are only a few. And it’s in their connection that brings yet another name, “friend”.
View these pieces as manifestations of their voice made visual. Observations of an artist’s mind always at work, a woman’s depth, and a mothers paradigm.

ARTIST. WOMAN. MOTHER. Artist Talk with Sherry Bowman & Nichole Madonna
2024-07-10 19:00 - 20:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Join us in celebrating Sherry Bowman and Nichole Madonna in their exhibition ARTIST. WOMAN. MOTHER. as we host an Artist Talk in the gallery on Wednesday July 10th 7:00-8:00pm.
We will discuss their individual works and collaborative pieces, the repetition of symbols and their significance, the mixed media explorations, and their shared identity as artists, women and mothers.
Conversation and questions are welcome! Light refreshments will be served. We look forward to you joining us.
ABOUT THE SHOW:
We are given a name when we are born, a sort of “absolute word” that serves as an identifier, a sound that when vocalized or read helps us individualize from others. We are all called something, and as we move through life we acquire and collect skills, characteristics, and experiences that also have names. They attach to us and become part of our identity. Sometimes we seek them out and accept them willingly, sometimes they are placed on us. For Sherry Bowman and Nicole Madonna, their names exist alongside three others specifically, “Artist”, “Woman”, and “Mother”.
An incredible trait Sherry & Nichole share is the ability to assume these many identities simultaneously. Being able to give their attention to these competing facets with patience, thoughtfulness, and creativity. Navigating the landscape of their lives as individuals who are connected to others and looked to for their professionalism, authority, and humanity.
Knowing where one of these names ends and the other begins is often difficult. As the Ouroboros consumes its tail and connects its end with its beginning, similar is the relationship of these three elements. Each influencing the others in all aspects of their being. Essential in their role and though one may expand and command a higher visibility for a time, the balance will shift again, providing opportunity for another to occupy the space.
This exhibition calls attention to this balance. Through individual and collaborative works, both artists are able to share their unique perspective and visual language while accentuating their parallels and commonalities. Utilizing the gallery walls as a place to show artworks that were made of only themselves, their own conceptualization, and executed by their hands. Together this collection brings many new names, storyteller, educator, creator are only a few. And it’s in their connection that brings yet another name, “friend”.
View these pieces as manifestations of their voice made visual. Observations of an artist’s mind always at work, a woman’s depth, and a mothers paradigm.

Collage - Hooked on Curiosity with Mimi Shapiro at curio.
2024-07-20 10:30 - 12:30 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
This two hour workshop with local artist Mimi Shapiro is all about using collage as a medium for creative play!
Explore color and texture, cut or torn edges and lots of layering as Mimi guides with suggestions and shares some of her own work. You don’t have to be an artist, you can borrow images, paste them down and see what happens. Together we will experiment and you can work towards finding your own creative voice.
Supplies for this workshop will be provided, however if you have materials with particular subject matter that you would like to collage with from magazines, newspapers, books etc you are welcome to bring them along.
Space is limited, pre-registration is required through our website or in the shop.

Pocket Art Swap #9: Myth Opening Reception
2024-08-02 17:00 - 20:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Join us for Pocket Art Swap: Myth featuring 16 local artists and 240 miniature works!
Myths have captured our collective imagination for centuries… told around a fire, over meals, within communities and passed on to new generations. Some tell of heroes, gods and goddesses, mysteries that confound and try to explain the unknown, while others explain the creation of the world and its inhabitants. You can find a myth around every corner and under every stone.
Much like the square and the rectangle, myths are stories, though not all stories are myths. At times hard to define or pin down, there is a deeper essence of the profound inside a myth. An ancient quality that has matured with the ages as it’s been told and retold. The works in this exhibition add new iterations to timeless symbols. Each artist landed on a departure point that has spoken to them in some way. The resulting collections are visual testaments to the importance and relevance of myth in its many forms.
Pocket Art Swap was formed by Nicole Duquette and Matt Chapman in 2019 as a way to connect artists together and celebrate the individuality each of us hold in a unique and meaningful way. Inspired by a pad of Stonehenge Legion paper measuring only 2.5 inches by 3.75 inches, they envisioned an exhibition showcasing collections of artist trading cards that would be swapped among the participating artists after the pop-up show, creating an instant collection of personal artist trading cards.

