2023 EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
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Support YOUR Museum
Serving the community through the many educational, cultural, and fulfilling opportunities requires assistance from a range of resources. To maintain free admission to our museums, we need your support! Thoughtful donations by members and patrons help us keep our five museums in Altoona, Bedford, Johnstown, Ligonier, and Loretto open to the public free of charge.
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Read about the upcoming exhibitions at each SAMA site and donate to help support an exhibition that interests you! Please contact the SAMA site of your choosing if you would like help or more information about sponsoring an exhibition.
Altoona
Artists of the 21st Century
work by grade-school students in the six counties SAMA serves
in the Wolf, Pechter and Detwiler Galleries
February 3, 2023 – April 16, 2023
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The Museum’s twenty-fifth annual student art exhibition will be displayed at SAMA Altoona, SAMA Ligonier, and SAMA Bedford. Held in conjunction with National Youth Art Month, the exhibition is open to schools that participate in SAMA’s Arts-in-Education or Artist-in-Residence program. These programs serve six counties: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland. Through the programs, SAMA educators and professional artists travel to public and parochial schools to provide lessons designed to enhance students’ understanding of art creation, technique, history, criticism, and aesthetics. SAMA’s award-winning education initiative is the largest of its kind in the Commonwealth.
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Within the Frame: Prelude to the Donald M. Robinson Photography Biennial
selections from the Permanent Collection
in the Wolf, Pechter and Detwiler Galleries
April 28, 2023 - May 14, 2023
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Within the Frame situates the photographic works of Donald M. Robinson alongside photographs from artists such as Larry Fink, Esther Bubley, Eva Besnyo, Alfred Stieglitz, and others. This exhibition explores an open conversation between different proponents of the photographic medium and the evolving perspectives on what photography can do. From photography as a representational conduit capturing the natural world in an image, to a human-to-human interface across cultures, and to photography as pure visual expression, this collection of photos from our permanent collection demonstrates the ever expanding limits and ever recontextualized capacities of the images captured within the frame of photography. This collection serves as a historical tour of photography culminating in the contemporary image and serves as a prelude to the contemporary works featured in the upcoming Donald M. Robinson Photography Biennial.
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Donald M. Robinson Photography Biennial
in the Wolf, Pechter and Detwiler Galleries
June 2, 2023 - September 10, 2023
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The Donald M. Robinson Photography Biennial is a juried photography exhibition which will feature work by photographers from across the world. The exhibition and events are proudly sponsored by the Donald & Sylvia Robinson Family Foundation. Photography is one of the most easily approachable mediums and methods of self-expression and creativity. This Biennial explores new ways of seeing photography while celebrating its 200-year history and will feature an exhibition, an awards celebration, photography symposium, a publication of essays, and an outdoor exhibition.
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Mystic Sympathies: Colleen Browning
selections from the Permanent Collection
in the George A. and Herbert T. Wolf Gallery
September 22, 2023 - January 14, 2024
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Colleen Browning's career spans from being a map maker for the Royal Air Force during WWII, to set designing for a London film studio, to her incredible body of work as a painter. Browning is an American artist whose paintings have received celebrated acclaim. These paintings from our permanent collection showcase her incredible talents as a painter and her uncanny ability to merge dream with reality while capturing the depth of human emotion. The exhibition and associated events are sponsored by the Wolf-Kuhn Foundation.
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Artists in Our Midst
in the Shirley and Fred A. Pechter Gallery
September 22, 2023 – Jan 14, 2023
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Art in Common's juried exhibition features artwork from a collective of local artists demonstrating the creative talents of our community. This annual collaboration offers local working artists a space for recognition of their talents and an opportunity to show in an acreddited museum. This interorganizational collaboration serves to strengthen the foundation of the arts community in Altoona and the surrounding areas. The exhibition and associated events are sponsored by the Wolf-Kuhn Foundation.
Bedford
Color, Light, and the Outdoors artworks by Kutz, Jackson, Mitchell, Pfahl
in the Titelman Galleries and the Paula and Dean Lemley Gallery
December 2, 2022 – February 5, 2023
Embark on a visual journey and discover our region’s natural beauty through the eyes of these four remarkable artists: Kevin Kutz, Sandra Jackson, Edward Mitchell, and William Pfahl. See this exhibition in a different light when it is displayed first in the summer at our sister SAMA at Ligonier.
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Artists of the 21st Century: work by grade-school students in the six counties SAMA serves
in the Titelman Galleries and the Paula and Dean Lemley Gallery
February 10, 2023 – April 23, 2023
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The Museum’s twenty-fifth annual student art exhibition will be displayed at SAMA Loretto, SAMA Ligonier, and SAMA Bedford. Held in conjunction with National Youth Art Month, the exhibition is open to schools that participate in SAMA’s Arts-in-Education or Artist-in-Residence program. These programs serve six counties: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland. Through the programs, SAMA educators and professional artists travel to public and parochial schools to provide lessons designed to enhance students’ understanding of art creation, technique, history, criticism, and aesthetics. SAMA’s award-winning education initiative is the largest of its kind in the Commonwealth.
