The Gallery at Penn College Announces 2008-09 Exhibit Season

The Gallery at Penn College, on the third floor of Pennsylvania College of Technology's Madigan Library, will open its 2008-09 slate in July with "Japan Juxtaposed: Traditional Textiles/Modern Images." It is the first of 11 exhibits for the academic year, which represent a wide variety of expression.

"Japan Juxtaposed" opens July 8 with a reception in the gallery scheduled for 5-7 p.m. The textiles, from the personal collection of Joseph E. LeBlanc, instructor of physics, feature geometric patterns and designs based on nature, created using the classic Japanese method of resist-dyeing called Shibori. Also exhibited will be photographs by Kirk Pedersen, an urban landscape artist, that feature modern-day Tokyo, Japan's largest city. Pedersen is a professor of art at Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, Calif., and was recently an invited visiting artist and guest lecturer in China. LeBlanc will offer a gallery talk July 8 at 5:30 p.m. The exhibit runs through Aug. 6.

Other events scheduled in conjunction with this exhibit include a special lecture, "Japanese Culture as Seen Through Textiles" on July 8 at 7 p.m.; Asian storytelling for children with LeBlanc, Tuesday, July 15, at 9:30 a.m.; and a workshop, "Stitched Shibori on Pashmina Scarves," (registration and fees apply) on Friday, July 25.

The gallery will host "Third Eye" by Brad Holland from Aug. 14 through Sept. 14. Holland, considered one of the world's top illustrators, merges satire and wit with compassion and humanity. His drawings and paintings can be followed through such publications as Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, Esquire and The Atlantic Monthly. His work can also be found on CD covers, on theater posters and on the walls of Rio Casino in Las Vegas.

The opening reception for "Third Eye," part of the gallery's Current View Artist Series, will be held Tuesday, Aug. 26, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Holland will offer a gallery talk at 5:30 p.m. Holland will also offer a special lecture in Penn's Inn in the Bush Campus Center at 4 p.m.; space is limited, and reservations are required.

Sponsored by the college's media arts department, the Current View Artist Series showcases contemporary artists working in a variety of media. It provides an opportunity to broaden and enrich the educational experience at Penn College.

The gallery will host "New Paintings" by Judith Kalina from Sept. 19 through Oct. 16. Kalina traveled with American and European circuses for almost a decade and uses these experiences as a source for her art. In addition to circus imagery, her semi-abstract work portrays intimate family moments and her own memories. Kalina's work is in various collections including The John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art, Ringling College of Art and Design, and the Omega Institute. The opening reception for "New Paintings" is scheduled for 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Sept. 23. Kalina will offer a gallery talk at 5:30 p.m. The exhibit is part of the Current View Artist Series.

The gallery features paintings by Brian Bishop during an exhibit called "" scheduled for Oct. 26 through Nov. 21. Bishop's paintings attempt to pinpoint the overlap between opposites, such as the intangible and the tangible, the conceptual and the visceral, the forgotten and the remembered. Some of his inspiration comes from snapshot photography, surveillance films and portraiture study. Bishop recently exhibited his work at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. An opening reception for "" is scheduled for 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Oct. 28, with a gallery talk by Bishop scheduled at 5:30 p.m. The exhibit is part of the Current View Artist Series.

The gallery will host "Exalting Everyday Elements," an exhibit of paintings by the late David Armstrong, from Dec. 2-17. This popular exhibit returns to The Gallery at Penn College for a third year. Originals and reproductions will be available for sale to benefit the Pennsylvania College of Technology Foundation, which will use a portion of the proceeds from the sale of these works for annual scholarship awards and endowed scholarship funds to benefit Penn College students.

The gallery will open "60 x 60," a collection of small prints from Purdue University Galleries, on Jan. 10. The exhibit will run through Feb. 3. A travelling retrospective of contemporary prints acquired from Purdue University Galleries' biennial small-print exhibition, "Sixty Square Inches," the exhibit includes 60 images no larger than 60 square inches from a broad range of artists working in a variety of printmaking techniques including etching, engraving, lithograph, woodcut and intaglio.

An opening reception for "60 x 60" is scheduled for Jan. 20 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. The exhibit is part of the The Gallery at Penn College's Current View Artist Series.

The gallery will host "Beauty, Vulnerability and Inevitability," paintings by Ed Wong-Ligda, from Feb. 10 through March 6. The exhibit comprises three separate but related bodies of work that examine beauty, vulnerability and the inevitability of change. One group depicts scars that are markers of conflict or medical intervention, the second group uses theatrical scars as metaphors, and the third explores how pregnancy changes the roles and relationships of women. Wong-Ligda is a professor of illustration at Grand Valley State University in Michigan.

An opening reception for "Beauty, Vulnerability and Inevitability" is scheduled for Feb. 10 from 4:30-6:30 p.m., with a gallery talk by the artist at 5:30. The exhibit is part of the Current View Artist Series.

"Transcendence," an exhibit of photographs by Nick Johnson, will be featured at the gallery from March 17 through April 9. Working exclusively with a large-format camera, Johnson's photographs portray manipulated rock and flagstones that resemble abstract landscapes. A fine-art photographer for more than 30 years, Johnson teaches at the New England School of Photography and is the director of the school's Center for Photographic Exhibitions.

An opening reception for "Transcendence," part of the Current View Artist Series, is scheduled for March 26 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Johnson will offer a gallery talk at 5:30 p.m.

The gallery will host a small collection of original portraits by artist-in-residence Miguel Tio from April 21-24. Tio will conduct workshops for the Children's Learning Center and students in the early childhood education major during his visit and will also offer a workshop for parents of young children on April 24 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. The workshop is free and open to the public, but because space is limited, registration is required.

Tio's work has been likened to Renaissance paintings with its dramatic use of form and light, realism, perspective and humanist concerns. His painting skills have been employed for a wide variety of creative projects, including the feature films "Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man 2." He teaches art at the Studio in a School in New York City in addition to maintaining a studio.

From April 30 through May 7, the gallery will host a Student Portfolio exhibit by senior-level students in the college's graphic design major. Works will include posters, book covers, magazine spreads, corporate identity, logos and more.

An opening reception for the student portfolio exhibit is scheduled for May 5 from 4-6 p.m., with a gallery talk scheduled at 5:30.

As part of its annual Penn College Proud Showcase, the gallery will host an Employee Exhibition from May 14 through June 30. A wide variety of media photography, sculpture, textiles, paintings, woodworking and more will be represented in this exhibit.

An opening reception for the exhibit is scheduled for May 14 from 4-7 p.m. The Penn College Proud Showcase features artwork or personal collections of members of the Penn College, Williamsport Area Community College and Williamsport Technical Institute family, including alumni, employees and retirees.

The gallery added to its offerings in 2007-08 with "In Perfect Harmony: The Concert Series at The Gallery at Penn College." The well-received series continues in 2008-09 with performances by Celtic fiddler Kathryn Brosky at 8 p.m. on Nov. 11, and a return by classical guitarist and Penn College alumnus Alphonse Ciaccio at 2 p.m. on Feb. 15.

The gallery is open Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 2-8 p.m.; and Wednesday and Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The gallery is open only during scheduled exhibits and follows the college calendar regarding closures.

For more information about the gallery at Penn College, visit online , e-mail or call (570) 320-2445.