Pocket Art Swap #10: Myth Opening Reception
2024-09-06 17:00 - 20:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Join us for the opening of Pocket Art Swap Number 10: Memories
Memories are powerful. They hold valuable threads of who we were, and who we are. By nature, they only exist in the past and though their clarity can sometimes feel like crystal, they are malleable as soft clay in our hands.
With the ability to travel across time, a memory can be recalled over and over. Sometimes as a source of comfort, others as a remembrance of pain or loss. They can strike without warning as they are often attached to other senses such as smell, taste, or touch. Memories can also exist in the collective. Families, communities, and generations passing their histories on to their youth. Popular culture disseminated across the airwaves of the radio, television, or streaming service- beamed to our screens and stored in our minds’ visual vocabulary vault, only to be resurfaced when someone says “…remember when?”.
It’s in these moments of recollection that we’ve asked the artists to examine and explore. To mine their mind, see what they come back with, and let the ideas overflow into their artworks.
Curio. Owners Nicole Duquette and Matt Chapman first developed the pocket art swap in 2019. Both wanted to create a way to connect artists together and celebrate the individuality each of us hold in a unique and meaningful way. Utilizing a mini pad of paper measuring only 2.5 inches by 3.75 inches, each artist could fill their pages any way they saw fit. Culminating in a “pop up” style exhibition, the artists were asked to come together and share their creations. Each participant would then receive a collection of each other’s mini works to keep for themselves.

Sound of Creativity with Kenneth-Michael Ebert
2024-09-16 19:00 - 21:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Join us for an evening of meditation, reflection, and creation as curio. welcomes our dear friend and sound practitioner Kenneth-Michael Ebert to our space for a special collaborative event. We invite you to experience the incredible soundscapes created by Kenneth-Michael and create works of art inspired by your audio journey.
Beginning with a 30 minute sound meditation, participants will have the opportunity to give themselves over to the sound and disconnect from the world around them. Using a multitude of instruments, vocal toning, and silences, Kenneth-Michael builds on his sounds intuitively. Allowing the energy and flow of the atmosphere to guide each action until reaching a conclusion making each session as unique as the individuals participating.
Following the meditation, there will be a creative session where we encourage you to explore visual responses and representations of your experience. You may use whatever materials you like as we ask that you bring these items with you. We will have tables set up, chairs, easels, drawing boards, and drawing horses available for use. Coming together, making time for yourself, and creating with others are the goals of this event. Bringing together the restorative properties of sound meditation with the soul enriching qualities of making visual art.

Imagination & Found Imagery: Collage Art Books with Mimi Shapiro
2024-09-28 13:30 - 16:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
In this workshop, artist and instructor Mimi Shapiro encourages you to focus on your interests through collage. Cutting images from various sources and rearranging them to resemble those ideas that you see in your imagination. Using a zine or an existing book as the core surface, the book’s structure will hold your collaged images.
Mimi deeply believes in the many possibilities with collage, “It’s the physical nature of this medium. Best of all, your individual sensibilities are there to guide you.” A few possible topics of exploration could be working with patterns and textures, incorporating typography or poetry, and playing with color.
Participants are asked to bring a found book- any size or subject matter, to use as their collage surface, think of it like a “sketchbook”. Collage material from magazines will be available, but you are welcome to bring your own if you have a favorite subject matter. Glue and scissors will be provided for use during the workshop.
Space is limited, pre-registration is required. Please note curio. is located down a flight of stairs.

