Discover Music, Film, Art and Family Fun at the Ware Center This November

October 21, 2026 by Cori Jackson

From lively marimba rhythms and traditional flamenco to thought-provoking documentary film and family theater, November brings a wide variety of arts experiences to Millersville University’s Ware Center for the Arts in downtown Lancaster. With free community events, gallery exhibits, and performances for different ages and interests, there are plenty of ways to make the arts part of your month.

Here’s what’s coming up at the Ware Center!

Celebrate First Friday with Art and Music

Friday, November 6 | Free events

Make the Ware Center part of your First Friday plans with an evening of visual art and music.

At 5 p.m., visit the Regitz Gallery for the opening of Overshare: I Did This for Me, an exhibition by Lancaster-based artist Shauna L. Yorty. Through cardboard collage and mixed media, Yorty explores survival, transformation, and self-discovery in vibrant, deeply personal works. The opening reception runs from 5 to 8 p.m., with an artist talk at 6 p.m. The exhibition remains on view through November 24.

A cardboard collage animal by Shauna Yorty — Artwork from Overshare: I Did This for Me by Shauna L. Yorty. Photo courtesy of Shauna L.Yorty.

Then, at 7 p.m., discover the fascinating history and science of the marimba during the free Heartland Marimba Festival. Members of Heartland Marimba will explore the instrument’s international roots, its place in classical music, and its connections to Pennsylvania musicians.

Hear the Sounds of Marimbas, Xylophones and Flamenco

Heartland Marimba Jukebox Night with Friends
Saturday, November 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Adults $20, students $15

Heartland Marimba returns with an energetic evening of music spanning generations and genres. Hear the distinctive sounds of marimbas and xylophones bring modern pop inspirations, early 20th-century ragtime, Argentine tango, and irresistible grooves to life. With special guest performers joining the ensemble, this is a lively take on familiar musical styles and unexpected discoveries alike.

Members of Heartland Marimba throw their mallets in the air — *Heartland Marimba*

Flamenco y Sol: Flamenco at Its Essence
Friday, November 13 | 7:30 p.m. | Adults $29, students $21

Experience the passion and expressive power of traditional flamenco through live music, singing, guitar, and dance. Rooted in the tablao tradition, this performance celebrates the dynamic interplay between the artists and the spontaneity that makes each performance unique. Arrive early for a pre-show lecture by Dr. Ana Börger-Greco at 6:30 p.m.

Flamenco dancers pose at the end of a song — *Flamenco y Sol. Photo credit: Lisa Greenberg.*

Explore History Through Film and Conversation

Disposable Humanity
Tuesday, November 17 | 7 p.m. | Free

The Ware Center’s On Screen/In Person series presents Disposable Humanity, a documentary examining the Nazi Aktion T4 program and the systematic persecution and murder of disabled people under Nazi rule.

The evening offers an opportunity to engage with this difficult history beyond the screen. A pre-show community panel begins at 6:15 p.m., followed by the film at 7 p.m. After the screening, audiences can participate in a question-and-answer session with director Cameron Mitchell. The event is co-presented by the MU Disability Film Festival.

Angel statues on the Disposable Humanity poster — *Disposable Humanity*

Make Room for Family Arts Experiences

ExtraGive Junior
Friday, November 20 | 5–8 p.m. | Free

Bring the kids for an evening celebrating the joy of giving back! ExtraGive Junior features free entertainment and activities hosted by community benefit organizations. A puppetry workshop led by performers from Grand Pistachio begins at 6:30 p.m., offering another opportunity for young participants to explore their creativity while connecting with the spirit of community generosity.

Layer the Walls: Turn of the Century
Saturday, November 21 | 3 p.m. | Adults $15, students $10

Family Fun Fest welcomes audiences to discover the stories hidden within the walls of a New York City tenement. Using puppetry, masks, and live action, Layer the Walls: Turn of the Century brings to life the experiences of immigrant families, from an Irish immigrant helping build the Brooklyn Bridge to Italian brothers surviving the Great Blizzard of 1888 and Russian Jewish garment workers fighting for safer working conditions.

Recommended for ages 8 and up, this engaging production combines theater and history in a way that invites families to learn and imagine together. Free children’s activities begin in the lobby at 2 p.m., before the performance.

A puppet family — *A scene from Grand Pistachio’s* Layer the Walls: Turn of the Century. Credit: Hyphen Photography.

Plan Your November Visit

Whether you’re looking for a night of live music, a meaningful film experience, an opportunity to discover local visual art, or a creative outing with the family, the Ware Center has something to explore this November.

Explore upcoming events, find accessibility information, and plan your visit. We look forward to welcoming you!

Meet Rob Homan, the Lancaster Artist Transforming Woodcarving into Fine Art

September 3, 2026August 31, 2026 by Cori Jackson

Meet Rob Homan, the artist behind Wild in the Shadows, a new gallery exhibit opening Friday, September 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Ware Center for the Arts in Lancaster, PA.

Hailing from Lancaster County, Rob Homan nurtured his passion for woodworking from an early age while exploring the forests and crafting furniture in his father’s woodshop. With an architecture degree from Temple University and five years of experience in design/build firms in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, he now serves as a creative director at TAIT, focusing on high-level sculptural installations around the world. Despite his digital work, Rob’s heart remains with woodworking, particularly drawn to its versatile and soulful nature. His woodcarving journey led him to crafting functional objects like utensils, bowls, cutting boards, tables, and stools.

