.About the Westmoreland
The mission of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art is to enrich a growing public through innovative and collaborative approaches to the collection, preservation and presentation of American art.

Regular Museum hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 AM to 5 PM and Thursday until 9 PM. Museum admission is a $5 suggested donation for adults, children under 12 and students with valid ID are free. Guided tours can be arranged by calling 724/837-1500 ext. 10. An American Marketplace – The Shop at The Westmoreland carries books on American art, posters and notecards, children’s books and activities, unique giftware, jewelry and features a coffee bar. For directions to The Westmoreland or other information, the public should call 724/837-1500 or visit our web site at www.wmuseumaa.org. The Westmoreland is located at 221 North Main Street, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles east of Pittsburgh.

Westmoreland Museum of American Art May 2008 Calendar of Events
EXHIBITIONS

Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main Street, Greensburg. Free with admission donation. Call 724/837-1500 ext. 27 or visit www.wmuseumaa.org for more information.

 June 29 – October 19, 2008
PAINTING IN THE UNITED STATES
GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA … Painting in the United States, organized by the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, opens on June 29 and runs through October 19, 2008 coinciding with the 55^th Carnegie International [which opened in May at Carnegie Museum of Art]. This exhibition creates an overview of the exhibitions of the same title organized by the Carnegie Institute (now Carnegie Museum of Art) from 1943 to 1949. These exhibitions of American painting replaced the Institute’s annual Carnegie International exhibition when it was suspended due to World War II. Painting in the United States includes 48 paintings, 42 of which are the actual works selected for the exhibitions over the seven-year period, including paintings by such artists as George Ault, Thomas Hart Benton, Leon Kroll, Arthur Dove, Marsden Hartley, Edward Hopper, Jack Levine, and Max Weber, among others. Many of these artists were already established in their careers and artistic styles during the war years, while emerging artists such as Philip Guston, Robert Gwathmey, and Dorothea Tanning were also shown, and are included in this re-creation. Artist/faculty members of Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) including Samuel Rosenberg and Roy Hilton, who were invited to all seven of the exhibitions, provide a Pittsburgh connection and a regional focus. A full-color catalog accompanies the exhibition.

Judith H. O’Toole, Director/CEO, states: “It is our hope that among the audiences attracted to Painting in the United States will be those visiting Life on Mars, the 55th Carnegie International, because these two exhibitions present such a great opportunity for comparison.  Carnegie Museum of Art has been a wonderful collaborator and assisted us in promoting this exhibition. The International draws people from the nation and around the world who we hope will be interested in viewing this historical complement and become excited about American art.”

According to Curator Barbara L. Jones, “My purpose in organizing this exhibition some sixty-five years later, when the United States is once more at war, was twofold: to re-create an exhibition of as many of the actual paintings shown from 1943 to 1949 as possible, and to represent the diversity of styles created during this decade, allowing a fresh examination of them in the context of the new developments that would usurp them in the same decade. It is in keeping with the Museum’s mission to organize an exhibition such as this; and not only allows The Westmoreland to show works of art together as they would have been seen during the forties, thus recreating that experience for our visitors, but also allows visitors to witness artistic responses to the times in which the artists were living.”

About Painting in the United States
Creating a sampling of these seven exhibitions presents The Westmoreland with the opportunity to reexamine the work of this significant period in the history of American painting at a time when critics in this country were calling out for a truly American style in art. The decade of the 1940s was a significant one for its confluence of ideas and styles. It was a volatile period in American art, when American Scene painting dominated but modes of abstraction were ascending. Artists played a vital role in trying to create an art that was truly American as opposed to being overtly derivative of European styles. Regionalists turned inward seeking an understanding of the turmoil occurring in and outside this nation, expressing through their art nostalgia for aspects of their life that were rapidly changing. The social realists created an art that reflected their political and social concerns in an attempt to instigate social change as seen in paintings by Jack Levine and Robert Gwathmey. Realism and Modernism, the two prevailing movements through which artists of this period chose to express their ideas, are represented in this exhibition by Thomas Hart Benton, Edward Hopper, Philip Evergood, Arthur Dove, George L. K. Morris, Suzy Frelinghuysen, and others.