Opening Reception for Weirdo Goddess & Other Lover Stories, new works by Alicia Byler
2024-10-04 17:00 - 20:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Join us for the opening of this exhibition featuring the work of Lancaster artist Alicia Byler!
“It began on a sunny day in Mexico, February 2022. My shadow emerged in front of me, perfectly placed. And suddenly there she was in the clear water of the lagoon inviting me. My breath caught; who was this creature? My doppelganger, a creative beckoning. And I felt enamored and I responded to the call: yes.
This discovery led to the Water Nymph, Weirdo Goddess and Little Love Stories series, all tied together in a surrealist imagining of my curiosity about our relationship with nature (and each other) and how we communicate, the sensual connections. If we pay attention, the Weirdo Goddess and Water Nymphs emerge and appear as apparitions of nature offering small gestures, gifts and amulets of protection we receive via portals like water, plants, animals, rest and daydreams.”
Collage, perhaps more than most other mediums, has an “automatic” quality. In the sense that the maker searches for imagery until their eyes land on an image and something signals “this is what you’ve been looking for”. Sifting through images, colors, textures, shapes, and words becomes a mission of expression and conceptual understanding. For Alicia, the results are as much artworks as they are visual communications with a universal consciousness. Between each layer she pins inspirations, resolutions reside inside the structures she builds, and contemplations breathe in the negative space. Creating narratives, atmospheres, and landscapes that pull on the threads of dreams, memory, and the thoughts that reside in the spaces between. Poetic and meticulous, at times humorous while also a touch haunting.

Collage Fun with Alicia Byler
2024-10-05 12:00 - 15:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Join curio. Gallery artist Alicia Byler on Saturday October 5th from 12:00-3:00pm during the Fall ArtWalk for this low-key, no pressure, collage drop in event.
Alicia will be in our workshop creating collages and all are welcome to join in on the fun! There are no rules in collage making, and even less when the reason for making is to enjoy yourself. During this time we encourage you to engage with Alicia, ask questions, share stories, and let your creativity flow. Bring some of your own materials to look through or feel free to use what we have on hand. Collage source materials, adhesives, cutting tools, and work surfaces are all provided.
Be sure to take in her works as her exhibition “Weirdo Goddess & Other Love Stories” will be on view in the gallery!

Creating a Botanical Sketchbook, workshop with Renee Reese
2024-10-26 10:30 - 12:30 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Have you always wanted to start a sketchbook and didn’t know how to begin? Do you love the colors of Autumn and wish to capture that beauty in a personal sketchbook?
This two-session workshop will teach you how to use watercolors and a pen to transform blank pages into your personal art journey. Local artist Renee Reese will be leading this series and begin with inspirations like leaves, trees, and other Fall elements. You’ll be watching watercolor demos and painting along. To these images, we will add handwriting to tell a story or capture that moment. Renee will be sharing her sketchbook pages with you and demonstrating lots of options to make your book unique for you.
Sketching will be casual and playful in an encouraging environment. Included in registration is a sketchbook, a watercolor set of 12 colors, 2 paint brushes, a fineliner pen and a pencil.
This workshop will meet on Saturday October 26th and November 2nd 10:30am-12:30pm.
Space is limited, pre-registration is required. Please note curio. is located down a flight of stairs.

Breathe In, Draw Out: Vinyasa Yoga & Figure Drawing
2024-10-26 16:00 - 17:30 | West End Yoga, 221 W Walnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17603, United States
West End Yoga & curio. Gallery & Creative Supply are excited to bring you an afternoon of relaxation and inspiration as we come together for a special event on Saturday, October 26th from 4:00-5:30pm at the West End Yoga location, 221 W Walnut St, Lancaster, PA 17603.
We have been invited by West End Yoga to draw inspiration from their members as instructor Tommy Miller leads a class. Our goal is to create drawings of the human form while observing participating class members as they execute their stretches and poses. A variety of visually interesting movements will yield the opportunity to make drawings that go beyond a traditional figure drawing class. The atmosphere will be one of calm and contemplation as we become aware of the focus required by both artist and yogi.
Curio. co-owner and instructor Matt Chapman will be on site to lend advice and guidance while drawing these multiple short term poses.
This is a Bring Your Own Supplies event. To respect the studio space, artist participants are asked to use only dry media such as graphite, colored pencils, or ink markers. Curio. will have drawing boards and easels for use during the workshop.
Artist Registration is available through the curio. website.
Interested in participating as a yoga student? Registration for this portion of the event is available through West End Yoga’s scheduling site.

