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Festival Quick Draw adds easel action to downtown Gettysburg

By Casey Saylor

First Place Winner Jessica Albin

While walking the streets of Gettysburg on Wednesday, pedestrians had to be careful not to bump into the painters who set up shop on the sidewalks surrounding Lincoln Square. These painters were part of the Gettysburg Festival’s Quick Draw and Wet Sale, where they were given only two hours (between 3-5 p.m.) to produce masterpieces worthy of judging and auction. At 5 p.m. a bugle sang, signaling an end to working time, and the artists moved their work to the Wills House for judging in the Wet Paint Competition.

As the painters anxiously sat back, three judges stepped forward to critique their work: artists Mark Brockman, Freya Qually and Jennifer Van Stein. After 20 anxious minutes for the artists, the judges announced their results. Third- and second-place prizes, gift certificates donated by Blick Art Supplies, went to Jonathan Stasko and Dianne Lorden, respectively. First place, a $500 cash prize donated by ACNB, was awarded to Jane Albin.

While bystanders strolled throughout downtown Gettysburg, they were able to pass by and watch as eight artists turned their canvases from white to works of art. The artists were used to this atmosphere, however, as nearly all of them have been outside painting every day of the Gettysburg Festival as part of the plein air program, in areas ranging from private to public. Their artwork from the week is currently on display at Gettysburg’s Historic Train Station, along with four other artists who did not participate in Thursday’s competition. The exhibit is free to the public and will remain open through the end of the Gettysburg Festival.

The only artist who participated in Thursday’s event and is not featured at the Historic Train Station is the Wet Paint Competition winner, Jane Albin.

See more Quick Draw and Wet Sale photos on our Facebook page.

Left: In response to her placement, Lorden was very surprised. “[When time was up, I thought] eh, whatever. That picture is what it is.” As it turns out, that “whatever” picture earned her Second Place and $300 to Blick Art Supplies.

Above: As a first-year participant in the Gettysburg Festival Wet Paint Competition, Stasko was able to snag Third Place and $200 to Blick Art Supplies. The upstate New York artist is enjoying his first visit to Gettysburg while his work is on display at Lord Nelson’s Gallery on 27 Chambersburg St., Gettysburg.

Did You Know? While artists were allotted 2 hours to finish their works, first-place finisher Jessica Albin completed hers with nearly 20 minutes to spare. “I don’t want to add too much, you know?” she commented. 

Event judges, left to right: Mark Brockman, Freya Qually, Jennifer Van Stein

Artists display their artwork in front of the Wills House on Lincoln Square for judging.

A final piece of artwork created by Amy Lindenberger. She has other works on display at the Historic Train Station in downtown Gettysburg.

A Conversation with Jeff Shaara

By Ben Streeter

New York Times best-selling Author Jeff Shaara will be in Gettysburg for a lunch and lecture, June 15 at 11:30 a.m., at the Adams County Agricultural & Natural Resource Center. The informal lecture, titled “History Through Storytelling: Jeff Shaara’s Journey Through the Legacy of His Father,” is part of the Gettysburg Festival’s slate of programming, June 8-16. Shaara honors his Pulitzer Prize-winning father in his new book, A Chain of Thunder. As the second installment in a four-part series, the book deals with the western theater of the Civil War. The first volume debuted on the New York Times Bestsellers List and was well received by readers. Celebrate Gettysburg recently sat down with Shaara to ask him about his new book and his creative inspiration.

Photo Courtesy: Slade Downs

Celebrate Gettysburg (CG): What sparked your interest in the western theater of the war?

Jeff Shaara (JS): I received requests from fans to write about Tennessee and Missouri, and I took their advice. On doing research, I decided to make the trilogy into a four-part series. The first book was about the Battle of Shiloh, the upcoming is about the siege of Vicksburg, and I am currently working on “Chattanooga/ Lookout Mountain,” due for release in May 2014. The last book of the series will be about Sherman’s March.

CG: Any feedback from those fans since the release of the first book?

JS: Fans have been very happy about it.

CG: Could you describe your creative process?

JS: Some writers like to research and write alternatively, as they go along. I don’t do that. I like to do all of my research first and really get into the heads of the characters before I begin writing. I like to use only original materials, which allow me to stay true to the events and actors.

CG: What sources do you like to use mostly?

JS: For example, I use letters and accounts of people. I have to feel that I really know the characters. Some are obvious, e.g. General Grant, Abraham Lincoln, but I enjoy the challenge of getting to know the other side. My books always include characters from both sides. I always include the grunts, the kids from Wisconsin who enlist, and now I have begun to include the civilian women’s parts of the stories.

CG: What sense of historical preservation do you get from your repeat visits to Gettysburg over the years?

JS: There is an awareness here that I like very much. People here value the history. The culture is enormous. For example, I am very excited about the initiative to get rid of the trees so that the battlefields can be seen as the soldiers saw them originally.

CG: What is your goal as a writer?

