Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2011 -- Opening Reception

 I had a wonderful time at the opening reception for the Art of the State exhibit at the Pennsylvania State Museum last night.  I was thrilled and honored to receive an Honorable Mention award for my work, Watt & Shand #9.  This is a very classy and well run event and they do it up right, beginning with a brief awards ceremony.  As I was called up on stage to pick up the award, they flashed the image of my work on the screen on stage--definitely my 15 seconds of fame!

 Here's the view of the auditorium shortly before the ceremony started, to give a feel for the size of the crowd:

 Afterwards they had the award winners pose for a group photo; here I am trying not to blink:

 Then the doors to the exhibit space were opened and people streamed in, to view the art and demolish the great catered buffet.  Here's a shot of a portion of the gallery:

 And a panorama--that's me on the left:

Here's a brief video sweep of  one side of the gallery space to give a feel for the vibe:

I thought the quality of the works on view was excellent--many that delighted and excited, many that evidenced superior craftsmanship, and very few headscratchers.  It was a pleasure to walk around and examine the work, and especially to talk to some of the other artists.  I'm always hesitant to post pictures of others artists' work without express permission,  but you can see all the work on this Flickr site.  Better still, if you find yourself in Harrisburg over the summer, stop in at the Museum and see the exhibit in person, it is up until September 11th.

My deep and sincere thanks to the staff and volunteers at the Museum and the Greater Harrisburg Arts Council for providing such a rewarding exhibition opportunity.  It's potentially a bit disconcerting to switch from spending a great deal of time alone and hard at work in the studio, to meeting and greeting at a public venue like an opening, but last night was a pure pleasure.  I am so amazed and grateful when people come up to talk to me about my work and I get to tell the stories behind it that motivate and drive me.