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Shine a Light: Your Safe Haven
in the Ashe Gallery and Jerry & Joan Hawk Gallery
February 17, 2023 – May 14, 2023
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The works in this exhibit were created to “Shine a Light” on the dark world of abuse but also to celebrate the strength and resilience of the abused. It offers dramatic proof that art serves a need well beyond providing pretty pictures.
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Mark Del Costello: selections from the Permanent Collection
in the Titelman Galleries
May 5, 2023 – July 9, 2023
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See an exhibition featuring art for music and musicals and other visual promotions from the Mark Del Costello special collection of posters.
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Jen Judd: Jenscapes
in the Paula and Dean Lemley Gallery
May 5, 2023 – July 9, 2023
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Judd is a mixed media artist and graphic designer. After nearly 24 years serving in the United States Air Force, she retired to Bedford, her hometown, in 2016 and has been pursuing art through many avenues to figure out what her next career might look like. Combining the mess and process of mixed media art to the communication art of graphic design has been a wonderful experience for her over the last several years. This exhibition is based on her dreams. Judd captures layers of adventure and non-reality from her subconscious to share as an escape for you!
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Summer of History: Michael Morgart & Lincoln Highway Heritage Center
in the Ashe Gallery and Jerry & Joan Hawk Gallery
May 26, 2023 – August 13, 2023
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This exhibition will show the long history of travel in PA and showcase the historic Bedford Coffee Pot. The Lincoln Highway Heritage Center will loan us images, historical documents, and artifacts that show the original placement and the transition to its new home. With travel in mind, we will also have antique license plates hung throughout the galleries alongside colorful animal art. Travel and animal related activities can be found in the Children's Discovery Gallery. Michael Morgart, a professional woodworker, will have his award-winning decoy ducks and birds of PA on exhibition alongside local birds and animals from the Donald M. Robinson photography collection.
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Collin Cessna: Exploration
in the Titelman Galleries and the Paula and Dean Lemley Gallery
July 21, 2023 – October 15, 2023
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Collin Cessna is a visual artist currently living in Baltimore County, Maryland with Bedford County roots. He studied visual arts at the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology. In college, he studied Environmental Science and worked in the field for several years before returning to a life of creating art. Currently, he works out of his studio in Baltimore County. On his work, Cessna states, “My abstract landscapes play with light and color in a continuously evolving style. This show on exploration goes beyond location, but through, mediums, movements, and interpretation. Sincerest thank you to T&R Custom Dealer Services, Top Mountain Designs, and Cessna Ridge Sawmill for generously sponsoring the exhibition."
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Historic Bedford: Fort Bedford Museum
in the Ashe Gallery and Jerry & Joan Hawk Gallery
August 25, 2023 – November 12, 2023
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The Fort Bedford Museum provides local and regional history to the community and was built in 1958 by Bedford residents to commemorate construction of the original French & Indian War fort in 1758. In the summer of 2022, the museum opened the first phase of our Fort Era exhibition, devoted to Bedford's role in the French & Indian War, and exhibition enhancements are still being added today. The Fort Bedford Museum houses over 5,000 objects from Bedford’s past. The Historic Bedford exhibition collaboration between SAMA and the Fort Bedford Museum will showcase pieces from Fort Bedford’s permanent collection and display the unison of art and history. With over two dozen pieces of historical military and legal documents, photos, and newsprint on loan, you can take a trek through time and view the artistry in each of the elaborate works.
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Best of the Best
in the Titelman Galleries and the Paula and Dean Lemley Gallery
and Ashe Gallery and Jerry & Joan Hawk Gallery
October 27, 2023 – April 14, 2024
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Enjoy a remarkable journey through the heart and soul of our permanent collection in our latest exhibition. Prepare to be enchanted by the most extraordinary pieces that our collection has to offer. From timeless classics to contemporary gems, this exhibition is a testament to the enduring power of art to inspire, provoke, and captivate. Join us for an unforgettable experience as we showcase the best of the best, each masterpiece telling a unique story and inviting you to explore the depths of human imagination. Bring your friends and family, and let's celebrate the beauty and brilliance that art brings into our lives.
Johnstown
Water & Earth: works by Donald M. Robinson
selections from the SAMA Permanent Collection
May 19, 2023 – September 11, 2023
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See depictions of nature in its purest form, with serene and majestic views of nature, these photographs showcase the brilliant colors and textures of nature, celebrating the peaceful ambiance of our world.