During this same time period, abstract expressionism was gaining ground. Artists such as Phillip Guston were experimenting with new ways to express themselves and create a style that was more relevant to their own experience. Abstract expressionist artists found their path through surrealism, which allowed artists a means to escape their immediate surroundings (World War II, the ongoing Depression) and explore a new arena in art. The experience of art making became what mattered to some of these artists; and while Guston was just formulating his style during these years, he would become one of the leading abstract expressionists, together with Jackson Pollock and Willem deKooning, among others.

This exhibition of forty-eight paintings reinforces the diversity of personal interpretations and stylistic approaches to art making during the 1940s. While realist and modernist styles co-existed throughout the decade, both were marginalized toward the end in favor of abstract expressionism. Both American Scene and abstract painters continued their work into the 1950s and beyond, but could not stem the momentum of the fast-advancing movement that would become known as the “New York School.” 

Support for exhibition is provided by The Fine Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, The Henry L. Hillman Foundation, Richard King Mellon Foundation, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Juliet Lea Hillman Simonds Foundation, Abbot W. Vose, Vose Galleries of Boston, Inc., and Barrie A. and Deedee Wigmore Foundation.

Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main Street, Greensburg. Free with admission donation. Call 724/837-1500 ext. 27 or visit www.wmuseumaa.org for more information.

June 29 – August 24, 2008
BILL WADE: Waterfall Spirits
This exhibition features the work of the 2006 recipient of The Westmoreland Exhibition Award selected from the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh annual exhibition. This waterfall series offers the artist’s view of the abstract qualities of water as it flows over rocks and precipices. Wade captures the drama and sound of the water as it moves through the natural world in these dynamic black and white photographs.

Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main Street, Greensburg. Free with admission donation. Call 724/837-1500 ext. 27 or visit www.wmuseumaa.org for more information.

August 27 – October 19, 2008
INTIMATE LANDSCAPES: The Gouache Paintings of Thomas Paquette
These diminutive gouache landscape paintings (measuring approximately 2 x 4 inches) represent a beginning for Paquette, who often re-translates them into larger oil paintings. And sometimes they stand on their own. In either case, they offer intimate views of landscape throughout the United States. These “conversations” with nature, painted on site, en plein air, and re-worked in the studio, provide the sensation of the artist’s hand moving on the paper, capturing a moment in time combined with the essence of light and shadow on the natural world. According to the artist: “By reducing the scale to a couple of square inches…the most salient…movements are expressed, capturing a composition’s soul.” While small in size, they are monumental in scale.

Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main Street, Greensburg. Free with admission donation. Call 724/837-1500 ext. 27 or visit www.wmuseumaa.org for more information.

PROGRAMS, LECTURES, FAMILY ACTIVITIES, & SPECIAL EVENTS

Saturday, May 17 at 12 PM
Special Event
Tea & Botanicals
Sponsored by the Women’s Committee of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, this afternoon tea and lecture features Hollie Powers Holt, co-author of The Art of the Garden: Collecting Antique Botanical Prints. Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, 951 Old Salem Road, Greensburg. Tickets: $25. Call 724/837-1500 ext. 33 or visit www.wmuseumaa.org for more information.

Thursday, May 22 at 7 PM
Thursday Evenings at The Westmoreland
Biennial Art
Experience the diversity of artistic expression right in our own backyard as three regional artists (to be announced) discuss their exceptional artwork that was selected for the 2007 Westmoreland Juried Biennial. The Westmoreland Juried Biennial features the work of artists within a 125-mile radius of Greensburg. Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main Street, Greensburg. Free program. Call 724/837-1500 ext. 10 or visit www.wmuseumaa.org for more information.

