'Exceptional art' Allied Artists of Johnstown spring show features diverse collection

Apr. 21—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — A mixed collection of work highlights this artistic showcase.

The Spring Exhibition of Allied Artists of Johnstown is on display through May 18 at Bottle Works, 411 Third Ave. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.

The members-only exhibition features 77 works by 44 artists from Cambria, Somerset, Indiana and Westmoreland counties. It includes oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings; traditional and digital photography; wood, ceramic and metal sculptures; paper-cutting; printmaking; drawings; and mixed media.

"It's really a diverse group," said Ken Cotlar, president of Allied Artists of Johnstown.

"That's one of the beauties of being in the Bottle Works main gallery, is there's enough room that we can show sculpture. We can't always do a lot of sculpture in some of the other venues, so it's a joy to be there."

He said the show offers high-quality work.

"We generally exhibit a wide range of exceptional art, and this show is no exception," Cotlar said. "The organization consists of both amateur and professional artists, as well as educators in the arts, and it's really amazing, the group that we have."

The exhibition was juried by Allied Artists of Johnstown members.

"This was in response from requests from members of the group to have a show where everyone could participate without exclusion," Cotlar said. "Usually we have artists enter up to three pieces, knowing that the juror is going to cull the exhibit to fit the space — so considering that, we allowed up to two pieces for this show, and that solved the space requirement. Having everybody jury themselves was kind of a fun wrinkle that got everybody excited and involved."

Cotlar said the artists experienced and appreciated how difficult judging a show can be.

"At the reception, we handed out ballots," he said, "and anyone who's a member could vote, and they had about an hour to go around and choose three. They were challenged to evaluate each work for creativity, originality, craftsmanship and presentation.

"They couldn't vote for themselves, and I wanted them to really look at it as though they were real jurors."

He said the tallies were extremely close.

"Everyone sees and appreciates different qualities while viewing art, so I think that gave everyone a really good perspective," Cotlar said.

Three works received awards from Allied Artists of Johnstown.

Winners were:

—Best in show: "Sunset Over Daisytown," a painting by Duane Webb, of Johnstown, received $200.

—First place: "The Warmth of Home," a painting by Joe Berzansky, of Johns-town, was awarded $150.

—Second place: "The Sixth Day," a paper-cutting by Kathy Reed, of Berlin, received $100.

Most of the pieces in the exhibition are available for purchase.

"This is a good time to purchase art because sales benefit Bottle Works, Allied Artists and the artist, so everybody gets a split in any sales," Cotlar said.

"A lot of the pieces are very affordable."

Cotlar said the breadth and diversity of art available in the Johnstown region is amazing.

"You don't have to travel to major metropolitan areas to be able to enjoy and acquire fine art because we have it all here at home, and it's way more affordable here than in the cities," he said.

Matt Lamb, executive director of Bottle Works, said the work in the spring show blew him away.

"This was the first show I've been a part of where it wasn't juried in, and we just allowed artists to put in whatever two pieces they wanted to submit," he said. "It made for a very interesting, eclectic and powerful show."

Lamb, who has two illustration pieces featured in the exhibition, said the jurying process gave members insight into how challenging the judging process can be. He called it a unique opportunity for everybody to experience the show in a different way.

"It was extremely difficult and tough to make decisions and narrow it down," he said. "I don't think there's a non-winner in this show."

He said the exhibition is a showcase of the artistic talent in the region.

"I think a lot of times, that gets overlooked with all the other things that go on, so this is a great opportunity for the public to come in and see what our local artists are capable of," Lamb said.

There is no admission fee to attend the exhibition.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

For more information about Allied Artists of Johnstown, visit www.johns-townart.com.