February 16, 2010
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 EXHIBITION RETURNS 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 300 student-created works will be featured in the exhibition. Artists of the 21^st Century will be on view at SAMA-Ligonier Valley from February 26 through April 17 and at SAMA-Loretto from March 5 through April 10.

            The exhibition, held in conjunction with National Youth Art Month and the State Arts-in-Education Month, is open to any school that participated 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 300 students will be represented in the two exhibitions. Schools in Westmoreland and Fayette counties will be exhibited at SAMA-Ligonier Valley, while schools in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Indiana and Somerset counties will be featured in the Loretto exhibition. Each Museum will hold an opening reception to celebrate the exhibition and the region’s student artists. The SAMA-Ligonier Valley reception will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, February 28. SAMA-Loretto’s reception is scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 6. 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 twelfth year, provides a special opportunity for children to see their work hanging in a museum, along with full text panels. “Every year, SAMA hosts the Artists of the 21^st Century exhibition, and every year the students in our six-county region put forth their best artistic efforts,” she said. “As in years past, there is a great variety in these exhibitions, with everything from clay sculpture to photography. I congratulate all the participating students for their hard work and great talent, and I hope to see them in the exhibition again next year. Please make a point to stop in and see the beautiful artwork they have created.”

            In total, 16 districts and 36 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; Bishop McCort High School; Blacklick Valley High School; Cambria Elementary School; Cambria Heights Elementary School; Central Cambria Middle and High schools; East Side Elementary School; Forest Hills Middle and High schools; Greater Johnstown High School; Indiana Senior High School; Jackson Elementary School; Northern Cambria Elementary, Middle and High schools; Portage Area Elementary School; Richland Elementary School; and Richland Junior and Senior High schools.

            Schools participating in the SAMA-Ligonier Valley exhibition include: Baggaley Elementary School; Fort Allen Elementary School; Greater Latrobe Junior High School; Harrold Middle School; Hempfield Area Senior High School; Holy Trinity School; Jeannette McKee Middle School; Latrobe Elementary School; Maxwell Elementary School; Mountain View Elementary School; Stanwood Elementary School; Valley School of Ligonier; Wendover Middle School; West Hempfield Elementary and Middle schools; and West Point Elementary School.

            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 SAMA-Ligonier Valley are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. weekends. Hours of operation at SAMA-Loretto are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, visit www.sama-art.org or call Tina Lehman, Education Administrator, at (814) 269-7234.