BLOCK OF ART

Follow us on Facebook for the latest announcements and upcoming events.

Planning has started for next year's festival,
which will be on May 3, 2025.
Mark your calendar and join us!


 

 Block Of Art is an inclusive arts organization that holds an annual spring arts festival in downtown Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and works with artists and art organizations on community arts events and projects throughout the year in Schuylkill County.

 Please send us your email address if you would like to become involved as an Artist, Art Vendor, Volunteer, Sponsor, or Community Partner. Artists involved with Block of Art may be asked if they are interested in teaching classes to the general public or specific groups, or to take part in other art displays and opportunities such as pop-up art shows.

Name: *
E-mail address: *
I am a: *

First United Methodist Church, 330 West Market Street, Pottsville PA. Exploring the art of the stained glass windows in one of the city's churches, a project paid for by the Block of Art.

Block of Art sponsored two additional videos to showcase the beautiful artwork in Pottsville's churchs. Click on the links below to watch the videos on Youtube: 
United Presbyterian Church of Pottsville
Trinity Lutheran Church of Pottsville

 

The Block of Art began in 2007 as a grass roots effort to bring an arts event to downtown Pottsville - an historic town in Northeast Pennsylvania about two hours northwest of Philadelphia.

In the first year the Block of Art brought together artists, businesses and Pottsville's public library to welcome the people of Schuylkill County to experience art and culture. The original audience of 300 people viewed 75 pieces of art from 30 artists in 3 venues. 

In 2017, the Block of Art had 434 registered guests from 77 zip codes, plus many more people who didn't fill out the survey. Work by dozens of artists from across the state was featured in multiple pop-up galleries.

In 2019, the event became a street festival in addition to the galleries and businesses featuring art by local and regional artists. Opportunities for kids to create their own art and performances by talented local groups added to the visual arts available for viewing and purchasing.

The event has become more wide reaching and inclusive each year, attracting visitors from throughout Schuylkill County and across Eastern Pennsylvania. Organizations such as the Majestic Theater and the Schuylkill County Historical Society have joined with Block of Art to reflect the variety and historical nature of arts in the county.

When the pandemic cancelled the big event in 2020 and 2021, we switched to doing a lot of small "blocks of art" with kids, seniors, and other organizations. Projects included providing grab-and-go craft bags for kids in partnership with the Pottsville Free Public Library, and two weaving classes for people in recovery in partnership with Culture2Culture.
2022 saw the return of the street festival, with three blocks of art vendors, nonprofits, and performers. The Majestic Theater served as the main gallery with several local businesses hosting additional artwork by local artists. Attendance was estimated to be over 1200 people during the 6-hour festival.

 

Vision

To showcase fine arts and make them accessible to all of Schuylkill County and beyond.

 

Mission

The mission of the Block of Art is to create a premier arts event that:

  • Cultivates artists and promotes creativity

  • Makes the arts accessible to all

  • And nurtures growth in our community

 

Principles

It is important for all the public to have access to fine arts therefore the galleries in the Block of Art will always be open free of charge to the public.

 

All artists should have the chance to display their art, therefore artists will not be charged to enter their art in the Block of Art unless there is a separate juried show within the Block of Art for which fees may be charged.

 

Block of Art will not censor art work for nudity, or religious, political, or sexual content, but the Organizing Committee has the right to select an appropriate location for the art.

 

It is our intention that the community in the area surrounding the Block of Art be as involved as possible in the Block of Art.

Block of Art, an unincorporated association sponsored by Schuylkill County’s VISION, receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

First United Methodist Church, 330 West Market Street, Pottsville PA. Exploring the art of the stained glass windows in one of the city's churches, a project paid for by the Block of Art.