April 18, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, please contact:

Barbara Hollander, SAMA-Altoona Coordinator

(814) 946-4464

Travis Mearns, Public Relations Coordinator

(724) 238-6015

INSTALLATION ARTIST FEATURED AT ALTOONA MUSEUM

            Altoona – The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Altoona is pleased to announce the opening of its latest exhibition, Daniel Burke: Repurposed. The powerful installation exhibition features nearly 40 works including paintings, drawings, and large-scale installation pieces. The exhibition opens May 11 and will remain on view through September 8.

            Burke’s work displays a meticulous attention to detail while also being renowned for its introspective and diverse quality. The artist looks to colors, shapes, rhythms and patterns that guide him to concerns of fragility, improbability, imagination, abstraction, and change. It is quite possible that no two Burke installation exhibitions are ever the same; works such as City Night with Birds, on view in the Altoona exhibition, are fitted with Velcro to allow for rearrangement and unique interpretations.

Burke is Professor of Art and Chair of the Art Department at Mercyhurst College in Erie. He has won prizes and honors in more than 60 juried competitions, including awards in 29 national and international shows. He is a member of both the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh and the Northwestern Pennsylvania Artists’ Association.

“Daniel Burke, an accomplished, thoughtful artist, will bring his amazing creations to SAMA-Altoona this summer,” said SAMA-Altoona Coordinator, Barbara Hollander. “His diverse installation pieces will transform the museum space into a sculptural phenomenon. The architectural content of the Museum will lend itself beautifully to his work. Upon viewing, the audience will respond to Burke’s skilled craftsmanship, as well as his mastery of design, shape, and pattern.”

The Museum will celebrate the exhibition at a Blue Monday program on May 14. The event begins at 6 p.m. and features light supper and libations. Music will be provided by Stormy. Cost is $20 per person. For reservations, call the Museum at (814) 946-4464.

Burke will return to SAMA-Altoona for a Lunch a l’Art program on Thursday, June 14. The program, which begins at noon, includes lunch and a presentation by the artist. Cost is $13 or $12 for SAMA members. Please call the Museum for reservations or additional information.

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. Saturdays. The Museum is a handicapped-accessible facility and is open to the public free of charge. Parking is available in the garage across the street or in metered spots in the lot at the rear of the building. For more information, call the Museum or visit www.sama-art.org.

            The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.