JS: My goal is to write something interesting or to spark an interest. My goal is to make people aware, to ignite a passion. My father always said he was a storyteller. He loved to tell stories. It inspires me when I hear from a 90-year-old G.I. who tells me that what I wrote in my book is exactly what happened when he was there in person. That is the highest reward.

CG: Aside from having a writer for a father, what got you interested in writing history?

JS: Like everyone, I learned history from school and was bored by it. The names and dates are not that interesting; what is interesting is the thinking of the historical actors. Grant once said about Lee, “We have defeated his army but we have not defeated him.”

CG: What advice do you have for any aspiring writers or historians?

JS: Well, whenever I speak at college campus I am always honored to hear students tell me that after reading one of my books, they switched their major to history. They never knew history could be so interesting. One such student decided to write his dissertation on Joshua Chamberlain after reading one of my books and becoming interested in the character. My only advice would be to write about what you are interested by. My father taught creative writing and would tell students to apply the “bic method.”

CG: What is the “bic method?”

JS: The bic method is simple: put your butt in the chair (and write). Do not worry about finding an agent, finding a publisher or any of that. Simply write your book first. If you have a good story, the rest will take care of itself. Writing is less about technique than it is about capturing the excitement you have about your subject matter and being able to share it with readers.

CG: Have you seen the Lincoln movie?

JS: Actually, I have not. I am too afraid of plagiarism. I never read anyone else’s books because I would not want to risk committing plagiarism, however involuntarily. I want all of my writing to come from primary sources and my own original thought. I have never seen Band of Brothers or The Patriot, either.

CG: Did you start out with this fear of plagiarism, or has it grown over time?

JS: It has grown over time. I remember reading “Citizen Tom Paine” by Howard Fast and I had to stop reading it because I realized it was not an auto-biography. I really thought it had been written by Tom Paine himself at first! I have seen both Doris Kearns Goodwin and Stephen Ambrose accused of plagiarism, and I admire their handling of it and overcoming it. Through integrity, I hope that my books will outlast me.

CG: Like your father’s books outlast him?

JS: Yes. He passed 25 years ago, May 8, 1988. His legacy has outlasted him. I take that very seriously. “Killer Angels” is in its 111^th printing! It is bittersweet that he did not get to see that level of success. But he loved telling stories, and I hope I make him proud. Depending on what your take on this kind of thing is, maybe he is looking down and seeing all of this! (Laughs).

Lunch with Jeff Shaara

Join Jeff Shaara for a lunch and discussion on "History Through Storytelling, Jeff Shaara's Journey Through the Legacy of His Father" on Saturday, June 15, from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased through the Gettysburg Festival's office or at www.gettysburgfestival.org. 

Filmmaker Maxwell to Bring ‘Copperhead’ to Gettysburg

By Brendan Raleigh

Foregoing the cinematic palette of rifle barrages, violent cannonades and sweeping infantry charges which characterized Gettysburg and Gods and Generals, film director Ron Maxwell is revisiting the American Civil War for a third time. But he’s focusing this time on the domestic issues associated with the conflict in his upcoming film, Copperhead, which is set to premiere on Thursday, June 27 at the Majestic Theater in downtown Gettysburg.

While Maxwell’s previous Civil War films have depicted the bloody battles and inter-officer disputes, his latest historical epic takes a drastically different philosophical perspective. He stresses that the movie emphasizes the conflict and suffering on the home front, rather than the battlefield, as one of the major features differentiating Copperhead from other Civil War movies.

“If the first two movies were taken together as cinematic meditation on why good men, ethical men, choose to go to war,” Maxwell says. “then Copperhead is the story of why good men, ethical men, choose not to go to war.”

Based on the 19^th-century novella by Harold Frederic, Copperhead tells the story of Abner Beech, a member of the Northern anti-war group known as the Copperheads. The film also focuses on the community that attempted to silence his political outcries and the enormous strains the country’s division places on the lives of a Civil War-era family.

Although Maxwell says he took care to keep the film firmly planted in 1862, Maxwell noted that contemporary audiences will be able to relate to the movie and understand its themes.

“The fact that families are divided. The fact that fathers and sons are not communicating. The fact that communities are exercising peer pressure against a person who disagrees and is the dissenter. I think all societies can understand that. […] Audiences, depending on their point of view […] will certainly make connections to the modern world.”

Billy Campbell, portraying Abner Beech, has appeared in each of Maxwell’s Civil War movies, climbing his way up the cast list with each title. With only a single line in Gettysburg and a supporting role in Gods and Generals, Campbell has reached the top tier of the dramatis personae with his starring role in Copperhead.

Maxwell credits the deliverance of his vision for the movie to Campbell and the rest of the cast, saying the success of the final product is “entirely depending on the actors” and their ability to embody their characters.

“I enjoyed working with all of them all. It’s just a dream cast right across the board,” states Maxwell. “We have a range of first-timers to accomplished professionals, but when you watch the film, it’s seamless. They all just inhabit their roles.”

