Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — An Economic Profile

CULTURE

HARRISBURG ENJOYS A FINE REPUTATION AS A SOURCE FOR MANY ARTS AND CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES, LARGELY DUE TO ITS PROMINENCE AS ONE OF THE OLDEST AMERICAN STATE CAPITAL CITIES IN THE URBANIZED, NORTHEASTERN U.S.

The city’s relative proximity to the larger metropolitan areas of Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC also plays an influential part in Harrisburg’s cultural life. Many new and long established organizations continue to professionalize themselves by rising to new standards which has been reciprocally supported by the City, the corporate sector and the community at large.

Center City is credited with two major performance centers which are unsurpassed not only for a city the size of Harrisburg but in terms of their quality in design and compliment:

Whitaker Center For Science and The Arts. (N.3rd and Market Streets). Completed in 1999 as the first center of its type in the United States where education, science and the performing arts take place under one roof. This 130,000 sq. ft., $52.7 Million complex contains the Sunoco Performance Theater, a small black-box theater, classroom, exhibit and rehearsal space, the IMAX Theater, a dynamic Science Center with interactive exhibits, and elegant patron reception spaces flowing from a central atrium tower to support civic and corporate meetings and conferences. The interior spaces are stunning and are finished in a material and lighting scheme which makes the center glow as a polished gem nestled within and emanating from the heart of the downtown.

•  Sunoco Performance Theater performance hall with tiered balconies within a relatively intimate, however high ceilinged, space. The orchestra level, complete with orchestra pit with mechanical lift, has 332 seats rising to 133 seats at the mezzanine level and 129 seats at the balcony level above. The flexible theater configuration is very desirable for presentations by a distinguished list of officially designated Resident companies and organizations in their various disciplines including Theater Harrisburg, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Harrisburg Opera Association, Market Square concerts, Concertante and outstanding regional choral groups such as the Susquehanna Chorale, as well as ensemble performances by the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra and the Harrisburg Chorale. The advanced sound and lighting equipment and fine wall and floor finishes complete the audience experience in addition to the three elegant lobbies for performance related activities.
•  IMAXr Theater — The region’s only large format film theater having 200 seats and a six-story high screen with 16,000 watts of wrap-around sound. The Theater features the finest motion picture system of this type in the world with images of unsurpassed size, clarity and impact as well as exciting, educationally enriched films expanding the IMAX in 3D. Here, adventure begins in the depths of the ocean or a volcano, to the reaches of outer space or the highest mountain, or to the mysteries of the animal kingdom.
•  Science Center — A virtual educational playground for imagination, reasoning and discovery, the Center features three floors of exhibit space housing hundreds of hands-on, interactive science exhibit stations as well as two science activity centers and a Science Theater/Demonstration Hall. A gateway exhibit introduces the visitor to the theme of “science through the arts.” Each permanent exhibit features a large, dramatic icon symbolizing the exhibit topics including Color and Light, Environment and Ecology, Health and Wellness, Kids Hall, Mathematics in Nature and Culture, People and Diversity as well as Physics and Sound.

The Center was commissioned by Mayor Reed with a city commitment of the first $6 Million. The task force he named evolved into the most successful civic fundraising effort ever conducted in the region.

The development of the Center was truly a public/private partnership with primary funding subsequently provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, The Whitaker Foundation, more than 175 corporations and individuals, Bell Atlantic-Pennsylvania, Sprint, the former Dauphin Deposit Bank, AMP Inc., First Union Bank, the Sun Oil Company, the Houston Foundation, The Stewart Huston Charitable Trust, the General Mills Foundation and the National Science Foundation. It is projected that the Whitaker Center will return $130 million to the greater Harrisburg area over ten years since its opening and will generate about $80 million in other spending by visitors during the first ten years following its opening. Its annual attendendance exceeds 375,000 visitors.

The State Forum (Walnut Street at Commonwealth Avenue). A state-owned and -operated facility prominently located within the Capitol Complex, the Forum is a magnificent 1,763-seat concert and lecture hall. Built in 1930-31 as part of the State Education Building, its entrance is at Fourth and Walnut Streets in Center City. Particularly known for its electrified, starlit ceiling depicting the constellations of the universe, the Art Deco-styled, classical amphitheater hosts a year-round calendar of cultural events, including lectures, inauguration ceremonies and concerts. Of particular note are the Forum’s grand Moller 3,678-pipe organ and floor-to-ceiling map series tracing the evolution of civilization. The splendidly appointed Green Room provides reception space for Forum performers and patrons.

