The Making of the First Friday Film A. Letter to WVIA TV station: Dear Mrs. Davies B. The Story of First Friday C. First Friday Birthday List. D. First Friday Film Interview Suggestions E. First Friday Film Treatment F. The First Community Foundation Grant Letter G. The First Community Foundation Grant Application

A.

Letter to WVIA TV Station: Dear Mrs. Davies

Dear Ms. Davies, (Producer) You asked for an explanation of why the story of Williamsport’s First Friday was important enough to make a local film out of it. Unfortunately, I am a better talker than I am a writer, but I will try. Our First Friday will celebrate its tenth birthday next spring. It is true that many other communities in Pennsylvania and across the country do successful First Fridays. What I believe is unique about our First Friday is that some of the people who started it are still part of it and have become witnesses and a living memory of what a transformative process First Fridays have become for our community. We have gone from a community that felt badly about itself to thinking we just might be “cool” As part of our birthday celebration, the Sun Gazette is doing a yearlong series telling the stories of all the people who made our First Friday successful. I have attached the outline” The Story of First Friday “ that we gave to a young reporter for the newspaper articles. The outline is in chronological order and includes the names of many of the people who over time became part of this process. The other attachment I enclosed is the First Friday Birthday Party guest list. The guest list includes the names of most of the people and parts of our community that have an investment in First Fridays and what that event has done for us as a people. We started First Friday after we saw a book called” The 100 Best Little Art Towns in America”. From that book we saw that other small towns had succeeded in enhancing their quality of life and their reputations through the celebration of their local arts. We are a beautiful place to live, we have wonderful people and we had a lot of local art. Actually music and theater were our most developed arts but we realized that the visual arts are what get people to notice the arts. We had talented visual artists and what First Fridays did what give the visual arts an effective platform to interact with the community on an on- going basis. We started with a band, a few performers, several visual artists on the street and in the shops and now ten years later, the events on First Fridays fill the “On the Arts” section of the Sun Gazette. First Friday is also beginning to attract professional artists and enough artists to start to fill the 300,000 sq feet of a local old pajama factory that was bought by two New Yorkers, who were inspired by our First Fridays to create a space for the arts. I also believe this story should be told because it is not unique. We are part of the growing regionalization of the arts that is happening across Pennsylvania and also across the America. I have read the New York Sunday Times cultural section since I was twelve. When I was young the arts were in New York or L.A. but now we have regional arts centers all across our country. We are a regional art center. After the financial meltdown the entire world has been looking to America to reinvent ourselves. It seems to me that since the sixties all across America, we have been reinventing ourselves. The regionalization of the arts has been creating a new relationship to the arts and that new relationship is slowly changing us. We have been changing part of what

it is to be American. Local arts are affecting what we value and how we spend our time. America is no longer just the audience for the arts, we are becoming the arts. Regional arts are participatory and I think they are part of changing the mindset of some of Americans from product to process. (See “ A Whole New Mind” by Daniel Pink.) Mindee Lyon told me that sometimes WVIA has the community do the film itself with your support. I think First Fridays have helped us attract young people who, for the credit on their resume could do a documentary that would make WVIA happy. This note hardly tells the entire story nor does it tell it well. However, I do hope it will make you interested enough to want to talk to us. As I said at the beginning of the note, I am a better talker than I am a writer. Sincerely, Judy Olinsky

B.

The Story of First Friday

“THE STORY OF FIRST FRIDAY” (Chronological outline by Judy Olinsky)

1) Volunteer Main Street program and Our Towns: 2010 (Judy Olinsky and Laura Flynn) partnered to do an art promotion event in downtown Williamsport. First Friday Committee starts and gets a PA Partners in the Arts’ Grant from the Williamsport-Lycoming County Art’s Council. First Friday Committee is Bernie Katz, Laura Flynn, Judy Olinsky, Lynne Maietta, Ricki Moler and Jeane Ryersbach.

2) Coffee and Tea Shop “Then” Darlene Hinkelmen and Coffee and Tea “Now”

3) Penny Austin, local poet had helped to start Bluesfest, developer of SPAM and CIAA. She started bringing the artists together which helped to set the stage for the development of First Fridays.

Bluesfest Freddie Danielle SPAM Freddie Danielle, Rebecca Bastian, Laura Kittle (Poetry Group) CIAA (Coalition of Independent Artists and Artisans) Jeanne Ryersbach, Lynne

Maietta 4) Dave Brumbaugh starts the Uptown Music Collective School. The Collective brings

together the talent coming out of the bluesfest, the music clubs (Francos and the Bull Frog) and the Williamsport Area’s school district Grammy Award winning music program. (David Stone and Oscar Knade)

5) Penn College had invested in the Community Arts Center and the Community Theater

League was now in their beautiful site at the Trade and Transit center. Include the Arena Theatre, The Scottish Rite Performance Center and Williamsport now had 5 theatres within its’ downtown. (Andree Phillips)

6) First Friday puts artists and bands on the street with Pine Street Artfest. Mindee Lyon

runs First Friday music at lunch program called “Lunchbeat.” With the stage set by CIAA, the Collective and the theatres and showcased by First Friday and the Sun- Gazette the art scene explodes.

