Skip to content
Tara Tamburello Named 2023 Bucks County Poet Laureate
Tamburello will read from her works Sunday, November 12, at Bucks County Community College in Newtown Tara Tamburello of Langhorne has been named the 2023 Bucks County Poet Laureate, officials at Bucks County Community College announced.
Tamburello, a published poet who works in marketing, rose to the top of 60 entries in the 47th annual contest, said Dr. Ethel Rackin, director of the poet laureate program administered by the College. The contest is sponsored by the Bucks County Commissioners.
Tamburello was raised in Bucks County, along the bank of the Neshaminy Creek. Her poetry and prose have appeared in Ghost City Review, Bone Parade, Rust + Moth, and other journals, as well as in anthologies by Vestal Review and Sans. PRESS. She is a past winner of the Bucks County Short Fiction Contest and was a runner-up for the poet laureate competition in 2021. She lives in Langhorne with her husband, two children, and cat, and she works on the Law School Admission Council (LSAC)'s marketing team. Aside from writing, she enjoys gardening, playing video games and music, hiking, and painting. You can find more of her work at taratamburello.com.
The judges this year were Philadelphia poet Courtney Bambrick and Brooklyn poet Joanna Fuhrman. Both judges commented on the strength of this year's entries.
Tamburello will be reading her poetry on Sunday, November 12 at 1 p.m. in Tyler 142 on the Newtown Campus. She will be reading with 2022 Laureate Tom Mallouk, and they will be joined by the three runners-up, Lake Angela, Kevin Taylor, and Melinda Rizzo. Courtney Bambrick will also be reading.
The Bucks County Poet Laureate program – the longest-running such program in Pennsylvania – is another way that Bucks County Community College contributes to the cultural heritage of the region. For more information, contact program director Dr. Ethel Rackin at ethel.rackin@bucks.edu.
Rising Star Alto Saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin Performs One Night Only on Nov. 17
The Zlock Performing Arts Center at Bucks County Community College is proud to present a unique evening of jazz music with rising star, alto saxophonist, and arranger Lakecia Benjamin on Friday, November 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Voted, “Rising Star Alto Saxophonist,” in the 2020 DownBeat Critics Poll and, “Up and Coming Artist of the Year,” by the Jazz Journalists Association, charismatic and dynamic saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin fuses traditional conceptions of jazz, hip-hop, and soul. Benjamin’s electric presence and fiery sax work has shared stages with several legendary artists, including Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, and The Roots.
Phoenix, the latest and fourth studio album from Benjamin, was released earlier this year and was produced by the multi-Grammy-award winning Terri Lyne Carrington featuring a star-studded line up of specially curated guests: Dianne Reeves, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Patrice Rushen, Sonia Sanchez, Angela Davis and Wayne Shorter.
Tickets start at $30 and are free for current Bucks County Community College students with valid student ID. For more information and to purchase tickets visit the Zlock Performing Arts Center. For group sales, please call: 215-968-8469.
The Zlock Performing Arts Center is located inside the Gateway Center building on the Newtown Campus of Bucks County Community College at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, PA. Parking is free. The theater is equipped with audio-loop technology for the hearing impaired.
Learn ‘Teachings from the Turtle Clan’ from a Lenape Chief on Nov. 8 at Bucks
Lenape Chief Chuck Gentlemoon DeMund will speak at Bucks County Community College at the Newtown Campus and online to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. To commemorate Native American Heritage Month, Bucks County Community College invites the public to “Teachings from the Turtle Clan” at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 8, on the Newtown Campus and online.
Join Chief Chuck Gentlemoon DeMund for a discussion of the history, current issues, and cultural practices of the descendants of the original inhabitants of Lenape Hoking. Chief DeMund is keeper of ceremony and intertribal liaison for the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania.
Among current issues is an effort to get the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to officially recognize the Lenape Nation, as neighboring states Delaware and New Jersey have done. That effort has been underway for more than 30 years, and as recently as last May, the Lenape and their supporters rallied in Harrisburg. Although several lawmakers and other officials have pledged their support of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, this has yet to lead to action.
