The State Museum of Pennsylvania Announces Finalists for 57th Annual “Art of the State” Exhibition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, August 12, 2024

Media Contact: Jay Losiewicz, 717-705-8639

Harrisburg, PA State Museum of Pennsylvania Director Angelica Docog is pleased to announce the finalists for Art of the State 2024. This prestigious annual juried competition showcases the exceptional talent of Pennsylvania’s artists.

 

Now in its 57th year, Art of the State has become a cornerstone in the Pennsylvania art scene. The exhibition offers a captivating glimpse into the Commonwealth’s rich artistic heritage, featuring works that span painting, photography/digital media, craft, sculpture, and works on paper.

 

The exhibit includes 96 works of art by 96 artists from 28 counties of Pennsylvania. Finalists were selected from 2,200 entries submitted by more than 600 artists.

 

The public is invited to experience the finalists’ creations at The State Museum of Pennsylvania starting Sunday, September 8, coinciding with Harrisburg’s Gallery Walk. Admission is free on opening day. The exhibition will remain on display through January 5, 2025.

  

Award winners will be posted on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). An exhibition catalogue pdf and programming announcements can be accessed on Art of the State 2024 after the opening.

 

A panel of expert selection jurors carefully reviewed and scored all submitted artworks. The highest-rated pieces in each category will be featured in the exhibition. An esteemed awards juror will select the first, second, and third place winners from among these finalists.

 

This year’s selection jurors are:

·         Marc Jacobson, Professor Emeritus, Herron School of Art + Design, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis

·         Jennifer-Navva Milliken, Executive Director and Chief Curator, Museum for Art in Wood

·         Eric Sung, Artist and Professor of Art/Photography, Providence College

 

This year’s awards juror is:

·         Jim Toia, Artist and Curator, Executive Director at Karl Stirner Art Trail, and Director of Community Based Teaching at Lafayette College.

 

Cash awards totaling $5,300 will be bestowed. In each of the five categories, a first prize of $500, a second prize of $300, and a third prize of $200 will be presented. Additionally, the Art Docents’ Choice Award will be honored with $300.

 

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

 

The Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation (PHF) is the nonprofit partner of the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC), dedicated to preserving and sharing the Commonwealth’s rich history. Through generous donations, PHF supports PHMC in caring for 23 historic sites and museums, an extensive collection of artifacts, and invaluable archival materials.  

 

The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 23 historic sites and museums administered by Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Trails of History.

 

As one of PHMC’s premier cultural institutions, The State Museum of Pennsylvania offers visitors a captivating journey through time. Located adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, the museum houses expansive collections that illuminate Pennsylvania’s pivotal role in American history, from 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.

 

Artists selected to exhibit at Art of the State 2024 are listed by county:

 

Adams

Joh Ricci

 

Allegheny

Adrienne Borkowski

Dan Droz

Steve Huth

Sandra Moore

Dai Morgan

Paul Rosenblatt

Catherine Ryan

Brian J. Sesack

John Buxton

Jan Loney

 

Berks

Georgette L. Veeder

E. Douglas Wunder 

 

Bucks

Tyree Dworak

Chuck Fischer

Cassaundra Flor

Norine Kevolic

Leonard Michaels

Jamee Pemberton

Sandra Scicchitani

Brynn Hurlstone

 

Carbon

Jay Davenport

 

Centre

Stephen Althouse

Anni Matsick

Stephen Tuttle

 

Chester

James Evangelista

Brian Richmond

Steven Schaefer

 

Columbia

Wes Bulla

 

Cumberland

Jordan Bashore

Daniel M. Finch

Michael Hower

Jeff Hubert

Neil McConnell

Marjaneh Talebi

Shawn Williams

 

Dauphin

Evelyn R. Burton

Mary Eileen Carson

Angela Lapioli

Greg Rohrer

 

Delaware

Jen Blazina

Phil Cifone

Zhanna Martin

Peter Smyth

 

Erie

Geoffrey Beadle

Passle Helminski

Justin Elliot Poole

 

Franklin

Jacob Muldowney

 

Indiana

Kyle Reidmiller

Sandra Trimble

 

Jefferson

Melissa Lovingood

 

Lancaster

Jill C. Good

Dave Kube

Ian McLaughlin

Richard Ressel

Joseph Roach

Brian Tolbert

Becky Blosser

Shelby E. Wormley

 

Lehigh

Kaz Brittenburg

Lisa Caruso

Jeff Waterhouse

 

Lycoming

David Moyer

Jackie Thomas

 

Montgomery

Holly Layman

Charles Muldowney

Walter Plotnick

Florence Weisz

 

Northampton

Karen O’Brien

Michael Brolly

Fertari Cuztomz

Marissa McHugh

 

Northumberland

Tonya Wilhelm

 

Philadelphia

Keith Breitfeller

Corliss Cavalieri

Morgan Dummitt

Marguerita Hagan

Nicholas James Harris

Janalyn Kidd

Minah Kim

Nancy Middlebrook

Rachel Scheinfeldt

 

Schuylkill

Michael Pyrdsa

Bob McCormick

Valerie Perez-Prosick

 

Sullivan

Judy O’Dell

 

Warren

Thomas Paquette

 

Wayne

Paul Plumadore

 

Westmoreland

Patty Kennedy-Zafred

Paul Sirofchuck

 

York

Allen Brenner

Peter Danko

R. Andrew Hoff

Rob Homan

Jo Margolis

Steven Schedin

 

For more information about Art of the State 2024 and The State Museum, visit statemuseumpa.org or follow us on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

 

The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Learn more by visiting PHMC online or following us on FacebookX (formerly Twitter), Instagram or LinkedIn.