Kimmel Center: Merck Arts Education Gallery: “Under The Glass,” Philly native photojournalist Harvey Finkle

Friday night the Kimmel Center hosted reception with a preview of the opening of the first art exhibit in the Merck Arts Education Gallery: “Under The Glass,” The exhibition showcases works of Philly native photojournalist Harvey Finkle, and also chronicles the Kimmel Center Education Department’s growth and 10 year anniversary.
The Merck Arts Education Center (MAEC) provides arts education through a variety of learning styles and innovative technologies. Serving as a flexible arts resource for the Philadelphia community, MAEC promotes appreciation of the performing arts through diverse programming for children and adults. Housed at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, MAEC fosters collaborations with its Resident Companies and cultural communities and acts as a bridge to developing future audiences and performers. Support for the Merck Arts Education Center is generously provided by The Merck Company Foundation.
Julia Lopez, director of education at the Kimmel Center, and Homer Jackson, a curator at Merck, contacted Finkle about participating in the exhibition because they were familiar with his work.
Finkle told the gathering crowd that his “photographs connected art, music and history,” which makes his exhibit perfect for the new Merck space as it’s their mission too. Later in the evening students from the Kimmel Center Education Program’s Creative Music Program capped off the evening with an original piece they wrote, and a song by a talented vocalist, Andrew Lawson who currently is an assistant teacher in the Kimmel Center’s Bop & Swing community programThe Director of the Creative Music Program, Anthony Tidd, is a seasoned British-bred musician and pupil of the iconoclastic M-Base music collective. Tidd has worked on myriad Grammy® nominated and winning projects as band member and produced for The Roots and The Black Eyed Peas. Anthony Tidd’s curriculum draws from his replete experience and includes improvisation and ensemble reading, free music sessions, weekly core classes, master classes, public performances, special guest artists, exploration of rhythm, harmony, and melodic function, jazz history sessions, and music discovery from around the world.
Performances from the Kimmel Center Education Department’s Creative Music Program student ensemble and vocalist Andrew Lawson, alumnus of the Kimmel Center’s Teen Summer Arts Vocal Camp and current University of the Arts vocal student. I was surprised to learn that the Kimmel Center had such an extensive education branch to it’s organization. check it out here.