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2026 Exhibition Schedule
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
​​Conversations with Light
artwork by Skip Allen
in the Shirley and Fred A. Pechter Gallery
June 26, 2026 – October 4, 2026
Conversations with Light highlights Skip Allen’s decades-long exploration of photography through light, texture, and landscape. Inspired by a lifelong passion that began with a Kodak Brownie camera at age seven, Allen built a successful commercial photography career before turning his focus to landscape photography and the expressive possibilities of place and atmosphere. Influenced by mentors such as Bill Bordas and Rod Dresser, Allen’s work reflects his belief that meaningful photographs emerge through patience, observation, and connection with the subject. His images, exhibited throughout Pennsylvania and Nevada, continue to capture the emotional and visual poetry of the natural world.
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Under A Glowing Sky
artwork by Philip Koch
in the Paul I. Detwiler Education Center
June 26, 2026 – October 4, 2026
Philip Koch is widely recognized for his vividly colored, emotionally resonant landscapes that explore the power of light, memory, and the natural world. Raised along the shores of Lake Ontario and deeply inspired by Maine’s coastal landscapes, Koch paints from direct observation and memory rather than photographs, creating works rich in atmosphere and authenticity. Originally an abstract painter, he shifted toward realism after discovering the work of Edward Hopper and later completed numerous residencies at Hopper’s former Cape Cod studio. Koch’s celebrated paintings have been featured in fourteen solo museum exhibitions and are included in the permanent collections of major American art museums.
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A Mother and Child Reunion
artwork from the Seltzer Family of Collectors
in the George A. and Herbert T. Wolf Gallery
July 17, 2026 – October 4, 2026
The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art presents a memorial exhibition celebrating the artistic legacy of Joan Marie Seltzer and her son, Michael Harris Seltzer. Bringing together their distinct yet connected creative voices, the exhibition explores themes of family, resilience, imagination, and the enduring power of art across generations. Joan’s diverse works in still life, abstraction, and drawing reflect her lifelong dedication to creativity, while Michael’s intricate pen, ink, and watercolor cityscapes reveal his unique vision and devotion to artistic expression. Together, their work offers a meaningful reflection on the bond between two artists and the lasting impact of their creative journeys.
Bedford
Biennial 2026 Juried Art Exhibition
in seven galleries of the museum
July 24, 2026 – October 18, 2026
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. The exhibition and events are sponsored by Benzel’s Bretzel Bakery Inc., The Drawing Room - Lisa Denison, Barry H. Newborn, Barbara O'Brien, Scott Riner, Jana Sidler, Chantel Ventura, and Weyant Landscaping Inc.
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Forming & Fading
artwork by Kurt Bonello and Kat Claar
in the Titelman Galleries
October 30, 2026 – January 24, 2027
“Forming & Fading” unites metal sculptor Kurt Bonello and conceptual floral artist Kat Claar in a striking contemporary exploration of contrast and collaboration. Bonello's enduring steel and reclaimed wood forms stand in dialogue with Claar's ephemeral botanical installations, inviting viewers to reflect on the beauty found in both permanence and impermanence. Together, their work reveals how nature, time, and transformation shape the world around us.
PULSE Nightclub: 49 Elegies
in the Paula and Dean Lemley, Donald M. Robinson, Ashe, and Jerry & Joan Hawk Galleries
October 30, 2026 – January 24, 2027
In response to the tragic mass shooting at Orlando's Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016, artist John Gutoskey created PULSE Nightclub: 49 Elegies—a powerful visual tribute to the 49 victims. The series acts as a collection of visual poems, fusing universal spiritual iconography with deeply personal symbols shaped by Gutoskey’s own life as a gay man. The project stems from a place of intense collective grief. As Gutoskey reflects, the attack was not just an act of violence, but a profound violation of a safe, sacred queer space. Because it occurred on Latin night, it dealt a devastating blow to a minority within a minority, leaving a legacy of deep, metaphysical sadness and loss.
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In Bloom
selections from the Donald M. Robinson Permanent Collection
in the Donald M. Robinson Gallery
October 30, 2026 – January 24, 2027
Donald M. Robinson is a Pittsburgh-based internationally acclaimed photographer who has traveled the world in search of compelling images. Numbering in excess of 800 objects, the Robinson collection includes documentary and nature photographs taken on six continents and in more than 60 countries.
Johnstown
Inspiration: Life
selections from the Permanent Collection
September 2026 – January 10, 2027
This exhibition is a celebration of routine, quiet and sometimes loud moments in our everyday life. Where the previous exhibition celebrated artwork inspired by music, this exhibition looks at birthday parties, work, household chores, food, people, and the mundane objects we may overlook. Artists find inspiration from the world around them, their imagination, music and experiences.
Ligonier
Exhibitions in The Elizabeth Shaw Gamble Gallery
​​​50 Years of American Art
selections from the Permanent Collection
August 14, 2026 – November 1, 2026
The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, established in 1976, has a permanent collection of over 7,500 pieces. This special exhibition will feature a curated selection of works from SAMA’s permanent collection, celebrating five decades of art and culture. Visitors can view iconic works of art by Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell and selections by local metal sculptor, Kurt Bonello. The display reflects the museum’s growth from 47 works in 1976 to more than 7,500 pieces today.
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50 for $50
exhibition of round robin painting sessions
August 14, 2026 – November 1, 2026
The exhibit features 50 paintings created during Round Robin Painting sessions that were held during our open studio times. These 50 paintings feature collaborative paintings created by local artists, teachers, students, and plein air painters. All proceeds from the sale of these paintings will be applied to SAMA's education programs, helping to inspire the next generation of artists. The “Round Robin Painting” sessions and resulting exhibition were made possible by a grant for the Laurel Ridge Foundation.
​Southwestern Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
artwork by artists from the 19 southwestern counties of Pennsylvania
November 13, 2026 – January 31, 2027
The 31st annual 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, 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.