Shameless Self-Promotion: Design Drink and Be Merry Opens June 26th

So I curate an art show of work by breweries, and it opens June 26th. You maybe already know that. But I run this blog, so here's the press release anyway:

GoggleWorks Hosts Third Annual Design, Drink & Be Merry

One-of-a-Kind Exhibition Dedicated to the Art of the Craft Brew Movement

(Reading, PA, May 11, 2010) — For the third year, the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts will present Design, Drink & Be Merry the only art exhibition in the country devoted to the craft brew art movement. Featuring art created by America’s craft breweries, Design, Drink & Be Merry showcases the talent, energy and hard work that go into shaping a beer or brewery’s visual identity. By taking the art off a bottle label, case or brewery website, and hanging it on a gallery wall, this exhibit aims to open people’s eyes to the truly remarkable work that is going on in the design world of the craft beer industry. This one-of-a-kind exhibit runs from June 26 through July 21, 2010, and this year features art from 22 different breweries.

To kick off the exhibition, the GoggleWorks will host a Design, Drink and Be Merry Beer Tasting and Fundraiser in the Cohen Gallery. The event will be held on Saturday, June 26, 2010, with a VIP reception from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the main event from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Proceeds from this special event benefit the GoggleWorks After School Arts Program (ASAP), which allows students from the Reading School District, ages 6-17, to take free art courses in a safe and constructive environment. The evening will include a silent auction, food, entertainment and a traditional beer tasting, as well as affordable  Design, Drink & Be Merry-themed artwork from local artists. An award will be given to the brewery voted “best in show.”

Participating breweries exhibiting in Design, Drink & Be Merry range from the far-reaching Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, CA, to Stoudts Brewing Co. in nearby Adamstown, PA. Some breweries are entering their third year of participation including Schmaltz Brewing Co., Fegley’s Brew Works and Troegs Brewing Co. Other breweries, such as Furthermore Beer and Gritty McDuff’s, are first-time participants. Sierra Nevada and Furthermore Beer have donated original artworks, which will be auctioned to the highest bidder on June 26.

A complete list of the participating breweries, as well as information on the Design, Drink & Be Merry event are available online at www.designdrinkandbemerry.com.

The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is a community art and cultural resource center for Berks County, Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania, and is the largest, most comprehensive interactive arts center of its kind in the country. The mission of the GoggleWorks is “to nurture the arts, foster creativity, promote education and enrich the community.”  The GoggleWorks is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free parking is available in the GoggleWorks parking lot, accessible from Second, Third or Walnut Streets.  For more information, call the GoggleWorks at 610-374-4600 or visit www.goggleworks.org.