More than 100 works of art by more than 40 contemporary and historically significant artists whose specialties include portraying railroading and railroad workers will be on exhibit from June 16 to Aug. 23 in three galleries in Altoona. The exhibit will be displayed at the Penn State Altoona Community Arts Center's Sheetz and McLanahan Galleries until Aug. 6, as well as at the Servello Gallery and The Framing Place. The exhibit is an extension of the annual Penn State Altoona Railroad Heritage Conference, which runs June 16 through 19 this year. It is titled "Portraits of Railroading" and focuses on the work of railroad artists.
James D. Porterfield, author and railroad historian, who with the help of Penn State Altoona's Angela Harbst, organized and hosts the conference, noted that, "just like the railroad industry itself, the artists portraying it are spread out all over North America." Among the many well-known artists whose works will be on display include Mitch Markovitz from Indiana, Gil Bennett from Utah, Gil Reid from Wisconsin, J. Craig Thorpe from Washington, Ted Blaylock from Arizona and Robert West from Georgia.
"I am delighted to have found a pleasing variety of artists that also include George Dell, a 90-year old former hobo; Angela Trotta Thomas, who does Lionel's catalog art; Herb Mott, who did 50 covers for Railroad when it was a pulp magazine; and others," Porterfield said.
Also on exhibit will be works by Canadian Robert Bailey, who focuses on railroads under attack by air power in World War II; Steve Cryan, who portrays railroad tug boats at work; and William D Berkompas, who specializes in blueprint-quality line drawings of locomotives. The historically significant artists whose works will be on display include Grif Teller, whose paintings were used by the Pennsylvania Railroad in its calendars; watercolorist Ted Rose; and Howard Fogg, whose last painting, finished by Gil Bennett, will be in the exhibit. Nationally known Altoona-area artists participating in the exhibit include Joe Servello, Robert Hunt and Fred Connacher.
The Railroad Heritage Conference itself will feature a kick-off dinner Thursday evening, June 16, at which several of the exhibiting artists will be in attendance. The conference agenda includes presentations by Joe Servello on railroads within the American scene -- painting genre; John Kilma, whose art consists of miniature railroads constructed on horizontal television screens that project the scenes through which they operate; the topic of railroad art as a narrative vehicle; and Mitch Markovitz on life as an award-winning railroad artist. Authors Dan Cupper and Michael Zega, whose books include treatment of aspects of railroad art; photographer, editor and author Jim Boyd; and multiple award-winning railroad documentary film-maker Rich Luckin, complete the speaking agenda. Other activities include excursions to the East Broad Top Railroad and other significant local rail sites, and rail-themed films and dinners.
"Through the exhibit and conference, we intend to showcase and celebrate the manner in which practicing artists capture one of North America's oldest and most important industries," said Porterfield.
More information is available at the Sheetz and McLanahan Galleries, located in the Titelman Study of the Community Arts Center at Penn State Altoona. The galleries are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and before and during all performances. Information also may be obtained by calling the Box Office at (814) 949-5452. The galleries and the Paul R. and Margery Wolf Kuhn Theatre are handicapped accessible and open to the public. For more information, call the Community Arts Center or visit the Penn State Altoona Web site at http://www.aa.psu.edu online. For a list of the artists participating in the exhibit and details on the Railroad Heritage Conference, call Harbst at (814) 949-5041.