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On the Ground: Marketview Arts offers Inspiration and Connections

June 13, 2022
Paige Johnson in art gallery
Left to Right: Entang Wiharso and Paige Johnson '25

At first glance, York College of Pennsylvania may look like a typical campus in a typical college town—but look a little closer, and you’ll discover a community full of hidden (and not-so-hidden) gems. In our On the Ground series, we explore some of YCP’s most beloved places and spaces with help from our own Spartan students.

Paige Johnson is a first-year Fine Arts student who enjoys fashion, design, and jewelry making. Their favorite assignments have been those where they try new mediums, which, in turn, inspire them to try new ideas. They say Marketview Arts in downtown York is “a calm space where artists can gather.”

Fine Arts majors have the opportunity to advance their craft in the York College Studios at Marketview Arts, while also finding inspiration in galleries throughout the building. Marketview is a venue for cultural events and programs for both students and the community. In our photo Paige is shown talking with Entang Wiharso, who exhibited work at Marketview’s Gallery Hall in the fall of 2021.

Additionally, The Appell Arts Fellowship is awarded annually to a recent graduate of York College’s Fine Art and Graphic Design program. The Appell Fellow, currently Jeannine Dabb ’20, works with staff at Marketview to develop, promote, and produce program offerings. They also have the opportunity to hone their artistic skills and curate an exhibition of their own work.

Marketview has been a point of connection for Paige. Through informal gatherings during studio time, projects, or lunches, they have been able to foster important friendships and networking opportunities. “Through Marketview, I have built relationships with both student and professional artists. It is the common place where these connections are possible,” they say. For Paige, Marketview is a supportive space that has been monumental in encouraging their artistic pursuits. 

Fundamentally, their participation in projects such as hanging shows and assisting with workshops meant that Marketview has been a space of learning.

In particular, Paige credits current Appell Fellow Dabb, adjunct faculty member Jay Noble, M.F.A., and Marketview Fellow James O’Shea ’22 as being influential in their work. “While in Jay’s classes, I have learned to be less precious with my work,” they say. Artists such as Dabb encouraged them to pursue artistic projects when the opportunity arises.

“I spend a lot of my time at Marketview,” Paige says, “working in the gallery and in the studio. I often spend a combination of afternoons, evenings, and late nights at Marketview three to four times a week.”  

The significance of the role played in the community by Marketview Arts does not escape Paige, who is glad that both York College students and the larger York community have access to interesting and politically relevant art.

Marketview Arts, located at 37 West Philadelphia Street in downtown York, provides studio and gallery space to students and local artists. It is a venue for cultural events and programs for both York College students and the community. Call 717.815.1909 for more information.