When members of the Mideastern Region of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (MER/PSEA) gathered 25 years ago to discuss how to honor one of their fellow teachers – Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space who perished aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger -- they never imagined that the “Touch the Future” juried art show would grow into one of the highlights of the season for talented high school art students from throughout Bucks and Montgomery counties.
Set to celebrate its 25th anniversary this Feb. 4 through 26, it will be held at the Montgomery County Guild of Professional Artists at SPP Gallery in Conshohocken. Students and teachers from 26 schools are expected to participate and approximately 1,000 entries are anticipated as the show continues to grow each year. An awards reception is planned for Sunday, Feb. 12 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., with prizes presented at 2 p.m. Also sponsoring the annual event is the Council for the Advancement of Public Schools (CAPS).
This year’s judge will be Barbara Suplee, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Art + Design Education and Art Therapy at the University of the Arts, and an active advocate for arts education.
Highly-coveted honors will include a “best of show” prize along with second and third place runners-up, two PSEA Purchase Prizes and a winner from the following categories: printmaking, jewelry/metals, fiber crafts, 2-D mixed media, digital imaging/computer graphics, traditional silver print, painting – acrylic/oil/watercolor, drawing – black & white, color drawing, 3-D functional, 3-D single medium sculpture, 3-D mixed media sculpture, 2-D design and digital photography. Each art teacher in the two counties may submit up to 10 entries. Prize money totaling $1,500 has been donated by MER/PSEA and the organization will also provide compensation to students who agree to sell their artwork to the organization for permanent display in the region offices.
Chairpersons of the 25th annual event are art teachers Lynne Pribis of Upper Dublin High School, Joanne Harris of North Penn High School and Connie Berger of Cheltenham High School. “We’re very excited to be celebrating the 25th anniversary of this special event,” Pribis said. “It’s a true testament to the students and teachers in Bucks and Montgomery counties that it’s continued this long. Every year it just keeps getting better and better”
Linda J. Weaver, president of the Mideastern Region, noted, “Arts are so important to a well-rounded education. Students who actively get involved in the arts are considerably more likely to have high academic achievement, be elected to class office, participate in math and science fairs and win awards for school attendance. With so many valuable programs on the chopping block because of funding issues, it’s even more important to share with the community the immense talent and dedication of our students and the teachers who help them to stretch and reach their potential each day.”
The exhibition will be open to the public through Sunday, Feb. 26, free-of-charge, during gallery hours: Mon. - Fri. 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. & Sun., 12:00 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Montgomery County Guild of Professional Artists (MCGOPA) at SPP Galleries is located at 800 River Road, West Conshohocken in the Inquirer Building on Rt. 23 between Rts. 320 and 202. For more information, visit http://www.mcgopa.org/.
*Directions to SPP Galleries (Please follow these directions as a GPS will not send you to the correct location):
Take Butler Pike, cross over Germantown Pike and then Ridge, where it will turn into Fayette Street into Conshohocken. Make a right after going over bridge onto Rt. 23. At the fourth left bear left onto Balligomingo Road, because of construction going on Rt. 23 after that point. At the traffic light make a right onto Holstein Rd. (Rt. 320 North), which turns into Swedeland Road after another traffic light. Follow until it dead ends into River Road. At the light turn left onto River Road (Rt. 23). Take second right turning lane into the Inquirer/ SPP Gallery parking lot.
OR
Take the Blue Rt. 476 to the Schuylkill Expressway (76 West) to the Gulph Mills exit. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left. At traffic light turn right onto Holstein Road (Rt. 320 North). Follow Rt. 320 North to Rt.23 West (River Road). At traffic light turn left and take a second right turning lane into the Inquirer/ SPP Gallery parking lot.
