Harrisburg, PA – Finalists have been announced for Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2018.
Art of the State is an annual juried exhibition that has been showcasing the work of Pennsylvania’s artists at The State Museum of Pennsylvania since 1968. The body of art that has been exhibited reflects over a half-century of creative endeavor in the Keystone State. Through the years, exhibitors have shared their ideas and engaged viewers in the categories of painting, photography, craft, sculpture, and work on paper.
The 51st annual exhibit opens to the public on Sunday, June 24 at The State Museum of Pennsylvania with an awards ceremony at 1:30 PM and an opening reception immediately following. Admission to The State Museum will be free that day.
The exhibit runs through September 9 and includes 103 works of art by 99 artists from 27 counties. Finalists were selected from 1,850 entries by 839 artists. The closing coincides with Harrisburg’s popular Gallery Walk.
Artwork was selected for inclusion in the exhibition by exhibit jurors:
- Sun Young Kang, practicing artist, East Amherst, NY
- David Oresick, Executive Director, Silver Eye Center for Photography, Pittsburgh, PA
- Lauren Wagner, Director of Marketing and Development, Gold Coast Arts Center, Huntington, NY
Awards juror Scott Schweigert, Curator of Art, Reading Public Museum in Reading will determine the prize winners in each of the categories.
More than $7,000 in cash awards will be presented. The Art Docents Corps of The State Museum will also present its Docents’ Choice Award. Jump Street will present the JumpStreet Spirit of the Arts Award.
In addition, the William D. Davis Memorial Award for Drawing and The State Museum of Pennsylvania Purchase Award are presented. The work selected to receive the purchase prize is bought by The State Museum and becomes part of its permanent Fine Art collection.
Art of the State is co-presented by The State Museum and Jump Street. WITF Public Media is the media sponsor.
Jump Street, a non-profit arts organization, has been serving the Capital Region for over 38 years, providing arts programs for students and adults; arts grants to artists and organizations throughout the state of Pennsylvania; arts-based community service programs; and technical assistance to artists and organizations.
The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 24 historic sites and museums administered by Pennsylvania Historical and 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 about the museum, visit www.statemuseumpa.org
Media Contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639
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An online gallery of the artwork is available here: https://phmc.info/AOS51.
Artists selected to exhibit at the 2018 “Art of the State” competition listed by county:
Allegheny County
Mark Anderson
Jacob Rogers Art
Gillian Lerner
Sandra Moore
Thomas Norulak
Katie Ott
Jack Puglisi
Gary Zak
Bedford County
George Radeschi
Berks County
Sharon Merkel
Bucks County
Alex Damevski
Kirby Frendendall
Tom Furey
Amedeo Salamoni
Stephen Wisniewski
Cambria County
Norman Ed
Centre County
Brad Kozlek
Anni Matsick
Chester County
Robert Sigafoos
Crawford County
Chuck Johnson
Cumberland County
Kim Banister
Rachel Eng
Mary Olin Geiger
Rich Harrison
Michael Hower
Michael Lahr
Sean Matthews
Gay McGeary
Michael Munchel
Julie Riker
Theodore Van Pelt
Chad Whitaker
Harold Zabady
Dauphin County
Joe Cicak
Andrew Guth
Archana Sehgal
Ryan Spahr
Wendy Sweigart
Delaware County
Sienna Proetto
William Sweeney
Erie County
Tom Hubert
Fayette County
Paul DeFazio
Lackawanna County
Bernie Andreoli
Brooke Jana
Sarah Wiltshire
Lancaster County
Becky Blosser
Jerome Hershey
Christopher Pollock
Sue Reno
Deb Watson
Lebanon County
Isaac Pelepko
Lehigh County
Barry Assed
Richard Begbie
Heather Cavalieri
James DePietro
Michael Hess
Jacqueline Meyerson
Luzerne County
Nikki Moser
Lycoming County
Cathy Frey
John McKaig
David Moyer
Montgomery County
Robert Arnosky
Sarah Bloom
Cynthia Goodman Brantley
Daniel Colavito
Donna Douglass
Terri Fridkin
Patricia Shaw Lima
Maria Maneos
Max Mason
Nancy Nalbandian
Gary Phillips
Christine Webb
Merrill Weber
Roy Wilson
Ann Wilson
Northampton County
James Gloria
Brandon Williams
Northumberland County
Cheryl Fallon
Philadelphia
Andrea Beizer
Paula Cahill
Corliss Cavalieri
Peter Cunicelli
Jerry Di Falco
Marguerita Hagan
Nancy Middlebrook
Carol Tashjian
Schuylkill
Rob Mull
Valerie Perez-Prosick
Robert Stickloon
Wayne County
Paul Plumadore
Westmoreland County
Rich Harydzak
Kevin O’Toole
York County
James Crowley
Richard Chandler Hoff
Jo Margolis
Thomas Notarangelo
Robert Patierno
Sherrie Stambaugh
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