Winners Announced for "Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2013" Exhibition

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The State Museum of Pennsylvania today announced the winners of "Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2013," an annual juried exhibition showcasing the talent, creativity and diversity of the state's established and emerging artists.

Awards were given in painting, photography, sculpture, crafts and works on paper.

The William D. Davis Memorial Award for Drawing and The State Museum of Pennsylvania Purchase Award were also selected.  The winners were chosen from 131 finalists and more than 1,900 submissions.

Pennsylvania First Lady Susan Corbett helped select this year's Purchase Award recipient. Mrs. Corbett chairs the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and is a member of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

This year's first-prize winners are from Cumberland, Philadelphia, Somerset, and Washington counties. Special awards went to artists from Bucks and Lancaster counties.

The 46th annual exhibit runs through Sept. 8, and includes 137 works by 113 artists from 31 counties.  The State Museum will offer free guided tours on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through August 30. 

Another program, "Artists Conversations," will pair featured artists from "Art of the State" with exhibit officials to take visitors on tours, sharing their perspectives on the 2013 show. 

"Artists Conversations" will take place on Friday, July 19 (Harrisburg's 3rd in the Burg) at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, August 11, at 1 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 8 (Harrisburg's Gallery Walk) at 1 p.m. Details are online at www.statemuseumpa.org.

The exhibit is co-sponsored by The State Museum and Jump Street, which present more than $5,000 in cash awards to winners.

Jump Street is a Harrisburg-based non-profit organization dedicated to developing educational and economic opportunities with the arts for all age groups.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 25 historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Trails of History®. The State Museum offers expansive collections interpreting Pennsylvania's fascinating heritage.

With exhibits examining the dawn of geologic time, the Native American experience, the colonial and revolutionary era, a pivotal Civil War battleground, and the commonwealth's vast industrial age, The State Museum demonstrates that Pennsylvania's story is America's story.

Editor's Note: The following prizes were awarded at the 2013 "Art of the State" Artists' Reception on Saturday, June 22. Cash awards for each category are first prize, $500; second, $300; and third, $200.

Media Contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639

SOURCE Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission