Radical Compassion: Art as Social Action Exhibition Closing Celebration Events
When
August 2nd, 10am–4pm
Where
Lincoln Galleries at Historic Yellow Springs, 1685 Art School Road, Chester Springs
Tickets
Free and Open to the Public
Historic Yellow Springs invites the community to the closing events for “Radical Compassion: Art as Social Action” on Sunday, August 2nd, from 10:00AM–4:00 PM in the Lincoln Building at Historic Yellow Springs in Chester Springs. The event is free and open to the public.
The afternoon celebration will feature a morning Exercises for the Quiet Eye gallery experience, An “Empty Cups” serving Switchel, or “haymaker drink”, an old-fashioned electrolyte summertime drink, benefiting Lundale Farm, and Expert Panel Discussion featuring insights on themes from the exhibit. Community members of all ages are encouraged to join in the fun and celebrate this wonderful exhibit.
Exercises for the Quiet Eye Gallery Experience
10am- Noon
with Dr. Annie Storr
Slow down and experience art in a new way. This guided workshop introduces reflective looking practices that deepen your connection with artwork beyond first impressions. Through focused observation and simple exercises, participants will explore how patience, attention, and openness can reveal new layers of meaning.
In dialogue with Radical Compassion: Art as Social Action, this session invites you to consider how sustained looking can foster empathy, challenge assumptions, and strengthen awareness of our shared human experience. Participants will engage with selected works in the gallery, alternating between individual reflection and small group discussion.
Registration is encouraged to ensure an accurate headcount. This is a pay-what-you-can experience, with contributions collected at the door.
About Dr. Annie Storr
Annie V. F. Storr has devoted her career to exploring the intersection of art history and education, in theory and in practice. Her longstanding research combines both fields, a multidisciplinary study of the life and work of Ellen Gates Starr (1859-1940), co-founder of Hull House Settlement in Chicago. She is a native of Chicago.
Annie has been a practicing museum educator for more than 30 years, starting as Curator of Education at the Winnipeg Art Gallery (Canada). She created the guided-looking method called, “Exercises for the Quiet Eye,” practiced in museums, schools and campuses nationally. Her project at Ragdale is completion of her book about the philosophy and practice of “EQE.” The method is named after The Quiet Eye by Sylvia Shaw Judson, the sculptor who lived and worked at Ragdale when it was her family home.
Switchel & Stoneware: A Toast to the Land
All Day Event
Join Historic Yellow Springs for Switchel & Stoneware, a celebration of history, craftsmanship, and environmental stewardship inspired by the enduring tradition of sharing a simple drink in a handmade vessel.
Long before sports drinks and bottled beverages, farmers and field workers relied on switchel, often called Haymaker’s Drink, to refresh and replenish during long summer days. Made from simple ingredients such as ginger, apple cider vinegar, honey or molasses, and water, this centuries-old beverage reflects a time when communities lived in closer relationship with the land and the seasons that sustained them.
During this special gathering, guests will enjoy a handcrafted serving of traditional switchel in a one-of-a-kind ceramic cup created by local artists. Each participant will take home their handmade cup as a lasting reminder that even the simplest daily rituals can inspire meaningful change.
Switchel & Stoneware transforms the humble act of sharing a drink into an opportunity to care for something larger than ourselves. Rather than raising awareness about hunger, this event celebrates our shared responsibility to protect the land, water, and natural resources that sustain every community.
Proceeds from the event will benefit Lundale Farm, supporting its work in regenerative agriculture, environmental education, and the preservation of open space for future generations. Together, Historic Yellow Springs and Lundale Farm honor the enduring connections between history, agriculture, craft, and conservation. The event demonstrates that healthy communities begin with healthy landscapes.
Whether you come to explore the rich history of switchel, admire the history of handmade ceramics, or simply spend an afternoon with friends, you will leave with more than a beautiful cup. You will carry home a tangible reminder that small, intentional choices such as supporting local artists, preserving historic places, and caring for the environment can create lasting impact.
