Exciting News for Local Artists!

Perk Valley Art is thrilled to share a fantastic opportunity for artists in our community!

Encore Experiences now hosts a weekly Art Club, and it’s the perfect place for creatives to gather, share ideas, and work on their projects in a relaxed and inspiring environment.

A special thank you to Pat Wilson-Schmid, who for over 30 years enriched this time slot with her incredible teaching. As of December 1, these sessions have transitioned from a formal art class into a vibrant meet-up event, open to artists of all levels.

Looking to connect with fellow creatives and work on your next masterpiece? Bring your current project—be it painting, drawing, or any creative endeavor—and join us for these casual and collaborative sessions.

Hosted by the wonderful team at Encore, this is a relaxed and inspiring space to share ideas, exchange tips, and immerse yourself in your art.

Art Meet Up Details:
What: A FREE drop-in art session
When: Mondays - 1:30 - 3:30pm
Where: Encore Experiences, 312 Alumni Avenue, Harleysville 
Who: Open to all local artists

Come for the creativity, stay for the camaraderie. Don’t miss this chance to spark your inspiration alongside other like-minded artists!

Spread the word and invite a friend—we can’t wait to see what you create! ️

Happy Thanksgiving from the Perkiomen Valley Art Center!

As we gather to reflect on the year, we are filled with gratitude for our vibrant artistic community. Together, we welcomed new board members, hosted three remarkable art shows—including our Member Show at the Mennonite Heritage Center, the Body of Work Show at Montgomery County Community College, and the Juried Show at the Hill School.

We also had the privilege of hosting five inspiring Art Talks, offering classes throughout the year, and supporting the next generation of artists by sponsoring a scholarship for a high school senior.

None of this would have been possible without your talent, dedication, and support. Thank you for being an essential part of our journey. Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with joy, creativity, and cherished moments.

With gratitude,
The Perkiomen Valley Art Center

This past Sunday, the Perkiomen Valley Art Center proudly revealed the award winners of the 68th Annual Open Juried Show at the Boyer Gallery! With a well-attended reception and over 130 impressive submissions, our distinguished juror had the challenging task of selecting the winners from an array of extraordinary pieces. Each awarded artwork reflects the skill, vision, and dedication of its creator, and we are honored to showcase the talent and creativity within our artistic community. Thank you to all who joined us to celebrate the art that is being created in our community and the many exceptional artists who submitted their work!

If you missed the reception, there is still time to see the show. It runs through December 13 at the Hill School Center for the Arts, Boyer Gallery, 766 Beech Street, Pottstown PA. Access the gallery by calling Ellen Nelson at 610-705-1040 for an advance appointment. 

Special Awards: Special Awards at PVAC shows are largely driven by our donors, who generously provide both the funding and criteria for these honors. These awards are a cherished community tradition, offering a unique way for individuals to honor or memorialize someone who has inspired them. In a “pay it forward” spirit, they provide an ongoing legacy that uplifts our artists. With each show, PVAC welcomes individuals and organizations to help inspire and support participating artists through these meaningful awards. Thank you to each of our donors. 

Special Awards	Criteria	Artist		Title
Best of Show	Best Overall Work	Lori	Quinque-Quinn	Yard Work
Hill School Award of Excellence	Jurors Choice	Carol	Salter	The Seven Blessings
Award of Excellence in Honor of Donna T. Wells	For work in any accepted medium	Jacqueline	Meyerson	All Wound Up
Award in Memory of Barbara Lloyd for Best Landscape	Best Landscape Painting	Deborah	Guttshall	The Narrows
Catherine Schlacter Carroll Memorial Award of Excellence	Jurors choice	Dora	Siemel	Their Eyes Were Watching God
Award of Excellence in Acrylic	Excellence in works in Acrylic	Annalie	Hudson	Coming & Going
Memorial Award in Memory of Charles Ross for Excellence in Composition in any Medium	Excellence in Composition any Medium	Stephen	Allen	Early Flight
People’s Choice Award	Chosen by attendees of the reception	Deborah	Nyman	Busy Building
In Memory of Fredric (Rick) Schmid	Jurors choice	Teresa	Nicolo	Homeward Bound
In Memory of George M. Schmid	Jurors choice	Edna	Rambo	Blue Abstract Bowl
Margaret Murphy Memorial Award	Jurors choice	Rhonda	Counts	Night Perch
Sheryl Vasily Memorial Award	Jurors choice	Bill	Jackson	Honeysuckle

