September 27, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, please contact:
Tina Lehman, SAMA-Johnstown Coordinator

(814) 269-7234

Travis Mearns, Public Relations Coordinator

(724) 238-6015

ALLIED ARTISTS TO EXHIBIT 74^TH ANNUAL EXHIBITION AT SAMA-JOHNSTOWN

             Johnstown – The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Johnstown will celebrate the region’s talented local artists this fall by hosting the Allied Artists of Johnstown’s 74^th Annual Exhibition. The exhibition, which features 38 works, will be on view through January 7, 2007.

            This year’s installment features works in a variety of media, including photography, oil, acrylic, watercolor, wood, marble, sandstone, pastel and mixed media. Serving as juror was Stephanie Bowman, Assistant Professor of Art and Gallery Director at Pittsburg State University in Kansas. As gallery director, Bowman has organized dozens of exhibitions, including several juried national and international shows. Bowman received a master’s in studio arts from the University of Tennessee. The award-winning artist has shown work in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout North America.

            Sallie Zoerb of Somerset was awarded the show’s grand prize for her photograph, Image C.D. Joe Berezansky of Johnstown received the Josephine Paul Trust Award, given for second place overall, for his work, In the Company of Angels. Other award winners are: Jacob Koestler, Ray Rafferty, Marcene Glover, Jim Richey and Mike Begenyi, each of Johnstown; and William Thwing of Ebensburg. In addition to the juried works, this year’s exhibition also includes two “In Memorium” works, to celebrate the talent, dedication and passion of two former Allied Artists members, Shirley Gaynor and Mildred McHugh, who passed away during the year.

            “This is the 74^th year for the annual fall exhibition of the Allied Artists of Johnstown, and this offering promises to be one of the best yet,” said Tina Lehman, SAMA-Johnstown Coordinator. “I look forward to this exhibition every year, to seeing what our hometown artists have to offer. The juror did an excellent job of selecting pieces that best represent the diversity and creativity of the Allied Artists. I encourage everyone to come to the Museum to witness the talent of your friends and neighbors.”

            Begun in the mid-1920s when Margery Coleman Harris and seven of her friends formed an art group to share their interest in painting, the Allied Artists of Johnstown was formally incorporated in 1932. The organization has grown from its original membership of eight to more than 100 artists today. The group produces an average of four exhibitions annually, sponsors scholarships for graduating high school seniors pursuing careers in the arts, and, through its Friends of Art Fund, donates art works to local public institutions.

            The Museum will host a gallery tour with Allied Artists award winners at 2 p.m. on Friday, November 10. The program is open to the public free of charge.

            The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Johnstown is located in the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Hours of operation are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Museum is open to the public free of charge. For more information, please call the Museum at (814) 269-7234 or visit www.sama-art.org.