February 19, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, please contact:

Tina Lehman, Education Administrator

(814) 269-7234

Travis Mearns, Public Relations Coordinator

(724) 238-6015

STUDENT ART EXHIBITIONS RETURN TO SAMA MUSEUMS

            Loretto – The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art will continue its tradition of celebrating the works of talented young artists with the return of Artists of the 21^st Century, the Museum’s annual student art exhibition. Nearly 400 student-created works will be on view in the month-long exhibition. Artists of the 21^st Century will be on view at SAMA-Loretto from February 22 through April 6, and at SAMA-Ligonier Valley from March 7 through April 20.

            The exhibition, held in conjunction with National Youth Art Month and the State Arts-in-Education Month, is open to any school that participates in SAMA’s Museum/School Partnership Program. Through the program, SAMA educators travel to public and parochial schools to provide Arts-in-Education programs designed to enhance students’ understanding of art creation, technique, history, criticism and aesthetics. The award-winning program is the largest of its kind in the Commonwealth.

            Approximately 500 students will be represented in the two exhibitions. Schools in Westmoreland and Fayette counties will be exhibited at SAMA-Ligonier Valley, while schools in Cambria, Bedford, Blair and Somerset counties will be featured in the Loretto exhibition. Each Museum will hold an opening reception to celebrate the exhibition and our student artists. The SAMA-Loretto reception will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 2. SAMA-Ligonier Valley’s reception is scheduled for noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 9. Please note that parking for the Ligonier Valley reception is available at Fort Ligonier only, with free shuttles running to and from the Museum. The receptions are open to the public, but the Museum suggests a donation of $1 per person in support of the exhibition.

            SAMA Education Administrator Tina Lehman said the student art exhibition, now in its tenth year, provides a special opportunity for children to see their work hanging in a museum, along with full text panels. “This exhibition has proven to be a great opportunity for students in the six-county region that SAMA serves to showcase their creativity and talent, and this year’s exhibition is looking to be one of the best yet,” she said. “It’s a great experience for the students to create original art and then to see it displayed in a museum setting. It’s really a great honor for the students and I hope everyone can come out and support them and their amazing talents.”

            Approximately 20 districts and 60 schools are participating in the student art exhibition. Each district is permitted to submit 20 individual projects and one group project. Schools represented in the Loretto exhibition include: Altoona Area High School; Bellwood-Antis Middle School; Bishop McCort High School; Cambria Heights Elementary School; Central Cambria Middle and High schools; East Side Elementary School; Foot of Ten Elementary School; Forest Hills Middle and High schools; Greater Johnstown Middle and High schools; Hollidaysburg Area Junior and Senior High schools; Holy Name Elementary School; Indiana Senior High School; Jackson Elementary School; Northern Cambria Elementary, Middle and High schools; Penn-Mont Academy; Portage Elementary School; Richland Elementary, and Junior and Senior High schools; and Windber Area High School.

            Schools participating in the SAMA-Ligonier Valley exhibition include: Baggaley Elementary School; Bovard Elementary School; Christ the Divine Teacher School; Fort Allen Elementary School; Greater Latrobe Junior and Senior High schools; Greensburg Salem Middle and High schools; Harrold Middle School; Hempfield Area Senior High School; Holy Trinity School; Hutchinson Elementary School; Jeannette McKee Elementary and Middle schools; Latrobe Elementary School; Laurel Valley Elementary, Middle/High, and Senior High schools; Ligonier Valley Middle and High schools; Maxwell Elementary School; Metzgar Elementary School; Mt. View Elementary School; Nicely Elementary School; Perry Elementary School; R.K. Mellon Elementary School; Stanwood Elementary School; Valley School of Ligonier; Wendover Middle School; and West Hempfield Elementary and Middle schools.

            Each of the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art’s four locations – Altoona, Johnstown, Ligonier Valley and Loretto – is open to the public free of charge. Hours of operation at the Ligonier Valley and Loretto facilities are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. weekends. For more information, visit www.sama-art.org or call Tina Lehman, Education Administrator, at (814) 269-7234.