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Birds & Habitats: works by Donald M. Robinson
selections from the SAMA Permanent Collection
September 15, 2023 – May 12, 2024
Celebrate the beauty and necessity of wildlife to our region and beyond. In conjunction with World Migratory Bird Day on October 14, 2023, the exhibition observes the importance of our feathered friends. Birds are a vibrant yet vital part of the ecosystem, serving as earth’s planters, pollinators, exterminators, and sanitizers all in one. Visitors can expect to feel transported, the energy of nature brought to life within this two-dimensional space. In our version of an aviary, we invite viewers to honor the delicacy of the planet we call home and the creatures that share it.
Ligonier
Exhibitions In The Elizabeth Shaw Gamble Gallery
Southwestern Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
work by artists from the 19 southwestern counties of Pennsylvania
November 11, 2022 – February 5, 2023
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The SPCARTS exhibition features work by artists from the 19 southwestern counties of Pennsylvania. Featured works will span a variety of media, including acrylic, oil, photography,
pastel, watercolor, wood, masonry, and many others. Since its inception 27 years ago, the exhibition has become known for its freshness and energy in the art of emerging young artists
and for the dazzling presentations of established artists who are developing a new direction with their art.​
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Artists of the 21st Century
work by grade-school students in the six counties SAMA serves
February 17, 2023 – April 30, 2023
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The Museum’s twenty-fifth annual student art exhibition will be displayed at SAMA Altoona, SAMA Ligonier, and SAMA Bedford. Held in conjunction with National Youth Art Month, the exhibition is open to schools that participate in SAMA’s Arts-in-Education or Artist-in-Residence program. These programs serve six counties: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland. Through the programs, SAMA educators and professional artists travel to public and parochial schools to provide lessons designed to enhance students’ understanding of art creation, technique, history, criticism, and aesthetics. SAMA’s award-winning education initiative is the largest of its kind in the Commonwealth.
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In Our Elements: Sirofchuck works in Wood, Glass and Paint
Paul, Mandy & Clair Sirofchuck
May 6, 2023 - August 6, 2023
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This is a family exhibition with artwork in wood, glass and oils. Art completed Paul who works in wood, Mandy who works with glass and and daughter Clair who paints with oils.
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Dual exhibition:
The Art and Novelty of Bryce Glass
An Appreciation for the Familiar by J.D. Titzel
August 18, 2023 – November 5, 2023
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This is a dual exhibition. J. D. Titzel's exhibition titled, "An Appreciation for the Familiar" covers a plethera of his 2D oil work from over the last 30 years. The special glass exhibition displays the history and magesty of Bryce Glass. This carefully curated exhibition will celebrate the rich history and important role the Bryce family and Bryce, McKee & Co. played in our region.
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Southwestern Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
work by artists from the 19 southwestern counties of Pennsylvania
November 17, 2023 – February 4, 2024
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The SPCARTS exhibition features work by artists from the 19 southwestern counties of Pennsylvania. Featured works will span a variety of media, including acrylic, oil, photography,
pastel, watercolor, wood, masonry, and many others. Since its inception 28 years ago, the exhibition has become known for its freshness and energy in the art of emerging young artists
and for the dazzling presentations of established artists who are developing a new direction with their art.​
Biennial 2023
in the Sullivan Gallery
February 3, 2023 – April 16, 2023
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Biennial is the Museum’s juried exhibition occurring every two years that highlights the very best in regional artistic talent typically displaying work by more than 50 artists. SAMA’s Biennial is considered to be one of Pennsylvania’s top exhibitions for contemporary local artists, and this installment features works in photography, watercolor, wood, oil, clay, bronze, pastel, pencil, acrylic, and mixed media, among others.
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The Found Voice in Art
in the Margery Wolf-Kuhn Gallery
February 3, 2023 – March 26, 2023
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Back by popular demand! This exhibit of almost 70 works from the SAMA permanent collection, presents a full spectrum of voices, each unique and remarkable in their own way, each answering the question: what is art? The show is curated by painter and collector, Fred Danziger, and includes many iconic American artists such as Charles Burchfield, Alice Neel, George Bellows, Jacob Lawrence and Ben Shahn. These are all artists who "found their voice." Whether realistic paeans to honest work, light-filled landscapes, highly rendered still lifes, surreal dreams, social critiques or abstract contemplations on color and shape to name a few of the styles presented, each work says something the artist was committed to expressing. Each work also has a technical completeness which enables that voice to be heard. All created between 1900 and 2018, the exhibit includes examples from dozens of currents in American art during that time period. Not every painting will speak to every visitor of course, but each piece has been chosen to reflect a meaningful portion of the conversation that has been art in our time.
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SFU Fine Arts Student Exhibition
in the Margery Wolf-Kuhn Gallery
April 1, 2023 – April 30, 2023
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Works by the students of SFU art professor, Jess Campbell. Each artist brings their unique perspective to bear on the canvases on display.
