Take in Music, Student Art and Film for Free at The Ware Center's First Friday, 3/1

On First Friday, March 1st the Ware Center will contribute its share to the day's festivities offering an array of events and performances - ALL FREE. Included are singer/songrwriter Leo DiSanto, The Lancaster County Young Artists Art Exhibition Gold Special Award Winners Opening Night, and the film "Miss Representation".

Leo DiSanto, will perform solo in fifteen minutes sets from 6 - 8 PM. A singer-songwriter and modern troubadour from rural Pennsylvania, DiSanto resounds with a diversity of influences from Sun Records-era Elvis, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan to country junkyard rock, acoustic folk and warped, circus music. Described by a songwriter friend as "Lord Byron meets Merle Haggard," Leo's galvanizing solo performances have inspired comparisons to legendary troubadours such as Townes Van Zandt, Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, and Willie Nelson.

The 49th Annual Lancaster County Young Artists Gold & Special Award Winners Exhibit opens 6 - 8 PM, Friday. This extremely popular show features hundreds of pieces of work and recognizes outstanding art students in Lancaster County grades 7 to 12. From a field of thousands, a few hundred were chosen by a panel of judges to be included in the exhibition. This exhibit is also open Noon until 4 PM Saturday and Sunday, March 2 & 3 and then runs regular business hours (Mon-Fri. 9 AM to 4 PM) at the Ware Center until March 24.

At 7:30 PM, The Ware screens "Miss Representation". In a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, the collective message that our young women and men overwhelmingly receive is that a woman's value and power lie in her youth, beauty and sexuality- and not in her capacity as a leader. The powerful film includes stories from teenage girls and interviews with notables like Condoleeza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Rosario Dawson and Gloria Steinem. The 90 minute film will be followed by a panel discussion/talk back. The film is sponsored by MU's Department of Social Work.

All events are unticketed, open to the public and FREE. The Ware Center is located at 42 North Prince Street, Lancaster, PA.