Category Awards: 

Oil, Acrylic, & Mixed Media (Not under glass) 

1st Place  Sharon Moyer Autumn Allure

2nd Place Debra Yerger Perkiomen Creek

3rd Place Joan Ambrose-Bibbo    SOLITUDE

Honorable Mention Susan Hohman Empty Nest

Honorable Mention   Gail Gosser Much Ado About Almost Nothing

Honorable Mention   Diane Deery Divine Reflection

Watercolor, Acrylic, & Mixed Media (under glass) 

1st Place Catherine Elam Cuban Street Jazz

2nd Place Linda Gerhard Oh, Lily!

3rd Place Christopher Ketz Continuum

Honorable Mention Sally Bishop Singing In The Laundry

Honorable Mention Donna Steich In The Shadows

Pastels

1st Place Marianne Knipe Play Me Another Tune

2nd Place Catherine McIlhenny Lake Scranton

3rd Place Barbara Brown Blue Plate Special

Honorable Mention Cathy Grygiel Bag It

DRAWINGS, PRINTS, PHOTOGRAPHY
Graphics -1st Place	Michael	Rosiak	Rodeo Night
Graphics -2nd Place	David W	Thomas	Flyball Governor
Graphics - 3rd Place	Jeff	Grabert	Elephant
Graphics - Honorable Mention	Patricia	Wilson-Schmid	Bucks County Landmarks
Graphics -Honorable Mention	Deborah	Nyman	Alps
SCULPTURE
Sculpture -1st Place	John	Mathews	Posh Planets
Sculpture -2nd Place	Bob	Hakun	That Which I Should Have Done But Did Not Do
Sculpture -3rd Place	Milan J.	Kralik, Jr	Amaterasu
Sculpture -Honorable Mention	Ellen O.	Nelson	Ancestors
Sculpture -Honorable Mention	Phillip A.	Smith	Running the Warship

To see photos of the show, the art, or more photos of the the event check out our facebook page.

To see a list of all selected artists and their work a downloadable copy of the program (pdf) is available by clicking on the link below. 

2024 PVAC Open Juried Show Program

A heartfelt thank you to the many volunteers who dedicated their time and energy to make this show possible! 

We are excited to announce the new leadership team for PVAC. If you attended the summer picnic, you may already know this information, if not we are pleased to announce the 2024-25 team who will continue to grow and enrich our community. 

This talented group brings a wealth of experience and fresh ideas that will help guide our future activities, events, and community outreach. We are eager to see the positive impact they will make and look forward to working together.

We would also like to express our gratitude to the outgoing leadership for their dedication and service.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to an exciting year ahead under our new leadership!

We are looking for a few good people to serve the group. Please get in touch with me if you have an interest. 

2024-25 Board & Committee Members

President: Colleen Algeo
Vice President: Sharon Gross
Secretary: Deb Guttshall
Treasurer: Donna McGough
Members at Large: Linda Gerhart  & Karen Keegan
Director: Dave Thomas

Committees: 
Communications: Website & Social Media: Deb Nyman/Colleen Algeo
Membership: Deb Guttshall
Programming - Sharon Gross & Pat Wilson
SHOWS: Fall Juried Show Coordinators - Colleen/Deb Nyman
      Spring Show Coordinator - ?? Are there any dates established
Education - Donna M., Joan Bibbo & Linda Gerhardt
Holiday Event: Terry Page & Colleen Algeo
Archivists: Dianne Cram & Lori Quinque-Quinn
Events Committee: Dianne Cram & Terry Page (Lori Q.?) 
Publicity & Communications: TBD
Bylaws: TBD

Appreciatively, Colleen Algeo

PVAC ART SHOW: May the Art Be With You - Held May 13- June 8 at the Fine Arts Center at Montgomery County Community College. Photo of guests greeting at the reception. 

