On Friday, October 3, 2003, a reception was held in the exhibition gallery of The Hill School's Center For The Arts - now named The Boyer Gallery, in honor of an area family that has, for generations, made significant contributions to the local community as well as The Hill School.
This naming ceremony was timed to coincide with what would have been the 60th reunion year of James K. Boyer, Hill class of 1943, who, at the time of his death in March 1991, was president of National Penn Bancshares and an exceedingly active participant in the regional community, serving not only as a trustee of The Hill School but as a board member for organizations including the Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, Reading Area Community College Foundation, Reading Music Foundation, Boyertown Rotary Club, Berks County Chamber of Commerce, and the Boyertown Area United Way, to name only a few.
James A. Gundy III, Hill's assistant headmaster for external affairs and director of development, notes that Boyer played an integral role in planning The Hill's beautiful Center For The Arts, which opened in 1989. Boyer was co-chair of Hill's campus planning committee at that time, serving with John McCaslin of Pottstown, a member of Hill's class of '42.
"Jim talked with me about the importance of the Center For The Arts -- not only for The Hill but also for Pottstown and the regional community," Gundy says, emphasizing that the facility brings theatre, dance, music, and art to the public. "Indeed, The Center For The Arts has emerged as a vital hub of regional activities for the fine and performing arts. The School and certainly Jim's classmates greatly missed this fine leader and good friend at his class reunion this past June; naming the gallery in his memory and in gratitude for his family's ongoing connection to the community seemed a fitting way to honor and remember Jim."
Gundy adds that the Boyer family also created a Hill School scholarship fund.
The Boyer Gallery recognizes the ongoing role played in the region and at The Hill by Jim's wife, Nancy L. Boyer, of Boyertown, an accomplished artist in her own right. In 1992, Mrs. Boyer's "Retrospective in Pastel" exhibition graced The Hill's gallery walls. Mrs. Boyer's many contributions to the area have included a significant gift made in 1995 in memory of her husband to the Boyertown Community Library's fund-raising effort. (The library now is The James K. Boyer Community Library.)
The Hill's Boyer Gallery, located on the terrace level of the Center For The Arts, also acknowledges service to the School provided by the Boyers' sons: Walter L Boyer, Hill class of '74 and a Hill School trustee, currently of Ridgewood, N.J.; and James K. Boyer, Jr., Hill class of '72 and secretary of his Hill class, currently of Wellesley, Mass. James and Nancy also have two daughters, Mary Ann Boyer Hall and Patricia Boyer, both of Philadelphia.
During the dedication ceremony, both sons spoke warmly about their parents' love for the arts and for the community in which they worked and lived. "Our parents always encouraged us to live a full and balanced life, a life which includes athletics and an appreciation for the arts," Walter said.
The Boyer legacy at The Hill has included Jim Boyer's father, Daniel B. Boyer, Hill class of 1907, and several uncles and cousins.
The Boyer Gallery - recently praised by prolific regional painter Mildred Sands Kratz as the best exhibition setting on the East Coast -- hosts at least five exhibits each year by artists ranging from watercolorists and sculptors to Hill student photographers. Each year between 650 and 750 people visit The Boyer Gallery, which holds the juried open Annual Perkiomen Valley Art Center Exhibit.
The Boyer Gallery is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment when The Hill School is in session. Admission is free.
The Center For The Arts is the permanent home of the Pottstown Symphony Orchestra and seasonal home of the Schuylkill Ballet Company, as well as the site of Hill's Lively Arts Series of cultural programs for area school children and residents. For additional information, contact Burton A. Merriam, director of the Center For The Arts, or call him at 610/326-1000, extension 7352.
View a schedule for the 2005-2006 Boyer Gallery Fine Arts Series.