Native American Heritage Month was officially proclaimed as the month of November in 1990. But as early as 1915, efforts began to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the United States. To learn more, visit Native American Heritage Month's website.
“Native Americans did not come to the United States from the southern border or Ellis Island – they were here long before the Europeans and the Africans,” noted Kevin Antoine, J.D., the College’s Associate Vice President of Community & Government Relations and Chief Diversity Officer. “The Lenape people, before the arrival of Europeans, had advanced environmental and agricultural practices that are accepted and used today.”
“Teachings from the Turtle Clan” with Chief Chuck Gentlemoon DeMund takes place at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 8, in the Orangery Building on the campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940. Admission and parking are free.
The presentation will also be streamed live on the internet to those who register in advance.
The event is sponsored by the College’s Office of Community & Government Relations and DEI Programs, as well as the Newtown Township Human Relations Commission.
It’s among several educational forums at Bucks County Community College to encourage dialogue on issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. To learn more, contact diversity@bucks.edu.
"Art That Blooms" Floral Design Exhibition Blossoms at Bucks
Prepare to be enchanted by a symphony of colors, forms, and artistic expressions as the Bucks County Community College Continuing Education Floral Design Department and Student Art Department proudly present the Second Annual "Art That Blooms" exhibition. This three-day event on the College’s Newtown Campus (275 Swamp Road, Newtown, Pa. 18940) is themed "Line Color Form" and promises to be a celebration of creativity and beauty, merging the worlds of floral design and visual arts for an unforgettable experience.
Event Details
Title: Art That Blooms
Location: Bucks County Community College, Newtown Campus, Hicks Art Center
Dates: November 10-12, 2023
Opening Night: Friday, November 10 (Invitation Only).
Admission is free, and the public is welcome to attend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 11, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, November 12. Ample free parking is available.
Highlights of the Exhibition
Designer of the Year Competition: Witness the brilliance of talented student floral designers as they compete for the prestigious title.
Student Showpiece Exhibitions: Admire the artistic prowess of budding talents as they showcase their finest creations.
Live Demonstrations: Be captivated by live demonstrations from both art and floral design students and instructors, offering a glimpse into their creative processes.
Immersive Exhibits: Immerse yourself in captivating exhibits that explore the theme of "Line Color Form."
Special Gallery: Explore a special gallery featuring floral design interpretations of student artwork.
Kids Floral Design Make and Take: Engage young minds with hands-on floral design activities on Sunday November 12.
Live Art Department Demonstrations: Witness the magic of screen printing, wood turning, glass blowing, and foundry work.
Prominent Participants: The stars of the exhibition are the student artists and designers, with commentary from floral design instructors.
Awards Ceremony: Join us on Sunday afternoon, November 12, for the awards ceremony, where Showpiece and Designer of the Year winners will be celebrated, along with the People's Choice award.
Artistic Inspiration: The theme, "Line Color Form," was chosen to allow students to explore and apply the principles and elements of design that they have been studying.
“Better Together: A Community Lecture” with Visiting Artist Aram Han Sifuentes
The Committee on Cultural Affairs at Bucks County Community College is pleased to present “Better Together: A Community Lecture” with visiting artist Aram Han Sifuentes on Wednesday, October 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the Gallagher Room, Rollins Center, Newtown Campus. This event is free and open to the public.
Artist and activist Aram Han Sifuentes’s work confronts social and racial injustices, interweaving fiber, social practice, performance, and pedagogy to consider themes of immigration, labor, and protest. Many of her projects, such as the ongoing Protest Banner Lending Library, aim to make art more accessible to the disenfranchised, especially immigrants of color. Since 2016, Sifuentes has brought communities together to sew protest banners, creating a creative outlet of resistance for those who cannot attend protests for their own safety.
Join Sifuentes for a lecture on their practice’s trajectory, exploring how they make political statements and engage communities through participatory art.