An Exciting Art Experience - 717 Squared: Opening Weekend
2024-11-01 08:00 - 20:00, 2024-11-02 08:00 - 18:00
We are thrilled to announce the opening of Third Story’s next exhibit, 717 Squared, on Friday and Saturday, November 1 & 2. This unique showcase features the superb work of over 75 regional artists, all presented on 10 by 10-inch panels. These small, captivating pieces come in a variety of price points, making it the perfect opportunity for holiday shopping. There’s no finer holiday gift than the beauty and uniqueness of original, local art.
Best of all, you can take your chosen artwork home with you the same day! Don’t miss this chance to discover local talent and find that special piece to brighten your space. The exhibit will run through December 20th, so mark your calendars!
Opening Weekend:
First Friday, November 1 • 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Saturday, November 2 • 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Artist Talk with Alicia Byler
2024-11-07 19:00 - 20:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Join curio. Gallery & Creative Supply for an artist talk with Alicia Byler as we discuss her current exhibition, Weirdo Goddess & Other Love Stories. We’ll cover process, inspiration, and her exploration of collage and photographic prints. Questions and conversation are welcome; light refreshments will be served!
—————–
The exhibition is on view through November 30th
“It began on a sunny day in Mexico, February 2022. My shadow emerged in front of me, perfectly placed. And suddenly there she was in the clear water of the lagoon inviting me. My breath caught; who was this creature? My doppelganger, a creative beckoning. And I felt enamored and I responded to the call: yes.
This discovery led to the Water Nymph, Weirdo Goddess and Little Love Stories series, all tied together in a surrealist imagining of my curiosity about our relationship with nature (and each other) and how we communicate, the sensual connections. If we pay attention, the Weirdo Goddess and Water Nymphs emerge and appear as apparitions of nature offering small gestures, gifts and amulets of protection we receive via portals like water, plants, animals, rest and daydreams.”
– Alicia Byler

Visual Journaling: Connecting Thoughts & Images
2024-11-12 18:30 - 20:30 | Phillips Museum, 628 College Avenue, Lancaster, 17603
curio. Gallery & Creative Supply is excited to partner with the Phillips Museum at F&M to take time to explore the Rothman Gallery paying particular attention to the questions accompanying the landscape pieces on display in the show “Personal Perspective”.
Consider writing the questions down along with your answer as you develop your own artworks. How could you incorporate these questions as visual elements? Think of them as you would a journal entry. The connection between writing and visual art is strong and bringing the two together can be both freeing and exhilarating.
Art Journaling such as this would most certainly have been a practice of many of the artists in the exhibition. Taking time for self reflection, written observations, or active note taking can lead to breakthroughs in understanding how you perceive your world, your own artwork and the work of others. Matt will be available during the length of the event to provide instruction and insight should you need it. Materials will also be provided, though feel free to bring along your favorite dry media to use as well! A casual discussion on your experience will be held during the final 15 minutes of the evening’s event.

Holiday Hand Lettering Workshop led by Chelsea Foster
2024-12-01 13:30 - 15:00 | Third Story, 44 N Christian St,, Lancaster, 17602, United States
Get into the holiday spirit with our festive lettering class. In this workshop, you will learn how to beautifully address envelopes and create personalized gift tags. We will guide you through simple lettering techniques that will make your gifts stand out this season.
Sunday December 1 from 1:30 to 3pm.
Cost: $85
Preregistration is required.
More info at www.thirdstoryart.com/workshops