The Forum was thoroughly renovated in 1998. Improvements include the installation of networks for multimedia support and data communications, a state-of-the-art electric sound system and acoustic enhancing features, extension of the stage apron farther into the amphitheater, and new seating and carpeting in accordance with the original 1931 specifications. Further improvements include the restoration of the celestial muraled ceiling and replacement of the 365 recessed lights, depicting the more prominent stars of the heavens, of the 1000+ stars, which glitter above.

The Forum remains a downtown institution in which many world class artists and personalities of the 20th Century have appeared. It both contrasts with and compliments the Whitaker Center, as its gracious size and full orchestra, concert hall design format attracts those very important events which require an awe-inspiring setting.

Performing Arts Organizations and Lecture Series include:

•  Chamber Singers of Harrisburg. Choral ensemble particularly known for well-executed works of the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical periods. Offers student vocal scholarships and an outreach program to seniors.
•  Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz. Based in Harrisburg, the Friends of Jazz has grown to be one of the largest organizations of its kind in the U.S., with numerous performances held at varied locations throughout the year. The organization also holds a three-day, annual Jazz Festival featuring world-famous jazz artists in Harrisburg.
•  Concertante. Founded in 1995 as a magnificent addition to the Harrisburg cultural scene, this repertory ensemble is dedicated to the performance of chamber music and ranges from five to twelve accomplished musicians, with visiting artists of international acclaim routinely appearing.
•  Danzante Cultural Center. Located in the public-accessible space at the McFarland Building on Mulberry Street and opened in 1999, Hispanic/Latino arts and cultural organization that provides a series of performances and workshops for youth and adults in first-class facilities.
•  Harrisburg Choral Society. One-hundred-year-old, 100-plus member choral ensemble which holds two concerts per year. Known for major choral works, usually with orchestral accompaniment.
•  Theatre Harrisburg. (production center & administrative offices -6th and Hurlock Streets in uptown Harrisburg). Formerly known as the Harrisburg Community Theater, the organization is one of the oldest, continuously operated community theaters in the country, founded in 1926.
  As Harrisburg’s principal theater operation, it is known for notable full-scale productions, with state-of-the-art sound, lighting and scenery techniques, highlighting each season. In addition to being the Theater Resident of Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, Theatre Harrisburg operates affiliated organizations specializing in education, instruction and production arts.
•  Harrisburg Opera Association. Regional professional and volunteer talent performs traditional and contemporary opera in the Harrisburg area and provides hands-on experience in all phases of the opera production.
•  Harrisburg Singers. Organized in 1984, this choral group performs a wide repertoire, from sacred music to operetta and musical theater.
•  Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. Founded over 60 years ago, the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra has grown in national stature and reputation. With revenues exceeding $1.6 million each season and Resident of the State Forum, the Orchestra brings world-renowned soloists and instrumental artists to Harrisburg and features both classical and pops repertories.
•  Market Square Concerts. This highly acclaimed concert series brings nationally and internationally known musical artists to Harrisburg. Usually held in the sanctuary of the historic Market Square Presbyterian Church, but also on occasion at the Rose Lehrman Arts Center at Harrisburg Area Community College and Temple Ohev Shalom (N. Front and Seneca Streets). The series typically includes nine performances between September and May.
•  Ngozi, Inc. The acclaimed multi-faceted African and African-American cultural awareness organization emphasizing festivals, dance classes and cultural arts programs.
•  Open Stage of Harrisburg. A professional theatrical company, Open Stage of Harrisburg presents relevant and dramatic literature responsive to the area’s multicultural population. The Theater is located downtown at Walnut and Court Streets as part of the Strawberry Square/Hilton Multiplex.
•  Susquehanna Chorale. Winner of Chorus America’s 1994 Margaret Hills Award for choral excellence. Season includes a youth choral program, Christmas and spring concerts, and the Central PA Choral Festival.
•  Susquehanna Folk Music Society. Founded in 1985 and based in Harrisburg, the Society attracts national and international folk talent to the city, including traditional American, British Isles, Irish and Eastern European music. It holds seminars and work shops, and publishes a newsletter.
•  The Wednesday Club. Founded in 1882. It’s the region’s oldest performing arts organization. With a dual mission of arranging recital opportunities for local musicians and of presenting local as well as internationally known performers to regional audiences, each year the organization stages more than 25 free recitals along with an acclaimed subscription series at the State Forum.

Additional facilities used by the general public for various productions and events include:

Rose Lehrman Arts Center. (Harrisburg Area Community College). The Rose Lehrman Arts Center contains a 376-seat theater, with thrust stage, which is used for college-sponsored concerts and stage productions, and by the general community. The Center also houses an art gallery and conference rooms.

Auditorium of the Scottish Rite Cathedral. (2701 N. 3rd St.). With 1,200 seats, home of the Harrisburg Ballet, a vibrant professional company of accomplished artists.

