November 21, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, please contact:

Janet Bucciarelli, SAMA-Ligonier Valley Coordinator

(724) 238-6015

Travis Mearns, Public Relations Coordinator

(724) 238-6015

SAMA-LIGONIER VALLEY CELEBRATES LOCAL ART WITH SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS ANNUAL EXHIBITION

            Ligonier – The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley is pleased to once again be the host site for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Council for the Arts Annual Regional Juried Exhibition. This year’s exhibition marks the group’s 12^th annual showing. On view from November 30 through February 24, the exhibition features 71 works in a variety of media created by many of the region’s most acclaimed and talented artists.

            The Museum will host an opening reception for the exhibition on Saturday, December 1. The reception begins at 6 p.m., and announcement and presentation of awards will be made later in the evening. The reception is open to the public free of charge, but reservations are required by November 28 and can be made by calling the Museum at (724) 238-6015.

            The Council’s 12^th Annual Exhibition includes work in media such as watercolor, bronze, oil, acrylic, photography, wool and metal, among many others. Artists from the SWPCA’s 19 county service region – Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Clarion, Clearfield, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland counties – contributed to make this one of the Council’s strongest showings ever. The Council held its first exhibition in 1996 in an effort to promote and support visual artists living within Southwestern Pennsylvania. Since then, the exhibition has come to be known for its freshness and energy in the art of emerging artists, and for the dazzling presentations of established artists who are developing a new direction with their art.

            “This exhibition celebrates the diversity and range of artistic expression in the region, and is always greatly anticipated by the viewing public,” said SAMA-Ligonier Valley Coordinator, Janet Bucciarelli. “Whatever your artistic preferences, you will find something to satisfy your taste.”

            Serving as juror for the exhibition was Nancy Maguire, Deputy Director/Internal Affairs and Gallery Curator for Stedman Gallery, Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts in Camden, N.J. Since joining the gallery in 1988, she has curated more than three dozen exhibitions of various media. Maguire has juried numerous regional art exhibitions and has served on a local college’s art gallery steering committee.

            The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art has made a long-standing commitment to supporting and promoting local artists. Each of the Museum’s four facilities exhibit local artists on a regular basis. In addition to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Council for the Arts exhibition, the Allied Artists of Johnstown and Blair County’s Art in Common exhibit annually at SAMA’s Johnstown and Altoona facilities, respectively. Every two years, the Loretto facility hosts the Biennial, an exhibition of the area’s top artists. Young artists also are showcased with the Artists of the 21^st Century student art exhibitions, held every spring at the Ligonier Valley and Loretto museums.

            The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley is located at One Boucher Lane and Route 711 South in Ligonier. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. weekends. The Museum is a handicapped-accessible facility and is open to the public free of charge. For more information, call the Museum or visit www.sama-art.org.