ART AMONG US UPDATE!
Art
among Us, our free community outreach program has taken off once again
this Spring. During the month of May, 300 children will walk through
the doors of the Latrobe Art Center. The children will range in ages
from preschool to eighth grade. The program will last approximately
an hour and a half. The children will examine each medium and learn
how to tell the difference between them. They will then do a hands-on
project that they will be able to take home with them and end the day
with a scavenger hunt. Every year the groups increase in quanitity
and the children end up having a wonderful experience. The goal of
this program is to give children the opportunity to experience first
hand that art is alive and well in our neighborhood. If you are interested
in taking advantage of this wonderful free community program, please
call the Art Center and schedule a time.
BUDDY PROGRAM - A SUCCESS!
Latrobe Art Center is offering
a new free community outrech program for children with special needs
and physical disabilities. A variety of projects will be offered accrouding
to their age, ability level, and interests. Our goal is to provide
the children with a chance to express themselves creatively and raise
their sel-esteem.
Over the course of the four weeks, the
children will have the help of Latrobe Art Center "Buddies" to create
art! At the conclusion of the four weeks, a small art show and reception
will be held at the art center, free of charge, where the children's
work will be displayed for the students, buddies, family members, and
public to see. Each child will receive a special art certificate for
participating in the program.
Gabi Nastuck, Artistic Director of Latrobe
Art Center, is responsible for the creation fo this project.Gabi,
along with Seth Rupert (intern), Ellie Brendlinger, Ginny Hutchinson,
Doreen Currie, Sue Hrubes, and Linda Monzo are working with the children
from Latrobe Elementary Special Needs Class. There are thirteen children
rangiing in ages from nine to twelve years old.
"They are all entusicastic
about art! We have hd two weeks with them so far, and it's so rewarding
to watch them and see their eyes light up as they create their own
piece of artwork! It makes my day that I can make a difference in theirs,"
says Gabi.
The reception for the students will be
held on Monday, May 10th, 2010 from 12:30pm - 1:30pm. On your lunch
hour, come down to the Art Center, and meet these little budding artists.
Their artwork is amazing, and the children are too!
MR. FRED ROGERS FINE ARTS REGIONAL JURIED
EXHIBITION
Latrobe
Art Center along with Greater Latrobe Art Conservation Trust are proud
to announce their first annual juried exhibition. This juried
exhibition gives the artist the opportunity to not only be accepted
into the show but to be chosen for consideration into the Greater Latrobe
School Systems highly acclaimed Special Art Collections.
One of the Greater Latrobe School District’s
treasures is a unique art collection featuring over 200 paintings;
it is the largest one in the United States that is entirely student-selected
and, for the most part, student purchased. The Art Collection
began in the Great depression under the leadership of two extraordinary
teachers: Mary Martha Hilmer and James R. Beatty and it contains the
works of such prominent regional artists; Samuel Roseburg, Roy Hilton,
John Kane, Virgil Cantini and Raymond Simboli.
Since 1936, the Special Art Collection has been a
pioneering program for students of the Greater Latrobe School District
and the citizens of the Latrobe surrounding area.
Mary Martha Himler, art teacher at Latrobe High School
and a recognized regional artist, worried that her students would not
be exposed to original art. She was an enterprising woman so
she convinced artists exhibition in the annual show of the Associated
Artists of Pittsburgh that they should lend works to be brought to
Latrobe. She joined with James R. Beatty each year to present
those works as an exhibit to the student body and to the Latrobe community. The
high school students then voted each year to determine what works should
be added to the Special Art Collection. The practice of student
voting continues today, 74 years later. The GLSD Art Conservation
Trust, founded in 1991, oversees the art collection and raiser funds
for its conservations and exhibitions.
The Latrobe Art Center is thrilled to host the first
Mr. Fred Rogers Fine Arts Regional Juried Exhibition. For one month,
the gallery will be filled with this show. Sam Berkovitz, of the Concept
Gallery in Pittsburgh, will be the Juror for this Exhibition and will
award $2,000 worth of prizes.
