Erie Art Museum Premieres Its 91st Annual Spring Show
Erie, PA, May 07, 2014 --(PR.com)-- The Erie Art Museum premieres its 91st Annual Spring Show on Saturday, April 26 from 7-9:30 p.m. with an exclusive preview for EAM Museum members and artists of the Spring Show in the Museum’s Main Gallery. Juror’s awards will be announced during this event, and guests will enjoy complimentary beverages and a dessert bar. Non-members are invited to become members at the door and attend the event. A free, public reception for non-members will be Sunday, April 27 from 1-3 p.m.
An annual juried exhibition, the show features works from artists residing within 250-miles of Erie with pieces that have not previously exhibited in the Erie area. Sergei Isupov served as this year’s Juror of Selection and Awards. A Russian-born artist, Isupov holds an MFA in Ceramics and has a long international resume with work included in numerous collections and exhibitions throughout the world.
Mr. Isupov accepted 100 pieces from 86 artists from a body of 691 pieces submitted by 330 artists. Awards and Honorable Mentions selected by the Juror will be announced at the Saturday Opening for Artists and Members.
Of the jury process—unique to EAM as one of the few institutions remaining that still juries by the physical pieces of work instead of digital slides—Isupov said, “I feel less judgmental of jurors now—they make hard decisions. Before, I was more critical. Being a part of this process has given me perspective on why my work may have been rejected or accepted into shows in the past. Sometimes it’s just being in the right place at the right time; seeing work compared to all the other submissions, some of it just clicks.”
A strong emphasis on narrative appeared again and again. “Emotion and figurative work are connected, so it was interesting to see so much narrative in the figurative works and so few abstract works. I feel that the last decade or so has been primarily abstract, so this seems like a new direction.”
Despite the challenge of selecting only 100 works from the nearly 700 entered, the process was invigorating, Isupov stated. Serving as juror underscored for him one fundamental idea: the importance of doing what you like to do. “My compliments to all the entrants,” he said, recognizing the physical and emotional challenges they experience. “I had to reject some submissions that were obviously hard to bring in [physically]. In the beginning of the jurying process, I wanted to accept almost everything, and it took second and third and fourth viewing to get to the exhibition.”
Juror's Awards were given to the following artists: Linda Cordell, Goat Drip - Fredonia, NY; Brenden Daugherty, Self Portrait, Girard PA; Jocelyn Howard, Tension, Edinboro, PA; Paul McMillan, Dia de Los Muertas, Pittsburgh, PA; Rebecca Merry, Such Kind Eyes, Wattsburg, PA; Russ Revock, Two Stories of a Two-Story Varicose Incompetent, Cleveland, OH; Honorable Mention went to Stuart Pearl, Ghostly Rhodo, Lyndhurst, OH. The Northwestern Pennsylvania Artists Association Award was given to Brenden Daugherty, Self Portrait, Girard, PA.
The 91st Annual Spring Show will be on view in the Erie Art Museum’s Main Gallery through July 2014.
About the Erie Art Museum
The Erie Art Museum anchors downtown Erie’s cultural and economic revitalization, occupying a group of restored mid-19th century commercial buildings and a modern, ‘Green,’ 10,500 square foot expansion. The newly expanded Museum marks the first LEED-certified building in the region, soon to be complete with a planted rooftop.
The Museum maintains an ambitious program of changing exhibitions annually, embracing a wide range of subjects, both historical and contemporary and including folk art, contemporary craft, multi-disciplinary installations, community-based work, as well as traditional media.
The Erie Art Museum also holds a collection of over 8,000 objects, which includes significant works in American ceramics, Tibetan painting, Indian bronzes, contemporary baskets, and a variety of other categories.
The Museum offers a wide range of education programs and artists’ services including interdisciplinary and interactive school tours and a wide variety of classes for the community. Performing arts are showcased in the 25-year-old Contemporary Music Series, which represents national and international performers of serious music with an emphasis on composer/performers, and a popular annual two-day Blues & Jazz Festival.
