PAINTING THE STRAND THEATRE STORY:
World-Renowned Artist and York Native Adrienne Stein
Captures a Century of the Arts on Canvas
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the iconic Strand Theatre, an extraordinary milestone for both the Appell Center for the Performing Arts and the entire York community. To honor this important moment in our history, the Appell Center team commissioned acclaimed artist and York native Adrienne Stein to create an original painting celebrating a century of performance, creativity and connection.
Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of speaking with Adrienne about her journey as an artist, her inspiration for the painting, and her emotional meaning to this centennial project.
“It was a huge honor to be chosen to do this piece,” she shared. “Growing up in York, the Strand-Capitol was such an important landmark in our city’s history.”
What Adrienne shared with us was the story of creating a deeply symbolic work of art that feels just as nostalgic and worldly as it does timely and distinctly York.
More About Adrienne Stein
Adrienne Stein’s career as an artist began right here in York County. Raised in the area and a graduate of York Suburban High School, she remembers being drawn to art as early as age ten, when she received her first set of oil paints. Not long afterward, she began classical training under Stewartstown artist Richard House, who taught her foundational techniques in drawing and painting throughout her teenage years.
Those early influences eventually carried Adrienne through travels around the globe. She studied at Laguna College of Art and Design in Southern California, completed an MFA at Boston University, and spent extended time in some of the world’s most storied artistic destinations—Paris, Rome, Beijing, Aix-en-Provence and more.
“There’s nothing like absorbing that history in the space where it all happened… seeing the works of the old masters in person,” said Adrienne. All of her travels enriched her artistic perspective, but York remained an anchor in her story.
After graduate school, Adrienne returned home to build her career, eventually settling in Hellam Township with her artist husband and young son.
“I feel very rooted and connected here,” she said. “My family is all here… York is home.”
Surrounded by farmland and woods, Adrienne’s studio is a place where technique and imagination meet—a setting perfectly suited to the project for the Strand Theatre’s 100th anniversary.
Reimagining the Muses
When the Appell Center first reached out about the project, Adrienne knew that she wanted the commissioned piece to do more than just capture the beautiful building and its history. She wanted to embody the spirit of performance itself. Inspired by the Strand Theatre’s Willie Pogany murals, her mind immediately went to the muses of Greek mythology—the mythical daughters of Zeus who inspired the arts.
“I was thinking about the muses… there was a muse for every art form. And that’s where we get the term music,” explained Adrienne.
She decided to bring the muses into a more contemporary context. Instead of ancient temples or classical landscapes, she imagined the muses dancing across the current York County hillside, with the city skyline glowing behind them. This combination of mythology and hometown pride became the heart of the painting—a visual bridge between centuries of artistic expression.
Golden Hour Magic
One of the first things viewers notice is the painting’s stunning use of light. The figures are bathed in warm, golden hues—what Adrienne describes as her favorite moment of the day.
“That time of day is the most inspiring to me, that golden hour,” she said.
To capture a sense of movement, Adrienne used a technique known as rim lighting, where the edges of the figures glow as the sun hits them from behind. “The light is really just kind of kissing the edge of the figures… you’re focusing on their pose and the movement,” she shared.
The sky full of dramatic clouds was also inspired by a workshop Adrienne once taught in Provence. Everything comes together to form a visual metaphor for the performing arts themselves—alive, soulful, and constantly in motion.
The Creative Process
Though the final painting appears effortless, bringing it to life required months of research and experimentation. Adrienne began by gathering hundreds of photographs of dancers to bring the vision for the muses to life. She drew inspiration from photographs of the famous American dancer and choreographer, Isadora Duncan. Adrienne challenged herself to find the most harmonious arrangement of the figures, landscapes and sky formation.
“All great creative expression comes from a place of play… the two dancers on the left are me, so I got to be a part of it and act in the drama as well,” she said.
Before starting work on the large final canvas, Adrienne created multiple digital compositions in Procreate by cutting, rearranging, and layering figures until the flow felt right. Then she painted a 9” x 12” color study, a miniature version of the final artwork that allowed her to test her palette, concept, and lighting before committing to the final 36” x 48” piece.
“You’ve got the idea in your heart and your mind, but making it a physical thing… that’s the most challenging part,” Adrienne explained. “That’s where all the creative work is.”
A Century in the Making: The Unveiling at the Strand Theatre
The final painting was officially unveiled on Saturday, September 20, 2025 during a pre-show reception for the Strand Centennial Celebration performance by Broadway legends Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara. Adrienne stood proudly alongside her family and long-time supporters of the Appell Center for the Performing Arts and sponsors of the commissioned painting, Julien and Jolene Tolbert.
“It was incredibly special. Definitely a career highlight for me, because the Appell Center is very sentimental to me as a Yorker,” shared Adrienne.
What She Hopes Audiences Feel
The piece now hangs prominently in the Strand Theatre lobby, where it will remain for generations to come. When asked what she hopes Appell Center audiences experience when they stand before the painting—whether for the first time or the hundredth—Adrienne answered without hesitation, “Joy and freedom… I really wanted to bring joy to the viewers the way that my favorite paintings bring joy to me.” The painting’s vibrant colors, incandescent light, and flowing forms invite audiences to pause and enjoy the uplifting power of the arts, much like experience when viewing a performance on the Strand Theatre stage.
Celebrating the Past, Inspiring the Future
As the Appell Center for the Performing Arts continues to celebrate the Strand Theatre’s centennial, Adrienne Stein’s painting stands as a brilliant tribute to York’s artistic spirit. It honors the performers, staff members, teachers, volunteers, donors, students, families and audiences who have kept the Strand Theatre alive for a century—and looks ahead to the next hundred years of play and creativity still to come.
“Beauty, in general, has a healing dimension,” Adrienne said, “and my goal is to create and contribute to more beauty in public spaces.”
Appell Center audiences can now view the painting in the Strand Theatre lobby at all upcoming events. We invite everyone to enjoy this remarkable fusion of mythology, movement and the York County spirit for themselves.
