Harrisburg, PA - The State Museum of Pennsylvania will host a special exhibit, “Sixty Years with the Seven Lively Artists: 1956-2016.” This exhibit celebrates 60 years of art by The Seven Lively Artists, the longest-running, active painting group in the United States. Works on display will include 91 pieces by 25 different artists, and features works by the original seven members. The exhibit will open on Friday, October 21 with a “Meet-the-Artists” reception from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM. Light refreshments will be served. The opening reception is free as part of Harrisburg’s 3rd in the Burg festivities.
In 1956, seven graphic artists who worked in the Greater-Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area dubbed themselves “The Seven Lively Artists.” The group regularly met for lunch during the workweek and, on weekends, took to the hills, riverbanks and city streets to paint “en plein air.”
While other plein air painting groups existed in the state and nation at the time, these artists were the first to bring the distinctive style of art to the forefront in the Harrisburg area.
Over time, the group grew in number as members would invite friends to join their regular painting outings around Central Pennsylvania, or their excursions to woodland cabins in remote regions of the state and on trips to the picturesque beaches and coves of Cape Cod.
More than five decades after the group formed, the Seven Lively Artists continue to have a standing Friday lunch date that centers on talk about upcoming exhibits and painting trips and sharing stories of past adventures.
Today, there are 19 artists who participate in group activities. About a third of the painters are retired, while the others have day jobs that are as diverse as their artistic styles. Several members make a living solely through their artwork.
The exhibition will run from October 22, 2016 through February 12, 2017. During the run of the exhibit, The State Museum will host two exhibit-related programs. On Friday, December 2 visitors can meet a few of the Seven Lively Artists at a Learn at Lunch starting at 12:15 PM. On Sunday, January 29 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM visitors can meet the artists and tour the exhibit. The exhibit and programs are included with general museum admission.
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 and Museum Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Trails of History. With exhibits examining the dawn of geologic time, the Native American experience, the colonial and revolutionary era, a pivotal Civil War battleground, and the commonwealth's vast industrial age, The State Museum demonstrates that Pennsylvania's story is America’s story.
MEDIA CONTACT: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639