Wednesday, May 28 at 12 PM
Brown Bag Lecture
Biennial Artists and Their Art
If the Juried Biennial leaves you wanting more, here it is. Two artists (to be announced) chosen from the already selected regional artists on exhibition will share more of their work. Come see the larger body of work from which their art was selected and explore the genesis of their style and composition. Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main Street, Greensburg. Free program. Call 724/837-1500 ext. 10 or visit www.wmuseumaa.org for more information.

CHILDREN’S SUMMER ART CAMP

Summer Art Camp is a weeklong program, Monday – Friday from 8:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., featuring a variety of art activities including painting, drawing, printmaking, watercolor, sculpture, and photography. Registration includes all art supplies, weekly field trip, guided Museum tours, t-shirt and daily snack. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Campers may sign up for one or all weeks for their age group. Each week is limited to 20 campers, on a first-come, first served basis. Cost: $125 for museum members and $140 for non-members. To register or for additional information, please call 724-837-1500 ext. 10.

For ages 7-9

June 9–13: PAWS IN ART

Art will make your imagination soar! Use paper mache, clay, drawing and painting to create animals both real and imaginary. Explore the artworks of The Westmoreland on an animal scavenger hunt through the museum. We’ll meet animals that will be our artistic inspiration during our trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.

June 16–20: ART-VENTURE IN TIME
Travel in time to when Pittsburgh was the steel-making capital of the world! Paint, sculpt and draw the landscape around you. Take a journey into the exciting world of printmaking and portraiture. Even talk to a real-life steelworker! Art and history will come to life during our trip to the Heinz History Center!

June 23–27: MODERN MASTERS AND ME
Explore the artwork of modern and contemporary masters and go wild with the art-making possibilities! Work with mixed media to make two and three-dimensional creations. You’ll make a watercolor painting, collage with cut paper, and create a clay sculpture. Then, take a trip to The Warhol Museum and learn about Andy’s interesting artwork. You’ll even get a chance to make a cool silkscreen print!

For ages 10-12
July 7–11: ART ASSORTMENT
See the new exhibition, Painting in the United States; then, experiment for yourself with realism and abstraction. Explore drawing with charcoal and acrylic painting on canvas. Create sculptures from clay, paper, and cloth. You’ll love learning about photography and taking a few snapshots of your own during a visit to the Silver Eye Center for Photography.

July 14–18: 3-D POTPOURRI
Do a little bit of everything in this exciting sculpture class! We will sketch and collage our ideas, then experiment with some interesting materials including paper mache, wood, clay and wire. See the sculptures of The Westmoreland on a guided tour. On a visit to the Pittsburgh Glass Center, we’ll see a glassblowing demonstration - artists creating handmade sculptures from hot glass!

WESTMORELAND JAZZ SOCIETY

Thursday, May 15 at 7:30 PM
Westmoreland Jazz Society presents TRIO BRAVO
Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main Street, Greensburg. Admission is payable at the door. $10 for WJS members, $15 for nonmembers and $3 for students. Call 724/837-1500 ext. 27 or visit www.wmuseumaa.org for more information.

Friday, June 20 at 7:00 PM
Westmoreland Jazz Society presents JAZZ IN JUNE featuring the River City Brass Band at St. Clair Park (part of Greensburg’s Summer Sounds Concert Series) in downtown Greensburg.

Museum admission: adults $5 suggested donation; children under 12 and students with valid ID are free. Programs such as lectures are free, unless otherwise noted.

www.wmuseumaa.org s 221 N Main Street, Greensburg, PA 15601 s info@wmuseumaa.org
Wednesday – Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Judy Linsz Ross, Director of Marketing/Visitor Services
Westmoreland Museum of American Art
The Place for American Art
221 N. Main Street, Greensburg, PA 15601
724/837-1500 ext. 28 (phone) v 724/837-2921 (fax)
jlross@wmuseumaa.org vwww.wmuseumaa.org