Raise a cup. Celebrate the land. Support the future!
Expert Panel Discussion: Radical Compassion in History and Clay
1pm-2pm
How do ordinary objects tell extraordinary stories? Join Historic Yellow Springs for an engaging panel discussion exploring the historical foundations of Radical Compassion: Art as Social Action. Drawing from the exhibition’s themes, experts in Quaker history, Chester County history, and the Underground Railroad will examine how faith, craftsmanship, and everyday acts of courage shaped communities in Chester County and beyond. Through the stories of potters such as John Vickers and the region’s abolitionist legacy, the discussion will reveal how functional objects, shared labor, and creative expression became powerful tools for connection, resistance, and social change.
Whether you have explored the exhibition or are encountering these stories for the first time, this conversation offers a deeper understanding of the people, places, and ideals that continue to inspire the work of Historic Yellow Springs. Visitors will have the opportunity to ask questions and consider how the values of compassion, participation, and community responsibility remain just as relevant today as they were nearly two centuries ago.
About Panelist Dr. Tara Tappert
Dr. Tara Tappert is an award-winning scholar, researcher, writer, curator, archivist, and collections manager whose career has been dedicated to preserving and interpreting cultural heritage through archives, exhibitions, and public scholarship. She has collaborated with arts and cultural organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and private collectors on a wide range of projects, from exhibit conception and archival research to publications, collections management, preservation, and registrarial work. Her expertise also includes writing and editing, creation of finding aids and bibliographies, appraisals, marketing initiatives, and conservation planning. As an educator, academic advisor, tutor, and docent trainer, Dr. Tappert is passionate about making history and the arts accessible to diverse audiences and fostering meaningful connections between people, collections, and the stories they tell.
About Panelist Ellen Endslow
Ellen Endslow is the Director of Collections/Curator at the Chester County History Center. She is responsible for the museum collections and also oversees the library and photo archives. She works with volunteers and interns to make the museum collections accessible to the public by answering research requests, giving behind-the-scenes tours and public lectures, and creating exhibits. Ellen has served on a variety of state and national committees and appreciates the opportunity to give something back to the profession.
About Panelist tonya thames-taylor
tonya thames-taylor is an Associate Professor of History (American), founding director of the African American Studies Program, and member of the Executive Committee of the Frederick Douglass Institute. She is a specialist in the 19th and 20th centuries. Her research focuses on gender, race, human rights, and Southern histories. She has received numerous fellowships and grants. She is a National Endowment for the Humanities(NEH) Summer Institute Fellow (Summer 2014, Jackson State University) and the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Recipient (2006—2008). She served as a Pennsylvania Live and Learn Scholar for the Pennsylvania Humanities Council.
Presented as part of the larger Radical Americana initiative organized by The Clay Studio, the exhibition explores how art can serve as a tool for compassion, accountability, and social imagination. Drawing from Chester County’s Quaker, abolitionist, ceramic, and Underground Railroad histories, Radical Compassion brings together historical materials and contemporary artists whose work addresses themes of participation, resilience, justice, and human connection.
Curated by Lyla Kaplan, Dr. Tara Tappert and Tim Compton, the exhibition features work by nationally recognized and emerging artists including Chelsea McMaster, Marcé Nixon-Washington, Ehren Tool, Mark Hewitt, Jack Troy, William Earle Williams, and many others.
More than a traditional gallery opening, the culminating event is designed as a community-centered experience that invites visitors to engage directly with the ideas behind the exhibition through conversation, participation, and making.
“Radical Compassion asks how small acts of care, labor, and participation can build toward meaningful change,” the curatorial team shared. “This opening is an opportunity for the community to gather, reflect, and create together.”
The exhibition runs May 25 through August 9, 2026, and is free to the public. Historic Yellow Springs continues its mission of connecting art, history, and the environment through exhibitions, educational programming, and community engagement.
Special Thanks to Our Supporters and Sponsors
Questions?
Contact Tim Compton