COLLEGEVILLE, PA.- Salute contemporary artists such as Ellen Priest, Mike Hale, James Fuhrman, Maureen Drdak, Connie Simon, Debrah Jospe and others, as The Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College embarks on a campaign to add new spaces.

�Salute The Artists: The Campaign for the Expansion of the Berman Museum of Art,� will celebrate artists who have had their work exhibited at the Berman Museum of Art since it opened in 1989 in the historic 1921 building that was formerly Alumni Memorial Library.

The reception is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 18, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Main Gallery.

From the large scale, vibrant abstraction work of Ellen Priest, to the intimate works on paper of Debrah Jospe and Connie Simon; from the physical, colorful canvasses of Mike Hale to Maureen Drdak�s reinterpretation of archaic imagery; and James Furhman�s sculptures of marks and images, these works of art have made the Berman a premier educational and cultural resource.

�The museum�s permanent collection is home to many of the artists featured in the galleries over the years, and we salute their talents and contribution to the visual arts with this special occasion,� said Lisa Tremper Hanover, Berman director.

The event saluting the artists will inaugurate a campaign to expand the museum space to support the study and exhibition of its permanent collection, and will further the educational mission of Ursinus College . An open storage system to promote access to objects, a works on paper study area for flat storage, an auditorium and new galleries including a rooftop gallery for outdoor sculpture, are shown on plans which will be on view at the reception. Only a small percentage of the permanent collection is on display, something the plan to add 3,000 square feet of gallery and teaching space would remedy.

The $7 million campaign to support the expansion and renovation opens with support from the college�s Trustees, Museum Art Advisory Board, alumni, parents, friends and corporate partners. In addition, The Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation has made a $1 million commitment to the expansion; and the Pew Trusts have committed $350,000 in a challenge grant. The Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus, known for its diverse collection and innovative educational programming, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; noon to 4:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, and closed Mondays and college holidays. The museum is accessible to the physically disabled and admission is free. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums. Exhibitions and programs are funded in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. For group tour information, call 610-409-3500.

Ursinus College is a highly selective, independent coeducational liberal arts college located on a scenic, wooded 170-acre campus, 28 miles from Center City Philadelphia. The college is one of only 8 percent of U.S. Colleges to possess a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Its web site is located at . The College is located on Main Street in Collegeville.