In spite of the film’s setting in the war-torn United States, Maxwell does not consider Copperhead to be part of a trilogy with Gettysburg and Gods and Generals. Rather, he is reserving that role for a title which would return to the battlefield as the Civil War comes to an end, yet he remains unsure whether he will get around to making the concluding film.

Even though Copperhead is not set in Gettysburg, Maxwell will return for its premiere nearly 20 years after Gettysburg’s initial release.

“We talked about opening up the movie in Washington or L.A., but to me, it seemed most appropriate to open the movie in Gettysburg because of my affection for the place […] When we started thinking the whole thing through, it was the perfect place to have our premiere.”

After nine months in the post-production process, Copperhead has been screened on several advanced dates, receiving an ovation from the audiences in each venue.

"The proceedings from each showing will go toward “The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership,” the non-profit organization tasked with hosting the Gettysburg premiere. More information about Copperhead can be found on their website at  www.hallowedground.org/copperhead."

Gettysburg's Greatest Winners Are Announced

More than 800 readers cast their votes in Celebrate Gettysburg's 2012 Gettysburg’s Greatest readers’ poll. Since 2007, Celebrate Gettysburg has given readers the opportunity to vote for their favorite people, establishments and services in Gettysburg and Adams County.

The first-place winners are as follows:

Hotel—Gettysburg Hotel

Breakfast—Lincoln Diner

Produce/Farm Market/Orchard—Hollabaugh Bros., Inc., Fruit Farm & Market

Coffeehouse—Ragged Edge Coffee House

Bank—ACNB

Family Restaurant—Gettysburg Family Restaurant

Festival/Special Event—Gettysburg Festival

Asian Restaurant—Ping's Cafe

Italian Restaurant—La Bella Italia

Mexican Restaurant—Montezuma Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant—Dobbin House

Fitness Center—YWCA Gettysburg & Adams County

Golf—The Links at Gettysburg

Pizza—Tommy's Pizza

Sandwiches—Tipton's Grill

Museum—Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center

Campground—Drummer Boy Camping Resort

Doctor—Dr. Adam Wasserman

Antiques—17 On the Square

Salon—Classic Cuts

Veterinary Practice—Confederate Woods Veterinary Hospital

Garden Center/Nursery—Agway

Gift Shop—True Friends Boutique

Romantic Dinner Spot—Dobbin House

Waiter/Waitress/Bartender—Anne Gallagher, Garryowen Irish Pub

Bed and Breakfast—The Brickhouse Inn Bed & Breakfast

Movie Theater—Gateway Theaters

A complete list of the second-place winners can be found in the July/August issue.  Thank you to all of our readers who participated in this year's Gettysburg's Greatest readers' poll.

Busy Weekend in Gettysburg...Check Out These Events

There are lots of activities taking place this weekend in Gettysburg and Adams County. Here's a rundown of the highlights:

May 17-19

The Great Country Show

East Berlin Area Community Center
401 North Ave., East Berlin

Americana dealers from six states offer early samplers, quilts, folk art, country furniture, paintings, textiles and books. Thursday, May 17, 5-8:30 p.m.; Friday, May 18, 1-7 p.m. and Saturday, May 19, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $. 717-259-9866. www.ebhpspa.org.

May 17-20

64th Semi-Annual Bluegrass Festival

Granite Hill Camping Resort
3340 Fairfield Rd., Gettysburg

Bluegrass tunes resound in Gettysburg during this popular four-day event. $. 717-642-8749. www.gettysburgbluegrass.com/festival.

May 19

Gettysburg Outdoor Antique Show

Carlisle, Chambersburg, Baltimore and York streets, downtown Gettysburg

The 45th Annual Gettysburg Spring Outdoor Antique Show is held rain or shine. More than 125 antique dealers offer high quality antiques and collectibles. The event is sponsored by The Gettysburg Area Retail Merchants Association. 7 a.m.-4 p.m. 717-253-5750. www.gettysburgretailmerchants.com.

Mamie Remembers Gettysburg

Eisenhower National Historic Site, Gettysburg

Join living historian Ruthmary McIlhenny as she performs her first person program as Mamie Eisenhower at the Eisenhower National Historic Site. The Victory Society will present a 1950s era fashion show. The Gettysburg Foundation will host a special High Tea for an added fee. Mamie Remembers Gettysburg is included in the admission charge to the site. $. 717-338-9114. www.nps.gov/eise.

May/June Issue Is Out!

The May/June issue of Celebrate Gettysburg is out! In this issue, we're focusing on weddings and home entertaining. Learn about the roles and responsibilities of the groom in the "Groom 101" feature story. Find out the best ways to host a fun summertime gathering in the story "Get Your Party On!" Plus, test your knowledge of Adams County and Gettysburg landmarks in the "Hidden Adams County" photo feature.

Pick up your copy today at our supporting advertisers in Gettysburg and Adams County or view the digital edition online.