Arts & Culture

The Pottstown area is well-known for showcasing arts through events and performances.  There are several fresh, new, and exciting initiatives on the horizon that are sure to provide residents and visitors a unique, memorable experience.  Additional cultural opportunities can be found less than an hour away in the historic city of Philadelphia.

Pottstown Arts & Cultural Alliance
The Pottstown Arts & Cultural Alliance's mission is to bring together the arts and cultural organizations of Pottstown for the purpose of articulating and promoting a unified vision that creates a cultural district in downtown Pottstown that will increase cultural tourism and awareness of the social and educational importance of the arts.  For more information call The Gallery School of Pottstown at 610.326.2506 or PDIDA at 610.323.5400.

The Gallery School of Pottstown / Gallery on High
Founded in 2005, The Gallery School of Pottstown, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides art education and access to creativity through the visual arts.  The school provides artists at every level, from beginner to advanced, the opportunity to take classes in a variety of areas of interest.  In addition, The Gallery School of Pottstown brings cultural experiences to the greater Pottstown area by offering rotating exhibits throughout the year.  These include student faculty shows, member art shows, and themed exhibits.  Although both international and nationally acclaimed artists have displayed work at the Gallery, their main focus is to continue to be a venue for the local artists to display their work.

The Gallery School works in four main areas:  Youth & Adult Education, Art as Therapy, Working Artists, and Community Activities.  Help support the school through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program.  For more information call 610.326.2506.

Steel River Playhouse
Formerly known as the Tri-County Performing Arts Center, the Steel River Playhouse, located at 245 East High Street in Pottstown, is a nonprofit education and performance facility offering professional, private, and group performing arts instruction for preschoolers through senior citizens in acting, improvisation, music, voice, piano, and guitar, an annual summer camp for grades 1 through 11, as well as a host of internally produced and presented performances throughout the year.  Productions have included the thriller Dracula, the family musical Honk!, the comedy Noises Off, the epic sweeping musical Ragtime, the "dramedy" 84 Charing Cross Road, a night of comedy with David Ives One-Acts, the professional resident contemporary dance company Melange, as well as numerous concerts and presentations of visiting artists.  The Steel River Playhouse is a key component of the revitalization of downtown historic Pottstown.

Additional Cultural Features
The mission of the Arts & Activities Alliance (A&AA), a committee of Building a Better Boyertown, is promoting visual and literary art within the community created by artists of all ages from the tri-county area.  Formed in 2007, A&AA hosts indoor and outdoor art exhibits, field trips to artists' studios, and offers opportunities for members of the community to take art classes or participate in workshops designed to promote health and wellness and enhance creativity.

The Schuylkill Valley Regional Dance Company is a local 501(c)3 organization that employs the talents of both professional and student dancers.  They perform a minimum of three full length concerts per year under the guidance of Artistic Director and international artist Michelle Jones Wurtz.  The company is acknowledged and financially supported by the PA Council on the Arts and has been cited for its brilliance.

Montgomery County Community College's Blue Bell and Pottstown sites, the Center for the Arts at The Hill School's campus in Pottstown, and the Sovereign Center in Reading offer many opportunities for the community to view a unique assortment of concerts, dance, and theater performances for people of all ages.

• Arts & Cultural opportunities in the tri-county area



Please refer to the Business Directory for a complete list of Chamber Members providing products and/or services in this area.