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Textiles Unleashed
in the Sullivan Gallery
April 29, 2023 – July 9, 2023
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This exhibition is a juried exhibition of fiber-based artwork by Pennsylvania regional members of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA). It showcases a wide range of 2D and 3D quilt artworks, and highlights the diverse styles and techniques of an art form that prioritizes aesthetic value over utility. The jurist selected the show from over 100 entries submitted by current members of SAQA-PA (and those that have listed PA as their second region.) Over 60 pieces will be on display ranging from small to large in size. The exhibition is sponsored by Benzel’s Bretzel Bakery.
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Arts for Healing 2023
in the Margery Wolf-Kuhn Gallery
May 12, 2023 – July 9, 2023
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The exhibition features approximately 80 works created by clients during SAMA’s Museum/
Healthcare Partnership Program residencies at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center. SAMA’s trained artists and educators have been working with health care providers to develop residencies and workshops aimed at providing relief for patients dealing with physical pain and discomfort. The works in The Arts for Healing exhibition, now in its twentieth year, were created during residencies with SAMA teaching artist, Evgeny Krayushkin in 2022. The exhibition is sponsored by Benzel’s Bretzel Bakery.
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Photographic Memory: A Look at the History of Photography through SAMA Permanent Collection artworks
in the Sullivan Gallery
July 28, 2023 – October 15, 2023
An extraordinary opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in the rich history of photography and witness the transformative power of the medium. From the early black-and-white works capturing the essence of everyday life to the thought-provoking and experimental photographs of the contemporary era, the exhibition highlights the evolution of techniques, aesthetics, and storytelling within photography. This captivating exhibition will feature renowned artists such as Edward Weston, Alfred Stieglitz, Margaret Bourke-White, and Larry Fink. Each artist's distinctive style and unique contributions to the world of photography will be displayed through carefully selected pieces from SAMA's extensive collection. The exhibition is sponsored by Benzel’s Bretzel Bakery.
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Subtle Reflections of Color
in the Margery Wolf-Kuhn Gallery
July 28, 2023 – October 15, 2023
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An exhibition celebrating, chastising, and challenging the use of color. Visitors will embark on a visual journey exploring the ways in which color can evoke emotions, provoke introspection, and create compelling narratives. This exhibition is a curated exploration of the myriad ways in which color influences our perception, engages our senses, and shapes our understanding of the world around us. From vibrant and exuberant palettes that celebrate life's joys to somber and muted tones that elicit introspection, "Subtle Reflections of Color" invites visitors to delve into the complex interplay between color and emotion. The exhibition features a diverse range of artworks in various media, including painting, sculpture, mixed media, and more by renowned artists who have masterfully employed color to convey their messages. The exhibition is sponsored by Benzel’s Bretzel Bakery.
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Praise!
in the Margery Wolf-Kuhn Gallery
October 27, 2023 – December 23, 2023
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As part of the Saint Francis University campus community, Loretto is pleased to announce the arrival of this faith inspired installation of artworks from the permanent collection. The exhibition will explore how belief transcends through art, the raw materials of things such as paint, ink, or pencil coming together to create spiritual imagery. Featuring an expansive collection of works, the exhibit is an insightful look into the metaphysical, the power of devotion demonstrated within each piece. SAMA Loretto welcomes visitors as we navigate how artists across time have embarked upon-and been compelled by-the multiple facets of divinity. The exhibition is sponsored by Benzel’s Bretzel Bakery.
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Return to Eden
in the Sullivan Gallery
October 27, 2023 – December 23, 2023
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Cara Livorio presents a mesmerizing collection of immersive gardens, each intricately interwoven with the fragments of human existence. Delve into the profound interplay between nature's ceaseless cycles and humanity's enduring imprint. The gardens featured in the series are teeming with remnants of human presence, speaking to the harmonious dance of life and death that characterizes the seasons of growth, decline, and rebirth. Visitors to the exhibition are invited to meander through these ever-changing landscapes, basking in their serenity and sublime allure.
Where others might perceive an attempt to assert dominance over nature, Livorio’s colorful, abstract landscape paintings offer an alternative perspective—a symbiotic coexistence. In her vision, the stones and statues gracefully surrender to their inevitable fate, embracing the cycle from dust to dust. This surrender is not a relinquishment of control, but rather a profound act of respect, faith, and trust—whether in nature itself or in one's higher beliefs. The series captures the essence of finding beauty in pain and brokenness, a testament to healing wounds, clearing away the remnants of the past, and cultivating space for new growth, much like tending to a garden. The exhibition is sponsored by Benzel’s Bretzel Bakery.
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Loretto
Exhibitions In the Sullivan Gallery