LATROBE, PA – The Verostko Center for the Arts is proud to announce the anticipated opening of Shared Concerns on Thurs., Jan. 25. The exhibition pairs the work of 12 Associated Artists of Pittsburgh (AAP) members with selections from the Saint Vincent Art & Heritage Collections intended to illuminate the affinities of creatives working across continents and centuries.
To celebrate the opening, a reception is scheduled for Jan. 25 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Verostko Center for the Arts located inside the Dale P. Latimer Library on the campus of Saint Vincent College. The event is free and open to all. Reservations are not required.
Participating AAP members include Sandra Bacchi, Tony Cavalline, Eunsu Kang, Clayton Merrell, Mary Kay Neff, S.C., Adalberto Ortiz, Marian Phillips, Patrick Schmidt, Nicolle Renee Ryan, Evan Rumble, Silvija Singh and Sarah Tancred.
The work of these Southwest Pennsylvania-based artists has been placed in conversation with historical pieces held by Saint Vincent, many rarely exhibited, that range from an illuminated Book of Hours created in France in the mid-15th century to an early 20th century woodland scene by Scalp Level painter Olive Turney. Shared Concerns features 24 artist projects that explore the evolving social, environmental, familial and formal considerations that have motivated artists for generations.
Pairing selections culled from Saint Vincent’s holdings with recently completed works is intended to forge new resonances between the motivations of artists working across time; reminding us that artists have long communicated to viewers what is sacred, overlooked, under threat, and is possible. The exhibition also illuminates similarities and divergences between historical forms of artmaking. Taken collectively, these pieces animate tradition, push the boundaries of abstraction, foreground the experiences of women and girls, and stress the mounting ecological crisis.
Shared Concerns has been curated by Andrew Julo, Director of the Verostko Center for the Arts and Curator of the Saint Vincent Art & Heritage Collections.
Noting the framework for the exhibition Julo shares, “Regardless of style or training, many artists are compelled to make work that records the world, others to escape from it, and still others to identify alternative futures. I’m struck by the remarkable overlap between the formal and conceptual motivations of artists from previous generations and their contemporary counterparts.”
Shared Concerns runs through Fri., April 5. While classes are in session during the Spring 2024 semester, the Verostko Center is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. and on Friday from 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Visitor appointments outside these hours can be made by emailing verostkocenter@stvincent.org. The Center is always free and open to all.
About the Verostko Center for the Arts
For over 175 years, Saint Vincent has collected art and rare books to edify the spiritual and intellectual life of its community. Now housed within the Verostko Center for the Arts, the Saint Vincent Art & Heritage Collections features more than 5,000 works in nearly all media that continue to engage minds and imaginations. Dedicated in 2021, the Verostko Center is named for generative art pioneer Roman Verostko, C’55, S'59, H’21, an internationally-recognized artist and scholar whose affiliation with Saint Vincent can be traced back over 70 years.
In keeping with Saint Vincent College’s liberal arts mission, special focus is given to exhibitions and programming that draw from interdisciplinary sources. A 9,000+ square foot facility located inside the Dale P. Latimer Library, the Center features four distinct exhibition spaces, a video presentation area, reading room, staff offices and climate-controlled storage facilities for Saint Vincent’s art and rare book collections as well as the College’s archive.
About Associated Artists of Pittsburgh
The Associated Artists of Pittsburgh (AAP) is the oldest, continuously-exhibiting, visual arts organization in the country. Founded in 1910, Associated Artists of Pittsburgh is a 501(c)3 non-profit that exhibits, promotes and supports the work of visual artists who call Pittsburgh and the surrounding region home. Based in Lawrenceville, AAP currently serves over 550 members through rotating exhibition opportunities, educational and professional development workshops and additional programming.
IMAGE 1: Clayton Merrell, Point of Origin, 2023, oil on canvas, 62 x 70 inches. Image courtesy of the artist.
IMAGE 2: Unidentified Artist, German, late 17th century, Tree and Lake with Figures in Rowboat, n.d., ink on paper, 11 1/2 x 14 3/4 inches, Saint Vincent Art & Heritage Collections