Throughout the past few months, the global and Shippensburg communities have been celebrating 400 years of Shakespeare’s afterlife — now it is time for Shippensburg Arts Programming and Education gallery to join in on the celebration.

SHAPE’s event will be held this Friday from 6 - 8 p.m. and will take place at its gallery on 19 East King St. in Shippensburg. The event is free and open to the public and will feature Shakespeare-themed refreshments and music.

Thomas Crochunis, SHAPE board member, is looking forward to the discussions inspired by these works of art and hopes to use this as a chance to educate visitors on the influence Shakespeare had locally.

“What I will enjoy is talking to people who visit the exhibit, learning about what they may remember from their time in Shippensburg that may be Shakespeare related, and sharing with them some of the interesting history and influence of Shakespeare even all the way across the pond in Shippensburg,” Crochunis said.

Each submission represents its artist’s own interpretation of Shakespeare’s plays or of Shakespeare himself. Some of the works, such as Brandii Kligge’s “Prelude to a Kiss,” portray serene scenes. Others, like Jim Mackey’s “The Tempest,” are bolder and more chaotic. These are all on display alongside the historical component of the Shakespeare exhibit and work together to create a thought-provoking show.

“In some ways, celebrating Shakespeare in Shippensburg is a way of celebrating the complex ways that the arts are part of life in a community like ours,” Crochunis said. “Whether visual art, performance, music, or literary arts, part of the story of a regular community like Shippensburg is the way the arts are woven into the history of our interaction with the world at large.”

“Shakespeare is just part of that story, but it’s interesting to note that while all over the world people have been celebrating the 400 years of Shakespeare’s after life, we in Shippensburg also have a story to tell about his work’s presence here,” Crochunis said.

All submitted artwork will be available for purchase during the event and will remain available during open gallery hours through the end of the exhibit in January.

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