![\""Corn](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/best-in-show.jpg\")
“Corn Ribbons” by Jim Laurino of Litchfield, Conn., was awarded Best in Show at the Plein Air West Reading art competition. (Courtesy of Plein Air West Reading)<\/p>\nThe 11th annual Plein Air West Reading Art Competition, which puts Berks County on canvas, achieved record-breaking sales with the addition of local artists and prizes.<\/p>\n
Over 50 artists in two categories (Juried and Open) started the week with blank canvases. Artists were required to create on location outdoors from direct observation anywhere in Berks County. By the end of the week over 185 canvases hung in the Olympian Ballroom in West Reading for the Awards Recognition by nationally renowned and award winning St. Louis artist Lon Brauer.<\/p>\n
It was a record breaking year. The PAWR event, run by Art Plus Gallery, had the highest amount of artists, prize money, and sales to date, with over 30 paintings selling for over $20,000. Art Plus Gallery has a \u201cMeet the Artists Of Plein Air West Reading\u201d extended art exhibition that runs through today.<\/p>\n
Juried category awards:<\/p>\n
“Corn Ribbons” by Jim Laurino of Litchfield, Conn., was awarded Best in Show at the Plein Air West Reading art competition. (Courtesy of Plein Air West Reading)<\/p>\n
Best in Show: \u201cCorn Ribbons\u201d by Jim Laurino,\u00a0$1,000, sponsored by the Berks Art Alliance<\/p>\n
Second place: \u201cYour Backyard and My Backyard\u201d by Nanci Charpentier,\u00a0$700, sponsored by Art Plus Gallery<\/p>\n
![\"Erin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/plein-air-west-reading-rotated-1.jpg\")
Erin Pryor Gill of Bethlehem works on her third-place-winning pastel painting, “Perennial Garden, Reading Arboretum,” during the Quick Draw event at the Reading Public Museum on June 15. (Courtesy of Plein Air West Reading)<\/p>\n
Third place: \u201cPerennial Garden, Reading Arboretum\u201d by Erin Pryor Gill,\u00a0$400, sponsored by Art Plus Gallery<\/p>\n
Honorable mention: \u201cGeometry of an Afternoon\u201d by Rachel Van Wylen Poserina,\u00a0$200, sponsored by Art Plus Gallery<\/p>\n
Honorable mention: \u201cSimply Bold\u201d by Valentina Yannotti,\u00a0$200, sponsored by Art Plus Gallery<\/p>\n
Artists\u2019 choice award: Lea Doise, $100 Blick Art Materials gift card<\/p>\n
People\u2019s choice award: Tarryl Gabel, $100 Blick Art Materials gift card<\/p>\n
Best West Reading award: \u201cWest Reading Drug Store\u201d by Aaron Thompson,\u00a0$1,000, sponsored by the West Reading Community Revitalization Foundation,<\/p>\n
Berks Waterways award: \u201cFar From the Bayou\u201d by Sabrina Schmidt,\u00a0$500, sponsored by the Schuylkill River Greenways Organization<\/p>\n
Garden Arty award: \u201cWild and Delicate\u201d by Lea Doise,\u00a0$500, sonsored by Linda and Jim Elliott<\/p>\n
Remembering Reading award: \u201cMorning Light\u201d by Marilyn Rose,\u00a0$500, sponsored by Shelby Davis Hutchison and Sherry Davis<\/p>\n
Light of the World award: \u201cMorning Walk On The Farm\u201d by Patsy Cooner,\u00a0$500, sponsored by Jesse and Jared Prentiss<\/p>\n
The Bridges of Berks County award: \u201cBridge of Cool Waters\u201d by Robert Seabourne,\u00a0U.Go Anywhere Plein Air Pochade Box Kit, sponsored by New Wave Fine Art Products<\/p>\n
America 250 award: \u201cJammin\u2019 At The Stone House\u201d by Cindy Harris,\u00a0$500, sponsored by the Berks Historical Society<\/p>\n
Open category awards:<\/p>\n
First place: \u201cThe Value of Farmland\u201d by Kelsey Showalter,\u00a0$300 and a U.Go Anywhere Plein Air Pochade Box Kit, sponsored by New Wave Fine Art Products<\/p>\n
Second place: \u201cBridge Glow\u201d by Joanne McIlvaine, $200<\/p>\n
Third place: \u201cUnder the Catalpa Tree\u201d by Marie Jones, $100<\/p>\n
Honorable mention: \u201cWash Day at Kutz Farm\u201d by Amanda D\u2019Agostino, $100<\/p>\n
\u2022\u2022\u2022<\/p>\n
Yocum Institute for Arts Education, 3000 Penn Ave., West Lawn, will present \u201c20th Century Man,\u201d a compelling solo exhibition celebrating the life, artistic vision, and enduring legacy of acclaimed modern artist Dolya Goutman. The exhibition will be on display in Yocum\u2019s Holleran Gallery from Thursday through July 25, with an opening reception on July 12 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Yocum-art-exhibit.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Born in Eastern Europe and later working internationally, Goutman\u2019s artistic career spanned continents, cultures, and decades of creative exploration. Through a diverse collection of representational, figurative, and abstract works, \u201c20th Century Man\u201d offers visitors an intimate look at the artist\u2019s expressive use of color, movement, and emotion. The exhibition reflects both the personal experiences and broader historical influences that shaped Goutman\u2019s remarkable body of work.<\/p>\n
