Monaca artist brings fame to Baker-Dungan museum

Emil Bott (1825-1908), regarded as one of the most significant American artists of the 19th-century, was featured in a May 16 article in the Beaver County Times written by staff reporter Bob Bauder. Bott, a native of Monaca (once known as Phillipsburg), remains largely forgotten by the public, but is acknowledged by artists and historians as a master painter of detailed landscapes, rural scenes, and historical scenes of western Pennsylvania. Locally, only two museums feature his work: the Baker-Dungan Museum at Penn State Beaver's Brodhead Cultural Center and the Merrick Art Gallery in New Brighton. The Baker-Dungan Museum, located on top of the hill overlooking the Brodhead Cultural Center's J.P. Giusti Amphitheater, was named in honor of two of Beaver County's earliest settlers, and features numerous paintings, furniture, clothing, implements, and other items drawn from Beaver County's past. The museum is free and open to the public by appointment and is staffed by members of the Mill Creek Valley Historical Association. It is also open for one hour prior to most shows held during the summer at the Brodhead Cultural Center amphitheater. For more information about Bott's painting, the Brodhead Cultural Center, or the Baker-Dungan Museum, contact the Office of University Relations at amk6@psu.edu or (724) 773-3817.