Studio B Art Gallery, 39 E. Philadelphia Ave. in Boyertown, PA, announces the opening of an art exhibit entitled “Grasshoppers & the Sensei” on November 13, 2026, from 5-7 p.m. featuring artwork from Boyertown Area Senior High (BASH) students and staff. The exhibit is free and open to the public and will run through November 29, 2026. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday afternoons 12-4 p.m. Friday evenings 5-7 p.m. Other days/times, by chance or appointment.
Bob Hakun, Studio B’s Gallery Director; Deb Zaharchuk, art activities instructor and owner of the upcoming “Paint & Palette” shop adjacent to Studio B; and Thomas Dareneau, BASH’s art department chair, collaborated in an effort to showcase the creativity, talents, and skills of the area’s emerging artists and the art teachers who have influenced and supported them in their artistic journeys.
“We’re excited to share the work of our young people,” Hakun explains. “We look forward to introducing the work of the high school community of artists into the larger community of the Boyertown area artists and general population.” Zaharachuk adds, “The students are so incredibly talented; we want to encourage them and allow our community to know them and appreciate what they offer.”
“When we were presented with this opportunity, we wanted to do something different,” offers Dareneau. “I had heard of a university doing a ‘Master and Grasshopper’ exhibition and thought it was a great idea to give students the experience of being juried into an exhibit as well as put pressure on the teachers to exhibit our own work.”
The Advanced Placement students will choose the work from their fellow students to be exhibited. The artwork may or may not be work that has been assigned and completed as part of their art classes. Dareneau explains, “When we participate in other shows, students have little input on what is selected and what is hung. With this exhibition, students are in complete control of selecting the work submitted. We are actively encouraging students to submit work that came from outside of their classes. We would like them to display work that came from their own inspiration.”
Commenting on the staff contributions, he continues, “As much as the public is welcome to the exhibit, I see this show as a unique experience for students. In my very short-lived experience playing soccer, I fondly remember the practices where we had to play against our coaches. This opportunity showed us that our coaches were also players who just loved to play. Every once in a while, we got the better of them or at least made them sweat. And although this show is not a competition, it does put a little added pressure on both Grasshoppers and Senseis.” (Wikipedia offers that “a sensei (先生) is a Japanese honorific title that literally means “one who comes before” and is used to address a teacher, mentor, or professional expert.”)
He concludes, “The mission of this show is to bring us all together to celebrate the community of the art department. Since I have been teaching at the high school, both staff and students have donated hundreds of hours before and after school to build a strong and inclusive program. We celebrate the first-time art student, our students with special needs, our students who use our department as a refuge, and also our students who have gone off and continued to make art as adults–many professionally.”
Studio B:
Studio B Art Gallery opened its doors 18 years ago hosting exhibits of fine art in all mediums allowing hundreds of local artists over the years opportunities to showcase and sell their work, hundreds of visitors to the gallery to experience the artists’ skills and creative responses to the varied themes and to meet with neighbors and friends to celebrate the artistic response.
Studio B, located in the heart of historic Boyertown, is the home of the Arts and Activities Alliance, a committee of Building a Better Boyertown, a nonprofit Main Street program dedicated to revitalizing small towns.
Studio B celebrates lifelong learning, creativity and personal involvement in the visual and communication arts and seeks to be a dynamic part of Boyertown community, a “go to” destination for learning, fun and friendship. The studio seeks to showcase the work of fine artists in themed exhibits—some juried, some open to all—and welcomes art in diverse media. In addition to art exhibits, workshops, and classes, Studio B also hosts activities and informal gatherings on assorted topics for small groups or meetings, gallery talks, and “Getting to Know You” opportunities.
Visitors are always welcome to view the changing exhibits; take lessons in the visual, literary, and communication arts offered by highly-trained local artists and teachers; and schedule small events or parties in its elegant facility. The studio proudly collaborates with the many unique businesses in the Boyertown community.
