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Winter is quickly approaching, and it’s a good time for an indoor activity to keep you busy! TK residents get 50% off classes at The Baum School of Art. If want to take advantage of this discount but are not sure which class you want to take, check out our list for the top 5 classes to take!

1. Pastels
   Students will be taken on a pastel journey with a very forgiving medium. Application methods, types of paper, many types of pastels, pastel accessories, and a variety of techniques will be explored. Beginners and advanced students are always welcome and may work at their own pace. This will be a friendly and fun experience.
2. Intro to Jewelry & Metalsmithing
   In this introductory course, students will discover the working properties of non-ferrous metals and experiment with a range of metalsmithing fabrication techniques, while working with a variety of specialized hand tools, equipment, and torches. This class covers all of the basics, including: soldering, annealing, forming, cold joinery, bezel setting, finishing, and workshop safety. Students are encouraged to take this class several times before moving up to the Intermediate and Advanced Jewelry & Metalsmithing.
3. Beginner’s Painting
   Learn the basics needed to build the foundation to create a successful painting and grow as an artist. We will start with a detailed review of the supplies and materials you will need for either acrylic or oil painting. You’ll cover basic color theory and color mixing and explore various painting techniques. In addition to the technical aspects of painting, students will learn how value, focal point, composition and perspective are essential to creating a painting that is visually impactful. This class will give you the tools to assert your creativity, develop your own aesthetic or style, and discover a whole new level of artistic expression.
4. Pottery
   Learn the process of throwing, shaping and trimming clay on the potter’s wheel. Students will learn the skills necessary to throw cylinders, cups, bowls and more. Students will have an opportunity to explore surface decoration techniques to enhance their thrown pieces. Finally, students will gain an understanding of glazing techniques to complete their projects.
5. Drawing & Oil Painting
   A relaxing and enjoyable class, suitable for beginners as well as professional artists. This class teaches a traditional approach to art, focusing on portrait and figure painting/drawing using models (clothed). The class improves artistic skills through traditional systems and simplification of artistic concepts, so students can better express themselves artistically, regardless of their style or medium.

Still not seeing a class that grabs your interest? Find the full brochure here. If you’re ready to sign up for a class, click here to get instructions on how to use your discount!

Name: Anwar Mamora
Location: Center Square Lofts

Why did you want to move Downtown? Was it your job, family, friends? I relocated from Texas for a new job in the Lehigh Valley.

What was the deciding factor that made you choose Center Square Lofts your new home? When I was hired, I had a decision to make. Either Bethlehem or Allentown. I flipped a coin, and Allentown it was. I also liked that Center Square Lofts is brand new, had high ceilings, and is one of the only apartments that will have a pool.

What makes living in Downtown Allentown better than living anywhere else in the Lehigh Valley? Compared to living in Texas, everything is very close together. The gym, restaurants, and bars are all within walking distance.

What’s your funniest memory since moving into your apartment? I’m on the keto diet, so I cook with a lot of oils and fat. One night I was cooking and there was a lot of smoke. When I went to sit down to eat, my fire alarm started to go off. I tried my best to get it to stop, but the fire department showed up at my apartment!

Where’s the best place to go to meet new people? I’m always meeting new people when I go to the resident happy hours.

Where’s the best place to go to for happy hour? Queen City BBQ is my favorite happy hour spot.

What is your ideal way to spend the weekend in Downtown Allentown? I like to run, so every weekend I like to explore a different trail that’s close to Downtown Allentown!

What do you want other people to know about living in Downtown Allentown? Downtown Allentown is growing, and there are a lot of great restaurants and retailers to check out.

How are you celebrating being open 1 year in Downtown Allentown?
We are celebrating ALL week! We are doing an Instagram giveaway, photo opportunities inside the showroom, and sampling local treats and drinks during our appointments. We are also doing 10% off all month for any dress in the store!

What’s your favorite memory since opening this past year?
My favorite memory since opening was definitely seeing photos of our first wedding. When you see it come full circle, it truly is very humbling. I love being part of a bride’s special day and seeing photos of the bridesmaids in their gowns is truly very special. You see all your hard work paid off!

What’s the best part about having your business in Downtown Allentown?
The best part of having my business downtown is when I hear my customers say to me “You really couldn’t have picked a better location to open your store”. It’s amazing to hear how the public feels about Downtown Allentown and its growth. I know I made the right choice investing this franchise in the heart of downtown, but nothing beats it when your customers are excited about the revitalization too!

Why did you choose to open your business in Downtown Allentown?
I chose to open my business in Downtown Allentown because it’s the place to be right now. Whether for big events, local eating, or just to go out with friends, downtown is the place to be. We are standing out from Easton and Bethlehem and I am excited for its accelerated growth. Even a year has made a huge difference. I can only imagine three, five and ten years!

What are some benefits of being a City Center tenant?
City Center feels like a really big family. They are always asking how you are doing, saying hello when you see them in the building, supporting your events, sending referrals.

