Arts & Culture
Schuylkill County's strong heritage of art and ethnic culture has enriched thousands of citizens who have grown up and shared their traditions with thousands more-their family, friends and neighbors.
Dozens of clubs and organizations are involved in continuing the ethnic traditions of Schuylkill County, beginning with the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts.
Headquartered at the Yuengling Mansion on Mahantongo Street in Pottsville (a national historic landmark), the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts (SCCA) sponsors hundreds of events annually, linking the county's rich heritage to all forms of arts and culture. Art galleries and exhibitions, a pottery studio, acting, writing, poetry, painting, woodcarving and music are but a few of the programs organized by the arts council. The Schuylkill County Council for the Arts largest program involves artists in education in 56 schools and prisons.
Schuylkill County boasts its fair share of notable artistic personalities: Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey hailed from Shenandoah; Tower City was the home of Les Brown, founder of the Les Brown Band of Renown; and Pine Grove was home to Conrad Richter, a Pulitzer Prize winning author.
In Pottsville, it was the jazz mastery of Alan Jaffee of Preservation Hall fame. Pottsville is also the home of John O'Hara, author of Gibbsville and Butterfield 8, among many other novels and short stories.
The Allied Artists of Schuylkill County, Penn State Schuylkill Campus Cultural Affairs Committee, Schuylkill Ballet Theater, Schuylkill County Community Chorus, Schuylkill Symphony Orchestra and the historic Third Brigade Band are but a few of the organizations that keep the arts and culture alive in Schuylkill County.