About Aram Han Sifuentes
Aram Han Sifuentes is a fiber and social practice artist who creates participatory projects that center immigrant and disenfranchised communities. Her work often revolves around skill sharing, specifically sewing techniques, to create multiethnic and intergenerational sewing circles, which become a place for empowerment, subversion, and protest. Solo exhibitions of her work have been presented at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Chicago; Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago; Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago; Pulitzer Arts Foundation, St. Louis; moCa Cleveland, Cleveland; and Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles.
She has received numerous awards including a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship, 3Arts Award, 3Arts Next Level Award, Map Fund Grant, and Joyce Award. Her project Protest Banner Lending Library was a finalist for the Beazley Design Awards at the Design Museum (London, UK) in 2016. She earned her BA in Art and Latin American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and her MFA in Fiber and Material Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is currently a professor, adjunct, at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a board member of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) fighting for Citizenship for All 11 million undocumented immigrants and adoptees.
Bucks County Community College Marks Hispanic Heritage Month with Free Events
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Bucks County Community College invites the public to two free events designed to educate students and the community alike: Latino Business Roundtable on October 12, and Afro Brazilian Culture and Civil Rights October 17.
On Thursday, October 12, the Latino Business Roundtable takes place at the Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks.
Moderated by Rafael Collazo, executive director of UnidosUS Action Fund and founder of the BombaLive podcast, the panel discussion includes:
Joel Berrocal, executive director of the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce and broker with the Radcliffe Insurance Group
Sara Gibson, J.D., loan officer with Advisors Mortgage Group
Jose Tilapa, owner of Keystone Boxing & MMA Gym
Lorena Escalera de Rivera, financial center manager with Penn Community Bank
Berrocal and Collazo took part in a similar event last year, when they were among five panelists discussing the Puerto Rican Experience in Bucks County and Beyond.
“I am honored to be part of this distinguished panel during Hispanic Heritage Month,” noted Berrocal. “Together, we will openly discuss our experiences as Hispanic business owners and community leaders, highlighting both the successes and challenges we have encountered along the way."
“Hispanics comprise 19% of the U.S. population and are the second-largest ethnic group after non-Hispanic whites,” added Kevin Antoine, J.D., Associate Vice President of Community and Government Relations and Chief Diversity Officer at the College. “The roundtable discussion will educate the public on the business successes and challenges of this second-largest ethnic population in the country.”
The Latino Business Roundtable takes place in-person at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, October 12, in the Student Commons area of the Epstein Campus, located at 1304 Veterans Highway, Bristol Pa., 19007.
Next, travel to South America to learn about Afro-Brazilian Culture and Civil Rights on Tuesday, October 17, in the Gallagher Room on the Newtown Campus.
Keynote speaker João Victor Nery Fiocchi Rodrigues is a sociology Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on the anti-colonial struggles of the Black diaspora across the Atlantic.
His dissertation work analyzes the relationship between race and citizenship in the process of state formation of Brazil, former Gran Colombia, and the U.S. during slavery and colonialism. Rodrigues earned his Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Brasilia, Brazil. He also studied at the University of Porto, Portugal as a Santander Luso-Brazilian scholar.
The program aims to start a dialogue between the two largest African Diaspora populations, Antoine noted.
“There are more Afro Brazilians in Brazil than African Americans in the United States,” Antoine said. “The language barrier – Portuguese versus English – has prevented a dialogue between the two groups, but both have had similar civil rights movements to overcome discrimination.”
To that end, the public is invited to learn more through the African Diaspora collection at the Bucks County Community College Library. The collection boasts more than 200 curated items, from books to DVDs, donated by Diedre H. Crumbley, a sociocultural anthropologist and retired professor of Africana studies at North Carolina State University.
Afro-Brazilian Culture and Civil Rights takes place in-person at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 17, in the Gallagher Room, located in the Rollins Center building on the campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940. It will also be streamed live online. Register for the Zoom link.
The Hispanic Heritage Month events are among several educational forums at Bucks County Community College to encourage dialogue on issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. To learn more, visit Diversity, Equity + Inclusion or contact diversity@bucks.edu.
.jpg)