DOYLESTOWN, PA.- Artists of the Commonwealth: Realism and Its Response in Pennsylvania Painting, 1900-1950, a special exhibition presented by the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, demonstrates the profound influence of Pennsylvania artists on the American art scene. On view from May 19 through September 2, 2007, the exhibition includes paintings by 38 artists, native to and/or painting in Pennsylvania during the first half of the 20th century.

Artists of the Commonwealth is sponsored by Anonymous, Audrey Long Interior Design, Kelchner’s Horseradish Products, Moyer & Son, Inc. and The Freight House.

“While New York is traditionally considered the center of the American art world, the accomplishments of Pennsylvania ’s artists have rivaled those of our neighbor to the north,” explains Brian H. Peterson, Senior Curator at the Michener Art Museum . “The Commonwealth’s artistic roots reach back to the early colonial period with great artistic families like the Peales who not only gave us many fine works of art but also founded America ’s first art museum, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. At their academies and universities, influential cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh served as training grounds for young artists. Rural counties like Lancaster and Bucks helped to inspire artistic vision through their scenic beauty. The remarkable paintings in this very diverse exhibition remind us of the tremendous impact Pennsylvania had on developing a rich artistic tradition in America .”

By celebrating the contributions of Pennsylvania artists and placing their work within the greater context of American art, this exhibition provides visitors with a rare opportunity to assess the direction of the American art world in the early decades of the 20th century. This period in American art was particularly dynamic as artists responded to a barrage of new styles introduced by modernist painters such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Paul Cézanne. Despite this influx of European ideas, the works in Artists of the Commonwealth, though stylistically varied, reveal that Pennsylvania artists remained committed to realism in its many forms—from the romantic realism of Daniel Garber and Mary Cassatt, to the more precise realism of Charles Sheeler, to the impressionist realism of Edward Redfield and Robert Spencer. Other well-known artists featured in the exhibit include Henry Ossawa Tanner, Cecilia Beaux, Robert Henri, Arthur B. Carles and Violet Oakley. Artists with Bucks County connections include Garber, Sheeler, Redfield, Spencer, Fern Coppedge, Walter Schofield and Clarence Carter.

Artists of the Commonwealth was organized by three Western Pennsylvania art museums—Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art and Erie Art Museum —with the assistance of the Michener Art Museum . This exhibition is the second to be organized through an initiative of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts in its effort to stimulate collaborative projects among museums within the Commonwealth. The first exhibition, entitled Artists of the Commonwealth: Realism in Pennsylvania Painting, 1950-2000, traveled to five museums in 2001-2002.

A 72-page softcover catalog accompanies the exhibition. Artists of the Commonwealth: Realism and Its Response in Pennsylvania Painting, 1900-1950 by Betsy Fahlman, Professor of Art History at Arizona State University is available in the Museum Shops for $22.46 for Museum members or $24.95 for non-members.

In conjunction with this exhibition, the Museum will host a lecture and tour by Judith H. O’Toole, Director and CEO of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art on Sunday, May 20 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. As she guides visitors through Artists of the Commonwealth, O’Toole will offer commentary on the collaborative process, the multi-year planning of the exhibition and the selection of artists represented. She will also share insights on the prevalence of realism in Pennsylvania painting, and her thoughts on the work of individual artists including Mary Cassatt, Cecilia Beaux, N.C. Wyeth, Edward Redfield and John Sloan. The fee for this special exhibition lecture, held at the Museum in Doylestown, is $8.00 for members or $15.00 for non-members. The price includes Museum admission and the special exhibition fee. Advance registration is required; call (215) 340-9800 or visit www.michenerartmuseum.org.