Inspired by his Polish heritage and traditional folk art forms like Wycinanki and Pysanky, Rob has incorporated these designs into larger woodcarving projects, infusing them with vibrant acrylic and spray paint to bring their bright colors and intricate textures to life.

We asked Rob what inspires him to create, how he developed his unique style, and what it’s like to be married to a fellow artist.

Tell us about your artwork.

“I’ve developed a unique art style that strives to elevate the craft of woodcarving to fine art sculpture. My inspiration comes from nature, specifically animals with striking colors and shapes, and their relationship with the natural environment (flowers and trees). I interpret these subjects through bold, graphic design and allow the carved sections to create a natural gradient through shadow.”

“I source the wood slabs from a local sawmill so I know it is properly kiln-dried and will remain flat. I hand-carve using a series of small gouges, and each piece can take hundreds of hours. When I paint, I use super matte acrylics that really make the color stand out even in shadow. This level of detail and craftsmanship is important to me because it creates a piece that stands out from far away, but gets more interesting as viewers get up close to it.”

How do you work with such heavy materials?

“With help from friends, we created a carving windmill easel. This allows me to mount a large piece of wood, rotate and lock into place when carving different sections with ease. I have about 15 different size chisels and gouges that allow me to take out a lot of material or get super precise cuts in smaller details.”

How do you find time to create?

“This art practice keeps me away from a computer screen and I find it rewarding to make art just for myself. My wife is also an artist, so this is just part of our lifestyle – our living room is our art studio! I always must be creating something; it’s the way I understand the world and seek to learn new things.”

What do you think of our region’s art scene?

“Lancaster has a diverse mix of styles and mediums. There’s a rich history of craftspeople here that I believe influences new techniques and inspires artists to blend that level of craft into artistic expression. Maybe I say that just because that was my experience growing up here around makers. My contribution is to keep taking risks, trying new techniques and being inspired by others.”

What do you hope people see in this exhibit?

“I hope people feel the impact of these pieces; in their scale, craftsmanship and inspiration. I am a person who takes pride in doing things the slower, harder way to achieve something special and unique. These pieces represent my character more than I can say in words.”

See Wild in the Shadows

To see Rob Homan’s incredible finished artwork, stop by the Ware Center on Friday, September 4, from 5 to 8 pm with an artist talk at 6 pm.

Uncover the powerful legacy of Native American Heritage through the arts

October 29, 2025October 29, 2025 by Cori Jackson

A collage showing Mali Obomsawin, The Paza Experience, and Jonathan Nelson art reads "Native American Heritage Month"

3 events in November feature film, live music, crafts, dance, and visual art by Native American artists

Join the Ware Center for the Arts in Lancaster, PA this November in honoring Native American Heritage Month with a wide range of arts and cultural offerings featuring indigenous artists, including the On Screen/In Person Event Mali Obomsawin: Sugarcane on November 5, a We the People First Friday event featuring The Paza Experience on November 7, and the opening of a new gallery exhibit by Diné artist Jonathan Nelson, which will be on display throughout November.

Mali Obomsawin: Sugarcane

Mali Obomsawin with her cello — *Mali Obomsawin*

Join us for our On Screen/In Person film and filmmaker series (with a live performance twist!) during Mali Obomsawin: Sugarcane on Wednesday, November 5, at 7:30 PM.

During this unique fusion event, bassist, vocalist, and composer Mali Obomsawin and her band will perform live against the backdrop of the film Sugarcane, for which she composed the score. The Academy Award-nominated National Geographic documentary investigates abuses at an Indian residential school that ignite a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve. Watch the trailer for this gripping film.

At 6:30 PM in the Owen Grand Salon, there will be a pre-screening community panel discussion featuring members of the local indigenous community as well as scholars on Native American culture and history.

Tickets are $22 for adults and $15 for students. Buy tickets online or call 717-871-7600 to reach the box office.

The Paza Experience

During We the People First Friday, join us for The Paza Experience on Friday, November 7, at 5:30 PM.

Celebrate the rich heritage of Native American culture with Lakota grass and hoop dancer and flute player Delwin Fiddler Jr. of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and Samora Free, an indigenous singer, multi-instrumentalist, and soundscape artist from NYC.

Derived from the Lakota word for “Tree of Life,” Paza symbolizes our connection to the Earth, ourselves, and all living beings. The event will include a craft at 5:30 PM, a performance at 6:30 PM, and a dance workshop at 7:30 PM.

The event is free and open to the public; no tickets are required for entry.

This engagement is funded through the Mid-Atlantic Tours program of Mid-Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Jonathan Nelson: Icons of the Diné

Sketches for Icons of the Dine - image by DARIA — *Sketches for Icons of the Diné – image by DARIA*

During We the People First Friday on Friday, November 7, a reception from 6 to 8 PM will celebrate the opening of the gallery exhibit Icons of the Diné by indigenous artist Jonathan Nelson.

The Diné people are one of 562 distinct, federally recognized Native American tribes. In this exhibit, Diné artist Jonathan Nelson brings to life six roles historically and currently held by tribal members.

With his background in illustration and graphic design, Nelson creates these icons, along with unique stylized logos, as a way of countering sport mascot caricatures of Native Americans. Nelson hopes to make Indigenous identities better known and seen, to spark conversation, and to remind people of who the Diné are and that they are still here, influencing the world.

The exhibit will be on display in the Regitz Gallery through November 28.