Friend, Inc. Community Services

20th Annual Benefit Auction — April 25, 2009

The following works will be auctioned at the 2009 Benefit Auction.  The artists will be available to talk about their work, as well as have other pieces for sale.  These photo reproductions do not do justice to the actual pieces, so please come and see the works for yourself!

Community. 

    Compassion. 

        Commitment.

Reno C. Unger

Reno Unger considered majoring in art when he was facing college decisions, but life took him in other directions.  After completing a degree in journalism at Marshall University, the military draft encouraged him to join the Navy, where he flew off of an aircraft carrier as a Naval Flight Officer, completing three tours in Viet Nam.  After active duty, he remained in the reserves, retiring as a Commander in 1988.  His travels throughout the Pacific during this time and his interest in art drew Under in the hobby of photography.

Following his Navy tour, Unger went back to Marshall, where he completed a Master’s Degree in Journalism, minoring in art.  The profession of public relations was just beginning to penetrate college and university administrations when he graduated, and he took a job as Assistant Director of Public Relations at the school.  His need for good sports and feature pictures for publicity and publications drew him deeper into photography.  He was in that position when the plane, carrying the Marshall football team, crashed.  The event was chronicled in the Movie “We Are Marshall,” which appeared in theatres a couple of years ago.

After a stint as Assistant Director of PR for the W. Va. Department of Education, Unger moved to the community in 1972 to take the position of Director of Public Relations for Kutztown University; a position he held until 1990, when he moved to the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre to teach the subject.

Unger retired from teaching in May and turned back to art and photography.  He has had shows at Gallery 20 and the Goggleworks in Reading as well as others in the area.  Currently, some of his work is featured at Jackie and Daughter’s Flowers on Main Street, Kutztown.  A more extensive show will take place at the Basin Street Hotel, East Main and Willow Streets with an opening on Sunday, April 5.

Unger currently resides on Baldy Rd. near Kutztown with his wife Nancy.  His children, Cathy, Becky and Eric all went to KAHS and are now living in Florida and California.