The Opening Reception and Award Ceremony will be on
Wednesday, September 1, 2010. A delightful evening of food, drinks,
beautiful artwork, and talentedartists will fill Latrobe Art Center
& Rogers Park (weather permitting).
For details about entering the juried exhibition please download
the prospectus or call the Art Center at 724.537.7011.
For information about the GLSD
Special Collection or to schedule a guided tour, please contact
Jessica Golden at 724-539-4220.
Mark September 1, 2010 on your calendar, and join
us for an exhibition that is going to be a show stopper!
2nd LIMITED EDITION PLATES -
NOW AVAILABLE
Latrobe
Art Center is excited to announce the commemorative plates for the
spring/summer 2nd limited edition.
Kathy Rafferty's oil painting of St.
Vincent Basilica was chosen along with Sharon Yoder's watercolor painting
entitled Spring Awakening.
Each eight inch ceramic plate has been
signed by the artist, numbered, and dated. It comes with it's own stand
and is only $25.00.
Come into the art center today to keep
your collection growing. It's a striking piece of art! This is a perfect
gift for Mother's Day or Graduation!
PAINTIN' IN THE RAIN
Latrobe Art Center's Gallery Members
have been hard at work painting umbrellas. Local Latrobe Artist, Susan
Hrubes, came up with this great Spring fundraiser idea, "What
a wonderful way to support the local Latrobe ARt Center. These umbrellas
will put a smile on your face even on the rainiest of days."
On
Thursday afternoon, during Open STudio, artists create wonderful works
of art on adult and children's umbrellas.
"Umbrellas are scattered everywhere, it's such a fun afternoon seeing
the artists's come up with such unique creative designs. Our front window
is filled with umbrellas and we even have them hanging from the ceiling
as you walk in the gallery. We cannot keep the umbrellas in stick!" says
Gabi Nastuck, Artistic Director.
The waterproof umbrellas are $35.00 for
the adult and $25.00 for the children's size. They can be purchased
at the Center and at Rose Style Shop on Ligonier Street.
We just got another shipment of pocket
umbrellas featuring five different colors; red, blue, green, black,and
pink. They fold right up into your purse! These umbrellas are $25 a
piece.
If you would like to special order a
design on your umbrellas you can call or come into the Center. "We
have had almost 10 requests and the demands just keep on coming! It
would make a wonderful gift for that certain someone who has everything!"
A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to the dedicated
artists who have turned an ordinary umbrellas into a beautiful piece
of artwork!
Judy
Bazzone, Ellie Brendlinger, Dorren Currie, Shari Davis, Joyce Gazdick,
Christine Gilotty, Sue Hrubes, Dolly Lynch, Linda Monzo, Carole McCray,
Peg Panasiti, Kathy Rafferty, Jan Sabatos, Eileen Stoner, and Sharon
Yoder.
THERE'S A NEW NEIGHBOR IN TOWN!!
COMING SOON TO LATROBE ART CENTER - COFFEE BEAN NEIGHBORHOOD
CAFE!!
LATROBE, Pennsylvania, April 1, 2010 – Another
exciting announcement from the Latrobe Community Revitalization Program
(LCRP) —The Coffee Bean Neighborhood Café will open this
spring in downtown Latrobe inside the Latrobe Art Center located on the
corner of Main & Ligonier Streets.
Three very successful Coffee Bean Cafes are located
along Route 30 in Latrobe, Greensburg, and Irwin. Owner Dale Personett
is known for his unique, house blend coffees, caffe lattes, and espresso. “We
are thrilled that Dale has decided to open a Coffee Bean Café in
downtown Latrobe! This will be a wonderful addition to our downtown--and
to have the café located inside the Latrobe Art Center is an added
plus! What a special atmosphere! Customers can relax and
enjoy a robust cup of coffee while being surrounded by fabulous artwork
of over 80 local artists. The Latrobe Art Center features paintings,
sculptures, handmade jewelry, stained glass, pottery, fabric arts, woodworking,
photography, hand painted cards, and homemade pillows,” commented
Annette Couch, Director of the Latrobe Community Revitalization Program.