State Museum of Pennsylvania Auditorium. (3rd and North Streets.). A 400-seat auditorium hosts both state sponsored and community events.

Jewish Community Center. (100 Vaughn St.). Has a 500-seat capacity, recently renovated to permit more community activity.

Zembo Mosque. (N. 3rd and Division Streets). Striking mid-eastern mosque replica complete with minaret tower, exquisite tilework amidst 1930’s elegance. Main auditorium hosts large events from stage shows to sports events.

Harrisburg City Government Center. (10 N. 2nd St.). The Atrium and other open-space areas, including the Cabinet Room of the Mayor’s Office, are the frequent site of arts and cultural events; seating capacity of 250 and reception capacity for 400.

Harrisburg Civic Club. (612 N. Front St.). Late 19th Century English-Tudor. Elegant ballroom added in 1916, site of recitals, receptions and lectures.

Strawberry Square. (N. 3rd and Walnut Streets). The Square’s central atrium, onto which many retail shops and the Square’s food court face, functions as an enclosed “town square,” and is the site of many arts and cultural events; seating capacity for 600 and reception capacity for 1,300.

The sanctuaries of historic, center city Harrisburg churches are the sites of many cultural events as well as being historic and architectural edifices of interest. These include:

•  First Church of God (15 N. 4th St.). Erected in 1854 for this denomination, which was founded in Harrisburg in 1827.
•  Grace Methodist Church (State and Susquehanna Streets). Sanctuary was the temporary meeting place of the Pennsylvania General Assembly after the old Capitol burned in 1897.
•  Market Square Presbyterian Church (21 S. River St. on Market Sq.). Erected in 1860. Fine Romanesque-style sanctuary, all in white.
•  Pine Street Presbyterian Church (3rd and Pine Streets). Completed in 1860. English Gothic sanctuary with vast clerestory ceiling.
•  Salem Reformed Church (23 Chestnut St.). Oldest church building standing in the city, built in 1822.
•  St. Michael’s Lutheran Church (118 State St.). Attractive edifice built by central Pennsylvania Germans in 1906.
•  St. Patrick’s Cathedral (212 State St.). Italian Renaissance design with rotunda rising to a beautiful dome. Seat of the 26-county Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg.
•  St. Patrick’s Cathedral Chapel (formerly St. Lawrence Church - 108 State St.). Sanctuary in French Gothic culminated by a lavishly executed, stained-glass rose window.
•  St. Stephen’s Cathedral (215 Front St.). Built in 1826. Seat of the Episcopal Diocese of central Pennsylvania. Interior is British/Gothic.
•  Zion Lutheran Church (15 S. 4th St.). Sanctuary was the site of the 1839 U.S. Presidential Whig Convention where Benjamin Harrison and John Tyler were nominated for President and Vice President, both of whom went on to become President.
•  Temple Ohev Shalom (Front and Seneca Streets, in the city’s uptown area). The classically styled temple of this Reformed Jewish congregation hosts the performing arts, including a portion the Market Square Concert Series.

Museums/Art Galleries

National Civil War Museum at Harrisburg (Reservoir Park). Located at Harrisburg’s highest point at the summit of Reservoir Park and founded by the Mayor, this is the most comprehensive and the largest Civil War Museum in the world and draws upon Harrisburg’s important role in the War where more than 300,000 Federal troops were trained and dispatched to southern battlefields. The facility features never-before-seen artifacts and collections from both the Union and Confederate forces, as well as extensive displays on slavery, the pre-war period and the post-war westward expansion period of American history. Of particular interest are items used and owned by Abraham Lincoln, Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant and Gettysburg commanders Brg. Gen. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Gen. George Pickett, among many others. The adjacent rolling open park land hosts encampments, re-enactments and drills as part of the museum’s programs.

State Museum of Pennsylvania (N. 3rd and North Streets). Part of the Capitol Complex, the circular, six-story museum is the official depository of Pennsylvania’s most valued historic documents and artifacts. The facility also features a fine art gallery, planetarium, exhibitions of natural history and Pennsylvania industries, and the grand Memorial Hall, which contains a striking statue of the Commonwealth’s founder, William Penn.

John Harris/Simon Cameron Mansion (S. Front and Washington Streets). This mansion’s earliest part was built about 1740 by John Harris, Sr. The mansion was later renovated and “Victorianized,” in the late 19th century by Simon Cameron, President Lincoln’s first Secretary of War in the Civil War and a U.S. senator. Home of the Dauphin County Historical Society, its collections and reference library, as well as changing historic exhibits, are of national and local importance.