Tell us something you learned from owning a business in Downtown Allentown.
Being married, having a young daughter plus owning a franchise has taught me a lot about disconnection. When I say that, I mean being able to disconnect once I would leave the shop. Realizing that, those emails can wait and that when I come home, my family and friends have me at my best. Being able to adjust that work/life balance, was super hard in the beginning, but this business made me realize how important family and friends are and how fast life goes by.

What do you have planned for the upcoming year? We are thinking about construction! We can’t believe it! We are possibly adding more dressing rooms to accommodate more brides and their bridesmaids. Even thinking about changing the layout of the store! Change is a good right?

Are there any new products you’re excited about? YES! We just came back from Bridal Fashion Week in October and we are super eager for our Spring 2020 collection to arrive! Would you believe us if I told you our designers discontinue colors and styles every six months? We keep things so fresh and new within Bella Bridesmaids which allows us to always be on-trend.

What are some trends you’re expecting for 2020 bridesmaids’ dresses? Neutrals and Satins! Boy are we excited about it! We are seeing more and more neutral colors like ivory & champagne take the front of bridesmaid dresses. Velvet is still trend-worthy for our fall/winter brides. We are excited about the new fabrics like Fluid Satin from Amsale, the classic Satin Back Crepe by Jenny Yoo, to Stretch Charmeuse from Dessy. These lightweight yet elegant fabrics are making a statement for next year!

The 12th annual Blues, Brews, & Barbecue festival is coming to Downtown Allentown Saturday, June 8 from 12 to 10 p.m. Sample delicious BBQ from all around the U.S. while enjoying great brews and FREE music!

City Center Investment Corp., the real estate development company revitalizing downtown Allentown, Pennsylvania, announced today it has commissioned three murals for Allentown’s ArtsWalk. Painted this spring by world-renowned artists from around the country, the murals will adorn outside walls of the historic Sovereign building, the Linden Parking Deck and the STRATA Annex building.

The first muralist, Miami-based Ernesto Maranje, began his work on the rear corner of the Sovereign building at 609 Hamilton Street on April 22. Maranje, a master painter, illustrator and muralist of animals, will spray-paint a large-scale red-tailed hawk on the wall overlooking the ArtsWalk pocket park. With an extensive worldwide collection, Maranje paints colorful, whimsical works that remind viewers of their connection to nature. The red-tailed hawk was chosen for Allentown to symbolize the tenacity and freedom of the region. The 50-foot by 50-foot mural will be completed in approximately two weeks.

A second mural, created by Brooklyn artist ELLE, is slated to begin at the end of May on the rear of the parking deck at 612 Linden Street, facing the ArtsWalk. ELLE’s mural, which is in the final design stages, will feature a strong woman representing the future, and made through the combination of history, mythology, various ethnicities, contemporary ideas and more. The mural is meant to show the perseverance and power of women. Although ELLE began as an illegal graffiti artist in New York, she is now considered one of the world’s top touring street artists and has worked with brands Reebok, IKEA, Smart Car and many more. ELLE was selected because of her recognized style of collaging images of people with various ethnicities. Her 60-foot-tall by 30-foot-wide spray-painted mural will also take roughly two weeks to produce.

The third mural is planned for the STRATA Annex building across the ArtsWalk from The Downtown Allentown Market, which is scheduled to open in the fall. Collaborative mural and street-art team NS/CB of Miami will begin their botanical-themed mural June 15.

“City Center is excited to introduce more public art in downtown Allentown,” said City Center Vice President of Project Design and Corporate Branding Jane Heft, who coordinated the project. “We hope it will inspire the community and become a source of pride for those who live and work here. The ArtsWalk will be alive with new beauty this summer.”

The muralists were curated by Dripped On Productions of New York City, an art production company specializing in murals and street art for developments, events and businesses, such as MasterCard, Pabst Blue Ribbon and ArtsQuest. The company’s CEO and cofounder, Denton Burrows, earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Lehigh University.

“Dripped On Productions has set its sights on Allentown in partnership with City Center to beautify and transform major parts of downtown Allentown with professionally executed murals and works to brighten, beautify and inspire a historical and diverse city,” Burrows said.

Allentown’s pedestrian-only ArtsWalk begins on Seventh Street across from the PPL Center and runs east past the STRATA West and East residential buildings to Sixth Street. It continues along both sides of Miller Symphony Hall and through the Arts Park to end at the Allentown Art Museum on Fifth Street.

City Center Investment Corp. previously commissioned two large-scale murals in downtown Allentown. In 2016, Amber Art and Design of Philadelphia installed a colorful stylized sunrise on the southwest corner of the Linden Parking Deck, facing the ArtsWalk, and in 2018, muralist Matt Halm created a seven-story mural inside a glass-enclosed stairwell in 520 Lofts, City Center’s residential building at 520 Hamilton Street.