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    Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2023 Exhibition Winners Announced

    September 10, 2023

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    Harrisburg, PA – The State Museum of Pennsylvania today announced the winners of Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2023.

    Art of the State is an annual juried exhibition that has showcased the work of Pennsylvania's artists at The State Museum of Pennsylvania since 1968. This body of art reflects over a half-century of creative endeavor in the Keystone State. Through the years, artists have shared their ideas and engaged viewers in the categories of painting, photography/digital media, craft, sculpture, and work on paper.
     
    "This year's Art of the State exhibition continues a 56-year tradition of diversity," said State Museum Director Angelica Docog. "The artists find inspirations from diverse backgrounds, and each has a unique style.  While some artists are deeply rooted in Pennsylvania traditions, others bring inspiration from around the world. Some artists have decades of experience and others are new or returning to creative pursuits. Despite these varied perspectives, all artists seek to engage with viewers. We look forward to sharing these artists' stories with our visitors."
     
    Winners were chosen from 86 finalists selected from 1,850 entries representing 29 Pennsylvania counties. Selection jurors reviewed and scored all of the submitted works. Those with the highest ratings in each category are featured in the exhibition. The awards juror then determines the first place, second place, and third place winners in each of the categories.

    This year's awards juror is Jeremiah William McCarthy, Chief Curator, Westmoreland Museum of American Art.

    The William D. Davis Memorial Award for Drawing was also selected, and the Art Docents Corps of The State Museum chose its Docents' Choice Award.

    This year's first-place winners are from Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Montgomery, and Union counties. Special awards went to artists from Bedford and Lancaster counties.

    Art of State is presented by The State Museum of Pennsylvania in association with the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation.

    The Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation is the nonprofit partner of the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, the state agency charged with collecting, preserving, researching, and interpreting the treasures of Pennsylvania. Through private contributions, PHF supports PHMC in protecting and providing access to 23 historic sites and museums, approximately 9 million objects, and more than 250 million archival items.

    The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 23 historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Trails of History. The State Museum offers expansive collections interpreting Pennsylvania's fascinating heritage. With exhibits examining the dawn of geologic time, the Native American experience, the Colonial and Revolutionary eras, a pivotal Civil War battleground, and the commonwealth's vast industrial age, The State Museum demonstrates that Pennsylvania's story is America's story.

    For more information visit The State Museum of Pennsylvania website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

    Media Contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639

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    Cash awards were presented for Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2023. Awards for each category are first place, $500; second place, $300; and third place, $200. The William D. Davis Memorial Award for Drawing in the amount of $250 and the Art Docents' Choice Award of $300 were also awarded.

    Additional information, including an exhibit catalog pdf and programming announcements, can be accessed on the Art of the State landing page.
     
    Painting
     
    First Place: David Kasparek, Harrisburg, Dauphin County - Macroscope I
    Second Place: Steve Scheuring, Douglasville, Berks County - Tastes of Home
    Third Place: Jerome Hershey, Lancaster, Lancaster County - First Breath #3
     
    Photography/Digital Media

    First Place: Michael Hower, Enola, Cumberland County - Transparency
    Second Place: Doug Nicotera, Hummelstown, Dauphin County - Cape May
    Third Place: Tom Goodman, Philadelphia - Untitled from Second Sight Series

    Work on Paper

    First Place: Eddy López, Lewisburg, Union County - NYTimes BLM
    Second Place: Lauren Scavo-Fulk, Jeannette, Westmoreland County - Ocean
    Third Place: Julia Marsh, Philadelphia - The Breach: Maplehurst Lane
     
    Sculpture

    First Place: Maria Maneos, North Wales, Montgomery County - Under the Microscope
    Second Place: Brynn Hurlstone, Philadelphia - Of Precarity and Release
    Third Place: Kathleen Studebaker, Philadelphia - SeedCircuit [1]
     
    Craft

    First Place: Sophie Glenn, Reading, Berks County - Black Sheep
    Second Place: Stephen Tuttle, Warriors Mark, Centre County - Planet Rising: Small Table
    Third Place: Jóh Ricci, Gettysburg, Adams County - Reclining Bloom

    The State Museum Art Docents' Choice Award

    George Radeschi, Bedford, Bedford County - #188

    The William D. Davis Memorial Award for Drawing

    Joseph Roach, Manheim, Lancaster County - Paradox