Holiday Ornament Pop-Up
2024-12-06 10:00 - 2024-12-07 16:00 | Third Story, 44 N Christian St,, Lancaster, 17602, United States
We will be offering a curated selection of artisan ornaments and gifts from local makers.
Join us December 6 from 10am to 8pm and December 7 from 10 am to 4pm at Third Story, 44 N. Christian St, Lancaster, PA

A Subtle Shift in our Perception: Mike Witmer & Matt Allyn Chapman, Opening Reception
2024-12-06 17:00 - 20:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Join curio. Gallery & Creative Supply for the opening reception of A Subtle Shift in our Perception featuring work by local artists Mike Witmer and Matt Allyn Chapman on First Friday December 6th, 5:00-8:00pm!
About the show:
The artworks in this exhibition offer new elements of experience the longer you stay with them. The slightest change in color may be in truth the meeting of two different tones, or multiple values coming together at an intersection. They may also be the introduction of shadow, a rounded corner, or an indentation in the surface, leading you to believe they are different when they are in fact the same. It all comes down to perception. When we look, are we using our vision, or are we “seeing”? When we observe something, are we making assumptions from past experience, or are we allowing space for new meetings and understanding?
At its core this is a collection of works celebrating color, and how the use of a limited palette can yield boundless results. A change in stroke direction, one coat vs. two, dilution and saturation, even different manufacturers can turn a single color into multiple. Changes in the physical landscape of the surface and those that are purely optical play with how we make sense of what our eyes are seeing and what our minds are perceiving. There is illusion in the truth of these pieces, they can be playfully serious and champion the minimal in ways that satisfy the academic and excite the expressionist.

A Subtle Shift in our Perception: Mike Witmer & Matt Allyn Chapman
2025-01-03 10:00 - 20:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Join us for January First Friday as we continue the celebration of our exhibition A Subtle Shift in our Perception featuring the works of local artists Mike Witmer and Matt Allyn Chapman. Open with extended hours 5:00-8:00pm.
“At its core this is a collection of works celebrating color, and how the use of a limited palette can yield boundless results. A change in stroke direction, one coat vs. two, dilution and saturation, even different manufacturers can turn a single color into multiple. Changes in the physical landscape of the surface and those that are purely optical play with how we make sense of what our eyes are seeing and what our minds are perceiving. There is illusion in the truth of these pieces, they can be playfully serious and champion the minimal in ways that satisfy the academic and excite the expressionist.
Finding appreciation in the slow down and reverence in the unique conversations we have with abstraction, it is our desire to share that which we discover for ourselves that brought us together in this place. Witmer and Chapman have found an incredibly strong connection in their mutual fascination with nuance, and their respect for the subtle shifts in our perception.”

A Subtle Shift in our Perception Artist Talk
2025-01-09 19:00 - 20:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Join curio. Gallery & Creative Supply for an evening in the gallery celebrating the A Subtle Shift in our Perception exhibition with an Artist Talk with Mike Witmer and Matt Allyn Chapman. Be a part of our conversation as Witmer and Chapman discuss their conceptual explorations, materials usage, process, and building a series with extreme limitations. Questions welcome, light snacks will be served!
“Seeing, vision, observation and perception may seem like four terms that describe the same thing. Though for artists Mike Witmer and Matt Allyn Chapman, they ask that you provide each the time and consideration they need to be individual actions before merging them together as we so often do.
The artworks in this exhibition offer new elements of experience the longer you stay with them. The slightest change in color may be in truth the meeting of two different tones, or multiple values coming together at an intersection. They may also be the introduction of shadow, a rounded corner, or an indentation in the surface, leading you to believe they are different when they are in fact the same. It all comes down to perception. When we look, are we using our vision, or are we “seeing”? When we observe something, are we making assumptions from past experience, or are we allowing space for new meetings and understanding?”

