Extraordinary Stories From An Ordinary Guy: The "Emerging Artist Gallery Show In Lancaster County, PA" Story

It was an ordinary day. Standing in the upstairs gallery of Grebinger Gallery in Neffsville, Pennsylvania where I work part-time matting and framing artwork. My boss and former high school student, Keith, told me that he was going to have an open house for Emily Buckwalter so she could display her artwork and hopefully begin a career in the arts. He was showing me a few pieces of Emily's artwork and I thought it would be interesting to write about this young artist so you too could see what she has accomplished in her life to date.

Emily Buckwalter standing with a few of her art pieces.

She graduated a few months ago from Messiah College and will be teaching Spanish in the Middle School in a few days. I'm sure she will be a successful teacher, but it seems that her calling in life may be in the field of art. In a small article I read she tells of spending time at her grandparents' Lancaster farm with her many cousins camping out on the back porch every summer. While in Middle School, her grandpa took her to his wood shop and showed her how to turn dry gourds into a basket. He then showed her how to burn designs into the outer covering of the gourd. With a burning tool in hand she began to realize her passion for art. In high school she learned to work in two dimensional media and the art display in the gallery I am standing in is the result of those many years of work. The show features oil paintings, two-dimensional multi-media work, wood burning art and gourd bowls and baskets. Emily grows her own gourds, lets them dry over the winter on the vine and then carves and burns them. Check out some of her work and if interested, make a visit to Grebinger Gallery at 2618 Lititz Pike in Neffsville, PA which is a small town to the north of the city of Lancaster. You can also call the Gallery at 717-569-9335 to make an appointment to see Emily's work. I have photographed a few of her pieces to share with you. I'm sure you will enjoy them as much as I did. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.