Pennsylvania National Fire Museum. Located in the former Reily Fire Station No. 10 at 1820 N. 4th St. in uptown Harrisburg, this first-ever facility of its kind in the region is bathed in dramatic lighting at night. Considered a classic architectural representation of the grand, turn-of-the-century American firehouse, the museum houses a variety of permanent and rotating displays of firefighting memorabilia including old fire engines and artifacts. The oldest piece of fire apparatus in the nation, an 18th Century hand-pumping cart, is on permanent display. The museum was established at the initiative of the Mayor, with capital improvements funded by the City. The structure harkens to a time when there were 16 neighborhood fire stations citywide.

Fort Hunter Mansion and Park (N. Front St.). Located just north of the city on the bank of the Susquehanna, the mansion at Fort Hunter dates from 1814 and features authentic early American and fine Victorian furnishings. Surrounding grounds and river setting provide a fantastic vantage point for views of the Susquehanna Water Gap.

Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence (2035 N. Front St.). Elegant Georgian-style mansion facing the Susquehanna serves as the home of Pennsylvania’s governors. Beautifully landscaped lawns and gardens, rich interior woodwork and stately spaces. Here are located permanent collections of important Pennsylvania antiques and artwork. Tours available.

Public, non-profit Galleries, not noted elsewhere in this chapter, include:

Art Association Of Harrisburg School And Galleries (21 N. Front St.) Housed in the historic Front Street mansion of early 19th century Pennsylvania Governor William Findlay. Offers shows of regional and national artists of all styles and media, arts classes and consignment Sales Gallery.

Susquehanna Art Museum/Doshi Gallery (301 Market Street) Successful affiliation of two leading art galleries featuring national and international art occupying first three floors of the historic Kunkel Building.

Historic Harrisburg Resource Center (1230 N. Third Street) Classic 1920’s bank interior converted to gallery and meeting space of the city’s leading historic preservation organization.

Reservoir Park Bandshell (Reservoir Park at N. 21st and Walnut Streets). Noted under “Recreation,” largest outdoor amphitheater in the region and hosts numerous concerts and performing arts events, including the open air Shakespeare in the Park series.

Reservoir Park Mansion (Reservoir Park at N. 21st and Walnut Streets). Noted under “Recreation” as a focal point of Reservoir Park and built in 1898. It is now home to two art galleries and numerous art events.

Richards Hall Art Gallery (2986 N. Second Street - Dixon University Center). Showcases artistic contributions of the faculty, students, alumni and friends of the universities comprising the State System of Higher Education.

Arts Planning and Development Organizations

MetroArts of the Capital Region (123 Forster Street). Founded in 1978, MetroArts is one of the Greater Harrisburg Area’s principal arts enabling agencies, and is responsible for promoting and coordinating the efforts of member arts groups, as well as heightening the awareness of and participation in cultural functions throughout the area. Services offered at the organization’s Arts Development Center include shared services, space and equipment for developing cultural organizations as well as rehearsal, audition and meeting space. Located in a former Front St. mansion that was moved to its current location when Forster St. was widened decades ago.

Allied Arts Fund (904 N. 2nd St.,). The Fund serves as a funding liaison between business and the arts in order to support operating costs of established cultural institutions and fund start-up costs of new and innovative cultural projects. Fund seed-money has been provided by the John Crain Kunkel Foundation, Hershey Foods Corporation and the Greater Harrisburg Foundation. Since 1985, local cultural organizations have received over $8 million in contributions made by Harrisburg area businesses, professionals and community leaders.

Special Arts Events. The Harrisburg Gallery Walk is an annual day-long event, usually held on the Sunday after Labor Day, attracting thousands of visitors and providing free admission to some two dozen museums, galleries and other exhibition spaces throughout the city, many of which offer live entertainment and a light menu for attendees.

Further, over the Memorial Day Weekend, the Greater Harrisburg Arts Festival and, over the Labor Day Weekend during the Kipona Festival, hundreds of upscale arts and craft vendors offer their creations in Riverfront Park. Still more, during the American MusicFest, during the July 4th Weekend, over 120 concerts are held at 13 stages in Riverfront Park and City Island.

The City additionally sponsors the Italian Lake Concert Series, set amidst the idyllic scenery of the splendidly restored and upgraded lake, gardens, walkways and open space areas situated at N. Third and Division Streets. Concerts cover a full range of musical tastes and selections, usually held every Sunday from early July to mid-August. The Reservoir Park Concert and Festival Series, held from June to August, utilizes the bandshell, mansion, pavilions and plazas of the city’s largest park, featuring open air entertainment from reggae to Shakespearian performances to the annual African-American Festival, attracting tens of thousands.