The Erie Art Museum, café, and gift shop is open Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. For additional visitor information, visit online at erieartmuseum.org or call 814-459-5477.
An annual juried exhibition, the show features works from artists residing within 250-miles of Erie with pieces that have not previously exhibited in the Erie area. Sergei Isupov served as this year’s Juror of Selection and Awards. A Russian-born artist, Isupov holds an MFA in Ceramics and has a long international resume with work included in numerous collections and exhibitions throughout the world.
Mr. Isupov accepted 100 pieces from 86 artists from a body of 691 pieces submitted by 330 artists. Awards and Honorable Mentions selected by the Juror will be announced at the Saturday Opening for Artists and Members.
Of the jury process—unique to EAM as one of the few institutions remaining that still juries by the physical pieces of work instead of digital slides—Isupov said, “I feel less judgmental of jurors now—they make hard decisions. Before, I was more critical. Being a part of this process has given me perspective on why my work may have been rejected or accepted into shows in the past. Sometimes it’s just being in the right place at the right time; seeing work compared to all the other submissions, some of it just clicks.”
A strong emphasis on narrative appeared again and again. “Emotion and figurative work are connected, so it was interesting to see so much narrative in the figurative works and so few abstract works. I feel that the last decade or so has been primarily abstract, so this seems like a new direction.”
Despite the challenge of selecting only 100 works from the nearly 700 entered, the process was invigorating, Isupov stated. Serving as juror underscored for him one fundamental idea: the importance of doing what you like to do. “My compliments to all the entrants,” he said, recognizing the physical and emotional challenges they experience. “I had to reject some submissions that were obviously hard to bring in [physically]. In the beginning of the jurying process, I wanted to accept almost everything, and it took second and third and fourth viewing to get to the exhibition.”
Juror's Awards were given to the following artists: Linda Cordell, Goat Drip - Fredonia, NY; Brenden Daugherty, Self Portrait, Girard PA; Jocelyn Howard, Tension, Edinboro, PA; Paul McMillan, Dia de Los Muertas, Pittsburgh, PA; Rebecca Merry, Such Kind Eyes, Wattsburg, PA; Russ Revock, Two Stories of a Two-Story Varicose Incompetent, Cleveland, OH; Honorable Mention went to Stuart Pearl, Ghostly Rhodo, Lyndhurst, OH. The Northwestern Pennsylvania Artists Association Award was given to Brenden Daugherty, Self Portrait, Girard, PA.
The 91st Annual Spring Show will be on view in the Erie Art Museum’s Main Gallery through July 2014.
About the Erie Art Museum
The Erie Art Museum anchors downtown Erie’s cultural and economic revitalization, occupying a group of restored mid-19th century commercial buildings and a modern, ‘Green,’ 10,500 square foot expansion. The newly expanded Museum marks the first LEED-certified building in the region, soon to be complete with a planted rooftop.
The Museum maintains an ambitious program of changing exhibitions annually, embracing a wide range of subjects, both historical and contemporary and including folk art, contemporary craft, multi-disciplinary installations, community-based work, as well as traditional media.
The Erie Art Museum also holds a collection of over 8,000 objects, which includes significant works in American ceramics, Tibetan painting, Indian bronzes, contemporary baskets, and a variety of other categories.
The Museum offers a wide range of education programs and artists’ services including interdisciplinary and interactive school tours and a wide variety of classes for the community. Performing arts are showcased in the 25-year-old Contemporary Music Series, which represents national and international performers of serious music with an emphasis on composer/performers, and a popular annual two-day Blues & Jazz Festival.
The Erie Art Museum, café, and gift shop is open Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. For additional visitor information, visit online at erieartmuseum.org or call 814-459-5477.
Contact
Erie Art Museum
Carolyn Eller
814-459-5477
erieartmuseum.org
Carolyn Eller
814-459-5477
erieartmuseum.org
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