How Did I End Up Here?

Greetings and welcome to my culture blog! I am Pamela Annarilli and I am currently the Administrative Coordinator of the Creative Glass Center of America at Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center.

I hold this institution close to my heart because throughout my intellectual journeys of the past four years it has always been the place I return to. My involvement with WheatonArts began in 2005 when I was an intern in the Ceramic Arts Studio under the mentorship of Terry Plasket, to whom credit is due for my knowledge of the ceramic process. After my internship, Terry invited me to continue working in the studio. One year later I left for Penn State to study under Chris Staley. After I had completed my time at Penn State, the doors, arms, and hearts of the artists at WheatonArts welcomed me back. Shortly after returning I left to pursue foreign language studies for about one year. At the end of my studies I decided to work for the arts in an administrative position. Susan Gogan, the Executive Director of WheatonArts, invited me to work for the CGCA,a division of WheatonArts, and I gratefully accepted.

Shortly after receiving the position as Administrative Coordinator I was accepted into the Arts Administratin program at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.

I am a patron of cultural, visual, and performing arts organizations and, therefore, my blog will cover topics relating to the Arts and Culture sector. My time and attention is divided between two states and two main art centers - Philadelphia and South Jersey. I spend my days working for the Millville Arts District in South Jersey and my nights and weekends are spent in Philadelphia. These two areas differ immensely. South Jersey is characterized by fields that stretch to the horizon, quiet evenings with the songs of chirping crickets, and wild life creeping onto your door step. The cultural sector of Philadelphia produces an evident, energetic heartbeat that penetrates all experiences and differs from the quiet reflection one finds in the country landscape of S. Jersey. I have found the arts experiences in both areas to be equally stimulating in their unique ways.

I anticipate that this dichotomy, when it is fully explored by writing in this blog, will serve to highten my perception of these two cultural centers.

Please, enjoy.