Visions of Modular Dreamscapes: New Work by Isiah Bates
2025-02-07 17:00 - 20:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Join curio. for the opening reception of Visions of Modular Dreamscapes featuring new work by Isiah Bates on First Friday February 7th 5:00-8:00pm
A selection for the exhibition copy:
Who are you?
A question we encounter often. Whether getting to know a new person, educators planting the seed in consideration of the future, or the voices of our mind that roll around knocking into other thoughts that vie for our attention. Many of us generally have a prepared answer for this, though is only a few short words or phrases really enough?
Artist Isiah Bates has a deep relationship with this very question, and offers countless responses through his drawings & paintings. Nebulous in their space, vast in scale, and deep in narrative. His pieces offer a multiverse of scenarios that all share a singular point of origin, himself. Realized in the trails of a well trodden daydream, or pulled from the sliver of space between his sleeping and waking mind. His pieces brim with surrealist interest, abstract sensibilities, and with symbols and iconography from various histories both universal and personal.
“I see dreams as a glimpse into the reality of the mind. Not to say that every dream has some deep meaning behind it, but some might. These ‘visions’ have led me to explore the inner workings of my mind and open a dialogue between my conscious and subconscious self.”

2025 Art & Coffee Crawl • Saturday, February 8 • 11 AM – 2 PM
2025-02-08 11:00 - 14:00 | Red Raven Art Company, 138 North Prince St, Lancaster, PA, 17603, United States
2025 Art & Coffee Crawl
The perfect way to escape the winter chill, embrace the season’s creative energy, and discover something new.

Explore a curated collection of art from Lancaster’s finest artists.
Sip your favorite coffee or warming cuppa tea, perhaps indulge in a glass of bubbly.
Savor delightful, sweet treats along the way.

Participants

Location
Address

curio. Gallery & Creative Supply
106 W. Chestnut Street

Denim Coffee
221 W. King Street

Freiman Stoltzfus Gallery
142 N. Prince Street

Friendship Heart Gallery & Studio
118 N. Water Street

Karen Anderer Fine Art
146 N. Prince Street

Lancaster Art Vault
100 N. Queen Street

Lancaster Museum of Art
135 N. Lime Street

Liz Hess Gallery
140 N. Prince Street

Nooks Gallery & Bookstore
112 N. Prince Street

Red Raven Art Company
138 N. Prince Street

The Demuth Museum
120 E. King Street

The Framing Concept
328 N. Queen Street

The Arts at Millersville – Ware Center
42 N. Prince Street

Third Story Art
44 N. Christian Street

Whether you’re an art enthusiast, a coffee lover, or simply looking for a fun winter outing, the Art & Coffee Crawl promises to warm your heart and inspire your creativity.

Artist Talk with Isiah Bates
2025-03-11 19:00 - 20:00 | CURIO. GALLERY & CREATIVE SUPPLY, 106 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA, 17601, United States
Join us for a talk on Tuesday March 11th 7:00-8:00pm with gallery artist Isiah Bates and his show Visions of Modular Dreamscapes, currently on view through March 29th.
Curator Matt Allyn Chapman will lead the conversation, questions and thoughts are welcome throughout!
Light refreshments will be served.
Selection from the Exhibition Copy:
Our dreams have purpose, though mysterious and hard to fully grasp, we are coming to understand them more and more. Memory retention, emotional repair, cognitive stimulation during periods of rest, these are just a few of the benefits of our dreams. Physically and mentally, they are deeply important, though creatively, they can be instrumental. Isiah draws from the creative well that his dreams have sprung to mesmerizing effect. Each time pulling something to the surface that feels impossible. Landscapes never visited, people and beings both familiar and strange, entities and energies that only make sense in the logic and possibility of the dreaming world. It’s really when his hands and mind connect that they are made material.
“This body of work represents a true exploration of self, in its purest form. An unfiltered reality waiting to be pieced together. By letting my hand move across the surface without any true direction, I can actively pull from this other reality. This process lessens the stress of perfection and creates a direct link between the waking world and that of the mind. This allows me to create a dreamscape of raw emotion and lived experience. Then I sit back and analyze with the viewer. I may not know what they all mean quite yet, but a new piece of the story is revealed with each painting. This is what drives me to make more. An ongoing process of self discovery through art. I am both the artist and the audience.”