7) Sun Gazette goes to Art and Entertainment and then to Showcase. News Editor, Laura Janssen working with Showcase editors Robin Van Auken, Carolyn Keller, Jamie Zublick and Matthew Parrish, each adding to the arts and bringing their Particular focus to the experience

8) First Friday Galleries

a. St’art, high school gallery at the Genetti Hotel with curators Jody Schefsky and Jeanne Ryersbach b. Ch’art, children’s gallery at Plankenhorns with curators: Kim Pagano and Andrea McDonough Varner. c. The Merchants: Michele, Chris and Charlie d. Collegetown Gallery at the Community Art Center with curator Connie Casale.

9) Otto’s Book Store: Betsy has a different angle the” literary” arts. (Alissa)

10) At Franco’s: Alley Mural Series Artists: Jeremiah Johnson, Kristina- Snook Kohr.

11) Gallery 152: Dallas Miller, Laura Flynn and Judy Olinsky give space and support for

a. Community First Friday Gallery on the street.

12) Air/Scape: Small City/Artist in Residence Program run by Public Art Curator: Ricki Moler with the Artists: Jason Burgess, Brianne Tupper and Mike Deitch

13) First Friday Gallery Hops use Trolley and include Lycoming College and Penn College

Galleries. Rose Dirocco/Lynn Estomin of Lycoming College Brian Flynn and Keith Vanderlin of Penn College

14) Public Art Forums by the First Friday Committee Artists: Cindi Harper/Public Art Michael Pilato/Murals

15) Public art programs foster” private” Public Art

Patrons: Lamar Advertising with Artist, Michael Paterson, and Eiderson Dean with Artist, Jon Kohr and Woodlands Bank (Russ Kimura) & Bullfrog (Bob Koch) with Artist, Michael Pilato.

16) The Rizzo Family and the Art’s Building: Joyce and Dave. Gifts of Art, The upstairs’ Art and

the Java and Juice Cafe and Gallery.

17) Mary Farr, artist and curator of Java and Juice, and the Plein Air Painters,

18) Suzie Hurley starts at Vanderlin Gallery opens the Frame Shop on Williams Street, moves to West Fourth Street and then to the Harvest Gallery.

19) The Businesses” jump in”

Le Chocolate and the Katz Family Woodlands and Brian Brookings and Susan Igram

Denyse and Barb Miele of Gustonian Gifts

The Mieles of the Herdic House

20) Kristina Snook Kohr goes from artist to First Friday Street coordinator to running Trimtex to owning Trimtex to Trimtex web business.

21) Pam and Ray Thompson of Supplysource Office Interiors partner with Judy Olinsky to

open up docentARTS Gallery and offer corporate art.

22) New Yorkers, Mark Winklemen and Michael Baltzer find 300,000 sq ft PJ Factory and meet Michael Pilato. They factory builds studios and Michael starts Public Art Academy. We start to attract professional artists such as Chad Andrews. (He has a great story) The young ones to talk to are John Yoga and Casey Cleghorn.

23) Eagle Rock Winery and Anna Falat come to town. Opens in the Factory. Works with

regional artists to create wines with labels that are works of art and starts the Art and Wine Fest. Joins First Friday Committee and becomes the new chairman. Anna Forges a stronger relationship with the Chamber and the city.

24) Downtown art scene attracts the development of a movie theatre. The Cinema Center

comes to downtown.

25) Restaurants get on board (people eat out on First Friday) Julie’s Coffee hangs art

Disalvo's does music Franco’s opens a galley Barrel 135 hangs art, has music

33 East does Wine and Art shows

26) First Friday platform helps to fuel the 2008 Governor’s Awards into a great success. Rob Steele, Bonnie Katz, Judy Olinsky, Yvonne Rowsowski and Mary Farr (there are more names)

27) Laura Flynn working for mural brings together a group of women to fund raise. They like

working together for the arts. They stay together and become PublicARTWORKS. Yvonne Rokowski, Molly Logue, Tania Thomas, Judy Olinsky, Deb Hoffman, Mark Marowski Sharon Clapper, Sandy Hill, (County Transportation Planner)(more names)

They put art in the regional airport. They fund a PublicARTWALK map of the downtown art. They commit to building a sculpture park up on the Riverwalk. Heritage money puts the first piece of art on the riverwalk. PublicARTWORKS get grant for art on Riverwalk. 28) Lycoming College and Leah Paterson start a digital Media program. Lorena Beniquez

starts a regional film office, to attract moviemakers. First Friday brings all the new media

people together to do a Film/Media First Friday. The media people network and Richard James creates the Billtown Filmfest.