Gabrielle “Gabi” Nastuck, Administrative & Artistic
Director of the Latrobe Art Center remarked, “The Latrobe Art Center
is thrilled and very excited to have this new addition. This is
exactly what our “neighborhood” needs. We will be
working side by side with the Coffee Bean to make this a very unique
place to be. The Neighborhood Café will also be open when
we have special events, receptions, workshops, classes, and open-mic
nights. Latrobe Art Center is a most accommodating place to host
showers, luncheons, club meetings, and more. The options are endless
and the Neighborhood Café is available!
Close your eyes and imagine sitting at one of our
bistro tables, checking email while sipping your coffee and eating
a luscious piece of cheesecake. You are surrounded by beautiful artwork, the
aroma of the coffee is amazing, and the acoustic music playing in the
background is so relaxing. It’s a great escape from your
busy, hectic day in the neighborhood. And most importantly, when
you come in to the Neighborhood Café, we will always make you
feel extra special!”
Barbara H. Nakles, Chair of the Greater Latrobe School
District’s Art Conservation Trust, had this to say, “We remember
that when to walk in downtown Latrobe meant that we would meet everyone
we knew. We would stop and talk and catch up on all the important
and unimportant things in our lives. The Latrobe Art Center has
brought back a little of those days. Now, with the Coffee Bean
Neighborhood Cafe at the Center, it will bring back more. Coffee,
conversation, community—all in a beautiful and inspiring setting—means
the corner of Main and Ligonier is alive again!”
Take a walk, take a stroll through downtown Latrobe
and visit our new neighbor—The Coffee Bean Neighborhood Café! Coming
this spring!
“Our ultimate goals are to enhance Latrobe’s
downtown appearance, increase foot traffic throughout downtown Latrobe
and retain or recruit business to our area. With the recent kick
off of Latrobe’s Façade Improvement Program along with the
ongoing Lloyd Avenue Gateway Improvement Project, and our Redd Up Latrobe
Project, we believe that we are making tremendous strides,” said
Couch.
LATROBE ART CENTER WELCOMES JOYCE WERIE PERRY!
On Saturday, March 13th, Latrobe
Art Center welcomed renowned Pittsburgh artist, Joyce Werie Perry. Joyce taught an oil workshop using her
award winning original knife technique. Joyce Werwie Perry is the
owner of le Poire, a fine art studio and gallery located in the heart
of Crafton near the West end of Pittsburgh. Joyce has won numerous
awards in regional and national exhibitions and has recently been awarded
the prestigious honor of a solo exhibition in October 2010 at The Westmoreland
Museum of American Art by Barbara Jones, Curator. Joyce is a
member and former Vice President/Exhibitions Co-Chair of The Associated
Artists of Pittsburgh and has over 110 works in private and public
collections nationally.
Joyce taught a total of twelve
students for the one day workshop held at the Center. She began the workshop with a brief lecture on the
advantages of the technique and a look at examples of her work. After
demonstrating the technique she gave each individual personalized attention
throughout the day. Students learned how to observe their subjects
in a new way and loosen up with texture, rhythm and movement as well
as vivid harmonious color. In turn this would take them to the
next level by bringing expression into their painting. Using
a few knives that were provided by Joyce, they learned how to manipulate
paint by adding and subtracting, incising and transferring soft, buttery
oils on the canvas.
Joyce
states, “Exploring the mystery of human
existence and recording how we relate to oneanother as human beings
is the force behind my work. The
texture and contrast of color in the paintings is achieved through the
rapid application and detraction of oil with knives – a technique
I developed in my endeavor to add immediacy and freshness to the work. Extreme
variations of texture accomplished through the manipulation of the paint
enables me to inject emotion and empathy for the subject. Although
my work is always transforming, the need to portray the human condition
remains constant, and my desire to pull emotion from the viewer vital.”
The students had a very successful day with Joyce and hopes that she
will return again in the near future.