March 4, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, please contact:

Barbara Hollander, SAMA-Altoona Coordinator

(814) 946-4464

Travis Mearns, Public Relations Coordinator

(724) 238-6015

SAMA-ALTOONA EXHIBITS MUSEUM'S ARTS-IN-EDUCATION COLLECTION

            Altoona – The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Altoona is pleased to announce the opening of its latest exhibition, The Education Collection: Unplugged. The exhibition, on view from March 14 through June 15, features nearly 50 works culled from SAMA’s Arts-in-Education Permanent Collection.

            The exhibition features works in a variety of media by several local and regional artists, including Michael Allison, Kurt L. Bonello, Philip Brulia, Ed Burda, Marcene Glover, Helen Gorsuch, Yongsook Kim-Lambert, Kevin Kutz, Thomas McCarty, Jo Owens Murray, Susan Severson, Kevin Suckling and Judith Counsel Vipond. Also included are a few works by national artists, such as Roy Lichtenstein, Colleen Browning, Maggie Milono and Hal Frater.

            The Museum’s Arts-in-Education Collection numbers nearly 300 works and is used for SAMA’s Museum/School Partnership Program. Through the program, museum educators take works of art into public and private schools to facilitate age-appropriate Arts-in-Education lessons emphasizing creation, technique, history, criticism and aesthetics. Held in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), SAMA’s award-winning education programs serve more than 25,000 students in 100 schools spanning 31 school districts.

            “This exhibition will allow our public to see for the first time the quality of our Education Collection, the same works our educators take into the schools,” said SAMA-Altoona Coordinator Barbara Hollander. “This collection was specifically curated to appeal to students and adults alike. It encompasses a broad range of styles, media, and artists. While some of these works were purchased specifically for the Education Collection, many artists insisted on donating their work because they understood the important role that art and creativity play in a well-rounded education.”

            The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Altoona is located in the Brett Building at 1210 Eleventh Avenue. 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. Parking is available in metered spots in the lot at the rear of the building or in the garage across the street. For more information, please call the Museum at (814) 946-4464 or visit www.sama-art.org.