MILLVILLE, NJ – Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center was recently awarded a PNC Arts Alive grant by The PNC Foundation. Through this grant WheatonArts will present, “Wheaton Wide Open Weekends,” a series of selected three-day weekends which begin the weekend of July 17, 18 and 19 and continue through January 3, 2016. WheatonArts will partner with local service organizations each weekend. Through these partnerships WheatonArts and PNC Arts Alive hope to expand the arts to new audiences by offering enhanced programming, artist demonstrations and hands-on activities for children. Visitors will be invited to engage in a creative process which is educational, culturally diverse and fun.

In July and August the free admission weekends are July 17, 18 and 19 and August 14, 15 and 16. Dates and information for the additional free weekends in September, October, November, December, and the first weekend in January, will be available on wheatonarts.org.

In July the theme is “Entrepreneurship” and the featured non-profit partner is “Friday is Tie Day, Inc.” Established in 2013, Friday is Tie Day, Inc. (fridayistieday.com) was founded with the mission to empower young and adult males with the skills to improve life outcomes and ultimately them make better sons, brothers and fathers.

■ July 17, 18 and 19 – WheatonArts Museum Stores Sidewalk Sale. 30 to 70 percent off selected merchandise from each store.
■ July 18 – Trunk Show. “Friday is Tie Day” program members will sell their own line of quality
bow ties, pocket squares, custom tie bars, neck ties, and cuff links, manufactured with WheatonArts artist, Chris Mosely.
■ July 18 – Hands-On Family Activity…Fiber Art: Marbled Fabric. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Suggested Ages: 5 and above (with parental supervision). Learn how to marble fabric using shaving cream. Children will use shaving cream and fabric paint to create swirls of color on pieces of fabric. If you would like to create your own unique tee shirt please bring a white, 100% cotton shirt. Instructor: Julie Casper.
■ July 18 – “Artists Market and Sidewalk Sale” from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A summer sale featuring the handmade work of ten WheatonArts staff and associated artists including blown glass, pottery and more.
In August the theme is “Get Active.” Habitat for Humanity (cumberlandhabitat.org) is the featured partner and will be on site August 16.
■ August 15 – Hands-On Family Activity…Lego Printing: Let’s Build a Fire Truck! 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Suggested Ages: 5 and above (with parental supervision). Lego® bricks are no longer just for three-dimensional building. Create one-of-a-kind prints. Children will use Lego® bricks dipped in paint to create prints of fire trucks.
■ August 16…WheatonArts, in association with the Glasstown Antique Fire Brigade, hosts the 35th Annual Glasstown Antique Fire Brigade Muster and Fire Fighter’s Family Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Over 80 antique fire trucks from the Mid-Atlantic States will be on display on the grounds. Show highlights include: a firefighter competition to show how firefighters use their training and skills to battle fires; water barrel fight (two opposing teams try to move a barrel suspended on a cable to opposite ends using a high pressure fire hose); bucket brigade (each team is timed as they carry water to the roof of a small building in buckets; and firefighting demonstrations including pumping displays of fire hoses on numerous fire trucks.

The visitor experience at WheatonArts includes: Museum of American Glass exhibitions, “Emanation: Art + Process” and “Creativity Ascertained: The Art of the Fellowship;” “An Ordinary Day – Hyunsung Cho Solo Exhibition” in the Gallery of Fine Craft through August 16, 2015; artist demonstrations in the Glass Studio at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.; artist demonstrations in the Ceramic and Flameworking Studios; and shopping in the museum stores. The Sweets Suite Café offers a variety of fresh, healthy choices as well as baked goods.

WheatonArts is open Labor Day. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. General admission: Adults $10.00, $9.00 Senior Adults and $7.00 Students. Children five and under are free. Free to shop and stroll except during outdoor special events. For more information about WheatonArts, call 856-825-6800 or 800-998-4552, or visit wheatonarts.org. For more information about PNC Arts Alive and the grant recipients visit www.pncartsalive.com.
WheatonArts strives to make exhibits, events and programs accessible to all visitors. Provide two
weeks notice for additional needs. Patrons with hearing and speech disabilities may contact WheatonArts through the New Jersey Relay Service (TRS) 800-852-7899 or by dialing 711.
Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department
of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, New Jersey Cultural Trust and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. WheatonArts receives general operating support from the New Jersey Historical Commission, Division of Cultural Affairs in the New Jersey Department of State. Additional funding provided through a grant from the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism.

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About WheatonArts
With a history spanning four decades, WheatonArts has earned regional, national and international recognition for its unique collections and programs. The Museum of American Glass, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, houses one of the most comprehensive collections of American glass in the country…from the first glass bottles made in America to celebrated works by Dale Chihuly and other contemporary artists who work in glass. Visitors experience the art of glassmaking, ceramics and flameworking in the Artists Studios. From April through December the Museum of American Glass and Gallery of Fine Craft present special exhibitions. WheatonArts also offers traditional and multi-cultural programs, classes, workshops, performances, and weekend festivals. The award-winning Museum Stores offer traditional and contemporary art and craft in all mediums.

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