29) Art council becomes the Lycoming County Celebrates the arts Alliance Yvonne Roskowski,

Judy Olinsky and Anna Falat restructure to expand the council. Alliance now houses: First Friday, PublicArtworks and the Film Office.

30) May 2011, the tenth birthday celebration of the first First Friday

C.

First Friday Birthday List

FIRST FRIDAY BIRTHDAY GUEST LIST And/or most of the people that made the First Friday Art Event a transformative event for our community. Bonnie and Bernie Katz, Merchants, First First Friday Committee Laura Flynn, Director Our Towns and PublicARTWORKS Lynne Maietta,Artist, First First Friday Committee Ricki Mole,Artist, First First Friday Committee Jeanne Ryersbach,Artist, First First Friday Committee Darlene Hinklemen,merhant Freddie Danielle,Chef, Poetry and Music Club owner Dave Brumbaugh, Uptown Music Collective School and First Friday Partner David Stone, WASD School Board Oscar Knade, WASD music program developer Mindee Lyon, volunteer for First Friday, Lunchbeat Concept Carolyn Keller, Sun-Gazette Arts editor Robin Van Auken,Sun-Gazette Arts Editor Jamie Zublick, Sun -Gazette Arts Editor Matthew Parrish, Sun-Gazette Arts Editor Jody Schefsky,Artist High School Gallery Curator Mark Schefsky, Patron, Genetti Hotl Manager Kim Pagano, Artist Elementary Gallery Developer Andrea Varner,Artist, Elementary Gallery Curator Plankenhorns :Chris,Charlie Michellemerchants Betsy Rider, Independant ,Book Store Owner Alissa DuBois, Literary Advisor Nancy Jeremiah Johnson, Artist, Muralist Kristina Snook Kohr, Artist,muralist Dallas Miller Jason Burgess, Public Art Sculptor Lycoming College Art Professors Lynn Estomin Howard Tran Roger Shipley Jon Bogle Penn College of Technology Art Professors Keith Vanderlin Brian Flynn Steve Hirsh

Katie Tinney, Gallery Hop Trolley Mike Beiter,Patron Eiderson Dean, Patron Bob and Steve Koch, Bullfrog Brewery and Music Club Jon Kohr, Public Art Sculptor Russ Kimura, Patron and mural coodinator Michael Paterson, Public Art Sculptor Michael Pilato, Muralist The Rizzo Family, Gallery Owners Mary Farr, Curator Suzie Hurley, Curator Brian Brooking, Banker and First Friday Committee Denyse and Barb Miele, Gallery Owners Herdic House/ The Miele Family Pam and Ray Thompson, gallerists Mark Winklemen, PJ Factory/artist spaces owner Michael Baltzer Chad Andrews,Artist Jim Shillien/Julie’s Coffee/merchant Barrel 135 33 East/Kevin Nash Disalvos,Vince and Marissa Rob Steele/Director of Community Arts Center Jeri Sims/Development Officers of Community Arts Center PublicARTWORKS Central PA Film Office First Friday Committee Luana Cleveland Lisa Mc Nerney Brian Brooking Susan Ignam Matt Schauer/Artistic Developer The Cinema Center? Film/Media First Friday CTL:Andree Phillips,Pam Wright,Ro and Pete De Pasqale Rockstation Nick Tinney,Artist Casey Cleghorn& John Yogadinski, gallerists Ralph Kisberg, Book Store owner and Gallerist Jeffery Haun, Artist and gallerist City Council Renee from the Codes Office The County Commisioners Jason Fink

Vince Matteo Mae, Merchants Brian Martino, merchant Mike Wiley Pat Marty Factory Manager Bald Eagle Art League Officers Deb Parsons, artist,President of Arts Council Harvest The Gilmores

D.

