On March 12, 2005, a long line of people stood outside of a long-shuttered Harrisburg landmark, ready to snip the ribbon on one of the city’s most ambitious adaptive reuse projects.
After a lengthy renovation, the Millworks was finally open, creating an inviting centerpiece for artists and foodies to converge.
Originally, owner Josh Kesler imagined that a part of the sprawling, 1930s-era building would house a collaborative space for bands, recording studios and the like.
“But with noise constraints and the opening of the Susquehanna Art Museum, I thought art might be a better direction,” he said. “[Artist] Tara Chickey gave me some encouragement, and she was right.”
Chickey was one of the initial curators who invited artists to fill the galleries, which today house the works of more than 40 creators across 17 unique studio spaces.
For John Davis, who has occupied Studio 321 since the Millworks opened 10 years ago, Chickey’s invitation was a dream.
“I jumped right at [the studio invitation] because it was something that I was always inspired to have but didn’t think I would have,” Davis said. “It was always a dream—not a plan, but a dream.”
Before construction was done, the vision admittedly was a bit tough to see.
“We literally had to climb the original old rickety stairs and there was basically a platform up there,” Davis said. “No walls, but a platform, and Tara showed us which window we could select.”
Dinner & Art
Early on, the restaurant was built with a mission to focus on creating a sustainable food network, grown from strong relationships with regional farmers to create menus inspired by locally sourced ingredients.
“One of the most surprising things in the early years was how well attended the dinner hours were. So many people had told me that we’d do great for lunch when everyone is in town, but struggle in the evenings,” Kesler said. “That has not been the case, and certainly our free parking on premises has probably helped that.”
The strong response encouraged Kesler to make more room, expanding the floor space. That capacity increases even more with folks who are interested just in grabbing a drink at the bar or dining al fresco on the rooftop.
“The Millworks is more than just a restaurant,” said artist Ann Benton Yeager.
Benton Yeager, who specializes in acrylics, oils and encaustics, has shared studio 103 with her parents, Linda Benton McCloskey and Robert McCloskey, since the very first day.
“It’s really, I think, an anchor to Midtown—one of many,” she said. “It’s become such a renaissance period for Midtown, and the Millworks really started that off.”
Davis echoes that belief.
“So many out-of-towners come to experience it and other parts of Midtown, which has really become a destination for outsiders,” he said.
The growth of the artistic community has been wonderful to see, Chickey added.
“There’s just so many more,” she said. “There’s a depth and a breadth that has expanded over the past 10 years when it comes to what is being created in the building.”
“So many different mediums,” added Molly Cooley, executive assistant at the Millworks. “And seeing it grow from a small concept to a brewery with so many more artists has been amazing.”
One of the more recent occupants is well-known Harrisburg artist and arts ambassador Reina “R76,” whose work is in Studio 318. For practicing an “outsider” art discipline, R76 is a great insider, acting as a liaison and mouthpiece for the local arts community, often advocating for greater unity.
“I was there for the ribbon cutting in 2015, but didn’t have a studio there until 2021,” said R76, who gives credit to her friend and former studio mate Andrew Sedgwick Guth for inviting her to share his space.
When Sedgwick Guth left the gallery in 2021, R76 invited the Huckle Buckle Boys into Studio 318. R76 later invited in up-and-coming Harrisburg photographer Jemar Sweets, whose work Harrisburgers might have seen under the name LensWorthy Imagery.
“Honestly, my experience has been phenomenal. The thing about it is that they really offer a lot,” Sweets said. “They give people opportunities as well: Odd Ones [market], of course, beer crawls, lots of different events, and it really is a phenomenal thing to have.”
It’s also brought Sweets more exposure and helped build his audience.
“I’ll have people coming up to me in Mechanicsburg, York and Hershey who will take a look at my work, and they always say, ‘Oh, I see your stuff at the Millworks now,’ and it just makes me feel good,” he said.
He credits R76 with being an inspiration for his drive. “She opened that door for me, and I really appreciate that every day.”
For her part, R76 touts the collaborative spirit of the Millworks.
“That’s what kept a lot of us there,” she said. “To create in a basement or studio without human interaction takes away from the ideas that you could possibly have. Meeting new people, new mindsets give me so much material for my artwork.”
Likewise, Davis cites the camaraderie among artists.
“I have been inspired multiple times by other artists to create my own works in a different form—mixing of mediums, or merging my own ideas from other people’s mediums,” he said.
It’s also a great atmosphere to get other opinions.
“That’s one of the greatest things—when asked, receiving feedback from other artists in order to grow,” he said.
That exchange of thoughts is open to visitors in the spaces, as well.
“When somebody asks me questions about my work, that is so fulfilling and gratifying,” said artist Tina Berrier. “That makes my day, even if they don’t want to purchase anything.
Berrier added that, in her time at the Millworks, she’s honed her discipline and point of view as an artist.
“People will walk up to me and be like oh, ‘that’s a Tina Berrier painting,’” she said. “As an artist, once your style is recognized, that’s a great thing.”
Evolving
About a year and a half after opening, Kesler announced a brewery would be added to the restaurant, with esteemed local brewer Terry Hawbaker taking over the reins of the brewery in 2023.
“I love the synergy that we have going with the art and the food and the brewery,” Chickey said. “There is a true respect between all the different elements of this business, and I think that’s what makes it so special.”
Artwork has even appeared on Millworks beer cans, a true synergy.
“I’ve had several beer cans,” Berrier said. “The brewmaster will see your painting and say, ‘Oh I think this’ll be great for this beer,’ and that’s always cool.”
Looking ahead to the next 10 years, more expansion is in store.
A few years ago, Kesler bought the Millworks’ “sister” building across the street, where, he said, he plans to relocate the brewery and add more art classes and events.
R76 has her own goals for the next decade.
“When there are many creatives together, we can find a way to bring art to the people without it being such a challenge—and that’s what I want from the next 10 years of the Millworks,” she said. “We need a lot more diversity, not just in gender but in lifestyle and in ethnicity—we have to start to reflect what we see in the city. Art is forever evolving.”
Anniversary Events
3/6 — Media Event in the Artists Common Room at 11 a.m.
3/13 — Student Art Show
3/14 — Pig Roast Luncheon to benefit first responders
3/19 — Beer Dinner in the public dining room
The Millworks is located at 340 Verbeke St., Harrisburg. For more information and a full list of classes, visit www.millworksharrisburg.com.
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