\u201cDolya Goutman\u2019s work captures the complexity and humanity of the 20th century through a deeply personal artistic lens,\u201d said Nadia Pochan, visual art director of Yocum Institute for Arts Education. \u201cWe are honored to share this collection with our community and celebrate an artist whose work continues to resonate across generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guests attending the opening reception will have the opportunity to view the exhibition, engage in conversation with fellow art enthusiasts, and celebrate the legacy of an influential 20th-century artist in a welcoming gallery setting.<\/p>\n
Admission to both the reception and the exhibition is free..<\/p>\n
For more information, visit Yocum Institute for Arts Education, call 610-376-1576, or visit yocuminstitute.org.<\/p>\n
Exhibits<\/p>\n
\u201cButterfly Odyssey\u201d is a high-energy, immersive role-play journey in rainforest conservation that explores the sustainable business of butterfly farming while creating a fun environment for families to learn. The interactive exhibition will be on display through Aug. 30 in the Reading Public Museum\u2019s temporary exhibition galleries.<\/p>\n
![\""Butterfly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ButterflyOdyssey_Leaf.jpg\")
\u201cButterfly Odyssey\u201d at the Reading Public Museum invites visitors to become a butterfly on an immersive rainforest adventure, exploring the challenges of survival in the wild while discovering how sustainable butterfly farming helps protect tropical ecosystems and support local communities. (Courtesy of the Reading Public Museum)<\/p>\n
In the exhibit, visitors can become a butterfly and see if they are one of the lucky 2% of caterpillars that make it to adulthood in the wild. Can you survive the spider\u2019s web, hairy plant trap, and predators\u2019 wheel?<\/p>\n
Then experience a more sheltered life as a farmed butterfly. Collect eggs of different butterfly species at the host plant and egg hunt; feed each caterpillar the correct leaves at the bean bag toss; and undergo metamorphosis first-hand as you turn into a chrysalis along with the hungry caterpillars.<\/p>\n
After caterpillars pupate, it\u2019s time to get busy. Race against the clock and fill orders to send butterfly chrysalids around the world in time for them to hatch and take flight. Along your journey, uncover other sustainable rainforest enterprises that impact your daily life, like fair trade crafts, organic farming, and farmer-owned coffee cooperatives.<\/p>\n
Butterfly farming not only protects native butterfly populations, it also allows farmers to raise butterflies for a profit without damaging rainforests. Learning about unique sustainable practices like butterfly farming at Butterfly Odyssey is the first step toward balancing resources for a healthy planet.<\/p>\n
Regardless of where you live, you rely on products and services provided by tropical rainforests. In addition to providing familiar products like bananas, chocolate, and coffee, we can all take a deep breath and thank the rainforest.<\/p>\n
Almost one-quarter of the world\u2019s oxygen is produced there. Not only do we rely on rainforests to meet our needs, nearly half of all Earth\u2019s animal species can be found in rainforests and rely directly on them for survival.<\/p>\n
Managing the needs of people and planet is a delicate balancing act. Rainforests around the world are under threat due to over-harvesting and habitat destruction, but sustainable practices provide a blueprint for using resources today in a way that ensures they will be available for generations to come.<\/p>\n
The Reading Public Museum, 500 Museum Road, is a dynamic center of lifelong learning that collects, preserves, and interprets objects of art, science, and civilization to engage, educate, and enlighten current and future generations from our diverse communities. It is supported in part by grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.<\/p>\n
Admission per day is $14 adults (18-64), $8 children\/seniors\/college students (with ID); and free to members and children 3 and under. Currently enrolled Reading School District students and up to five accompanying guests receive free regular museum admission and free admission to public Neag Planetarium shows with proof of enrollment. The Museum is open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit online at www.readingpublicmuseum.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 11th annual Plein Air West Reading Art Competition, which puts Berks County on canvas, achieved record-breaking sales…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":35690,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,1681,182,1213,858,28,128,130,129,289,706],"class_list":["post-230188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-berks-county","tag-entertainment","tag-local-news","tag-music-and-concerts","tag-ontap","tag-pennsylvania","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news","tag-things-to-do","tag-top-stories-reg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230188\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=230188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=230188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}