First Friday Film Interview Suggestions

FIRST FRIDAY : INTERVIEW SCHEDULE THE BEGINNINGS: Who knew? “Our first clue was, that even in the winter, people kept coming” The First, First Friday Committee NAMES ATIONALE/TOPICS Judy Olinsky Main Street, Our Towns: 2010, the Best Little Art Towns, Ffat Laura Flynn Our Towns: 2010, First Friday Committee (Ffat) Bernie / Bonnie Katz WMBA(merchant’s Association) Ffat Jeanne Ryersbach CIAA, Ffat, Sidewalk Art Show St’art Gallery Ricki Moler CIAA , Ffat,Air/Scape, Collegetown, Ch’art Lynne Maietta CIAA, Ffat, BEAL The Community The Sun Gazette Community, Art & Entertainment, Showcase, Nightlife Laura Janssen Dave Brumbaugh Uptown Music Collective Freddie Danielle Penny Austin, Bluesfest, Music Club, SPAM, CIAA Betsy from Otto’s Always There and the literary angle Connie Casale Rockstation, Collegetown and The CAC The Rizzo Family Arts Building, Gifts of Art and Java and Juice Gallery THE MIDDLE/FIRST FRIDAY GOES ON… Art and Community keep growing together Jason Burgess Air/Scape, First piece of public art, $300 grant begins public art Mary Farr The steadfast curator, brings more and new and regional artists Michael Pilato Art move into our lives and engages more and different people Russ Kimura The beginning continues and community moves into the arts Rob Steele Puts the “community in CAC, leads the Governor’s Awards Mark Murawski Our Towns: 2010, the mural, the Riverwalk, PublicARTWORKS WHERE WE ARE NOW… Community and the arts expand into the future Mark Winklemen A New Yorker, meets Pilato, buys and builds an art space Chad Andrews Something’s changed, we the young and arty, can live here now Anna Falat What a wonderful thing, culinary* want to be part of it/ make it grow

Film (???) Lycoming College does Digital Media, the film office and the Filmfest COMMENTS: Tom Curra said about 20 people. Film spokes person???? Lorena, Lynn, Levi, Leah, Richard *Prelude toAnna’s segment should speak for Coffee and Tea, The Herdic House, DiSalvos, 33 East, The Bullfrog, Julie’s Coffee and the Barrel 135,Alabaster Laura is concerned about the back-story. The interviews of Flynn, Olinsky, Danielle and Kimura, if we are tight, could also tell the back-story. Laura would like to see some of the people on the street who attend First Friday. Darlene Hinklemen of Coffee and Tea was one of the first to show art. Suzie Hurley of Williamsport Frame Shop has lasted the longest. Gustonian gifts, Denyse Miele does it from a wheelchair. As we move through the interviews, I will make a list for a still montage so we do not forget anyone. Also the private Birthday party can cover a lot of people, so some will get a visual acknowledgement from that footage. We may have to get creative here because people in our community really want to be acknowledged. Actually I think it is an important part of who we are and why First Friday worked, so maybe we can work it into the story. If these people do not interview well, I have other names.

E.

First Friday Film Treatment

F. The First Community

Foundation Grant Letter

April 1st, 2011 Williamsport-Lycoming Community Foundation C/0 First Communities Foundation of PA Attn: Program Officer 330 Pine Street Williamsport, PA 17701 Dear Mrs. Gilmore: On behalf of my fellow filmmakers and the Williamsport-Lycoming Arts’ Council, I am pleased to submit the attached Community Fund Grant Application to the Williamsport-Lycoming Community Foundation. We are requesting $ 5,985.00 from your Spring 2010 grant round in order to develop a WVIA film, entitled” First Friday/Art Town”. The film group consists of Lorena Beniquez, Laura Janssen, Mindee (Melinda) Lyon and Judy Olinsky, and is being sponsored by the Williamsport-Lycoming Arts’ Council, a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to the promotion, awareness and expansion of art opportunities throughout Lycoming County. The film group has been working with First Friday, a monthly art event and the Arts’ Council to produce a film in conjunction with WVIA.The film is to be televised on WVIA and would tell the story of how the First Friday event evolved as a grass roots initiative of Our Towns: 2010, to its’ own stand alone successful arts programming entity. As such, First Friday has added to the evolution of Williamsport as a regional cultural center of Pennsylvania. In May 2011, the First Friday event will celebrate it’s 10th Birthday. It has grown from a local downtown Williamsport art event, funded by a $3000.00 PA Partners in the Arts’ seed grant, to a regional monthly celebration. First Friday has in the past 10 years generated over $300,000.00 worth of public relations and marketing for the Williamsport area. Ten years of First Fridays has brought economic and community development to the shops, to the restaurants, to the hotels and to the arts community. The development of Inspiration: the Mural, the PublicARTWORKS programs and the P.J.Factory are just a few of the projects influenced by the First Fridays event. First Fridays has also enhanced Williamsport’s reputation as the regional cultural center adding to our prosperity, our civic pride and our sense of joy as a community The WVIA film project will tell the story of how we as a community, guided by our arts, started a grassroots asset based development project that succeeded. The film will be a celebration of our cultural life and our strengths as a community. It will serve as a living history of a 10-year successful community project and as a promotional tool for future arts, community and economic ventures.

As one of the two executive producers for the film project, I will serve as the contact person. I can be reached by phone at (570-337-2973) or e-mail at lycomingartsalliance @gmail.com. Thank you for considering our funding request. Sincerely, Judy Olinsky

G.

The First Community Foundation Grant

Application