Harrisburg, PA – The State Museum of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation invite artists and craftspeople to submit applications to exhibit their work in the annual Art of the State. Now in its 54th year, this acclaimed juried exhibition boasts a tradition of presenting highly creative art by Pennsylvanians, chosen by a distinguished panel of jurors.
Art of the State is scheduled to open to the public on-site at The State Museum on Sunday, September 26, 2021, and will close January 2, 2022.
Art of the State is a juried competition open to Pennsylvania residents who are at least 18 years of age. Artists will compete in five categories: painting, work on paper, sculpture, craft, and photography and digital media. Entries to the competition must be submitted online. Additional information and the link to enter are available at statemuseumpa.org/artofthestate. The application deadline is Friday, May 28, 2021.
More than $4,000 in cash awards will be presented. A first prize of $500 and second prize of $300 will be awarded in each of the five categories. The William D. Davis Memorial Award for Drawing in the amount of $250 and the Art Docents’ Choice Award of $300 will also be presented.
Selection jurors will review and assign a numeric score to all work submitted. Those artists with the highest ratings in each category will be featured in the exhibition.
This year’s selection jurors are:
Julia Dolan, Ph.D., The Minor White Curator of Photography, Portland Art Museum
Julia Dolan has curated, cocurated or hosted more than 40 photography exhibitions since joining the Portland Art Museum in 2010. She received a B.F.A. in photography from the Maryland Institute College of Art, an M.A. in art history from the Pennsylvania State University, and a Ph.D. in art history from Boston University. She has worked with the photography collections at such institutions as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Addison Gallery of American Art, and the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University.
Joyce Owens, Artist, Educator, and Curator, Chicago State University
Joyce Owens earned a B.F.A. from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and an M.F.A. in painting from Yale University. She has held many arts-related positions from arts and crafts director and art teacher to producer for the CBS television station in Philadelphia and graphic arts coordinator at CBS Chicago. She teaches studio painting and drawing at Chicago State University and was appointed the curator of the university galleries in January 2006.
Matthew Hinçman, Professor and Program Area Coordinator, Sculpture, and Furniture Design Certificate Program Coordinator, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Matthew Hinçman has been creating primarily self-funded works for the public sphere for more than 25 years. He is professor of sculpture at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and former chair of the Fine Arts 3D Program. His first major commissioned work for the City of Boston, Wythe & Web, will be completed in spring 2021.
An awards juror will select recipients in each of the categories.
Al Miner, Director of Georgetown University Galleries and Associate Professor of the Practice
Al Miner is the founding director/chief curator of the Georgetown University Art Galleries and associate professor of the Practice (Museum Studies). Prior to assuming his current role, Miner spent seven years as a curator of contemporary art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and five years in the curatorial division of the Smithsonian Institution’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Miner has received fellowships and grants from numerous organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, the Association of Art Museum Curators, and the American Alliance of Museums.
ABOUT THE STATE MUSEUM OF PENNSYLVANIA
The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 24 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.
ABOUT 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 24 historic sites and museums, approximately 9 million objects, and more than 250 million archival items.
For more information about the museum, visit The State Museum online or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
MEDIA CONTACT: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639