Show Runs Through June 8

20+ Artists Featured & 100+ Guests at the Reception

We are thrilled to announce that our recent art show "May the Art Be with You!" was a tremendous success! Thanks to the incredible talent of our artists, the help of our new friends at Montgomery County Community College (MCCC), and the enthusiastic support from all of you, the event exceeded all expectations. The MCCC gallery director, Patrick Rodgers and a few of his colleagues worked tirelessly to hang the show for us and we are very appreciative. 

Unlike our member show or juried show, this show gave PVAC members the opportunity to showcase a body of work. Some members had as many as ten different pieces featured. The exhibition showcased an amazing array of artworks, from stunning paintings and sculptures to captivating photographs and mixed media pieces.

A reception which was held in the evening on May 23 and was well attended thanks in part to a new publicity initiative by Deb Nyman that provided individualized promo materials to each of the artists. The turnout was fantastic, with art lovers from all around coming together to celebrate creativity and support our local artists. 

According to show coordinator, Sharon Gross, "Over a hundred people came out for the reception! It was a great evening! Special thanks to Herb Breyer for providing the music and Cathy McIllhenny for giving the art talk. I want to also thank Mike Tomasso, Edna Rambo, and Dianne Cram for helping with the refreshments. Colleen Algeo took photos of the reception, the link to the photo gallery is below."

Sharon Gross congratulates the participating artists and offers thanks to everyone who made the show possible. 

Who knew? Herb Breyer is also a wonderful musician. Loved the music, Herb, Thank you. 

Cathy McIllhenny works the crowd during her art talk about her medium of choice, pastels. 

View Photo Gallery

We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Sharon Gross and her team and everyone who participated, attended, and contributed to making this event memorable. Your presence and support are what made this art show truly special.

Stay tuned for more exciting events and opportunities to celebrate art in our community.

We look forward to seeing you at our next gathering - our Summer Picnic. 

 Find out more about the  Summer Picnic

Art & Creativity in Quilts by Bud Slemmer

Event Details

• Date: May 14 – June 29, 2024

An exhibit in the Mennonite Heritage Center’s Lapp Art Gallery running May 14-June 29, 2024.

Bud loves colors, textures, styles and materials. He has been an artist in watercolor painting and is a lifetime member of the Perkiomen Valley Art Center. Bud worked for many years as a floral designer and was an active member of the Pennsylvania Lilly Society, but his greatest love is quilts. Designing new patterns in various shapes, forms, and bright colors energizes him. For this exhibit, Bud used various materials from silk neckties to oriental patterns, and colorful cottons. He pieces together items such as bed or table covers, runners, and potholders, in various shapes and sizes. His technique and required accuracy are exceptional. You do not want to miss experiencing the color and vibrancy of Bud’s work!

(COPY AS LISTED ON THE MENNONITE HERITAGE CENTER WEBSITE) 

https://mhep.org/

LAST MINUTE CHANGE OF PLANS

Member Show Artwork Pick-up has been rescheduled

The Mennonite Heritage Center will be closed this weekend beginning on Thursday as they will be having their parking lot paved this weekend. They have been trying to schedule this for a few weeks and now the weather is cooperating.

From Regina at MHEP - "I wanted to let you know that we are paving the parking lot beginning on Thursday. We will be closed to the public on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. PVAC members are welcome to pick up their items on the following Saturday. Thanks.

We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate you picking your artwork on May 4 between 11am and 4pm. 

PVAC would like to congratulate all of the artists that received awards at this years PVAC Member Show!

We would like to thank everyone for participating and making the show another wonderful display of vision and talent!!!

Perkiomen Valley Art Center 61st Member Show Awards

Please note these special artworks on display: Chinese Tree Peony watercolor by Bud Slemmer and Red-Winged Blackbird/Tiger Lilies color wood cut by our judge Dean Thomas.

Honorable Mention to Johanne Lamarche for Unforgettable - Oil/C old Wax on Canvas

Honorable Mention to Debra Yerger for Zion - Oil

Honorable Mention New Member to Terry Page for Tutillo - Oil

Mennonite Heritage Center $25 to Deb Guttshall for Skippack Cross Dairy Farm – Oil

AWARD for EXCELLENCE in CREATIVITY $35 to Edna Rambo for Blue Bowl with Handles - Pottery

AWARD for EXCELLENCE IN PORTRAITURE $35 to Donna Steich Recluse - Watercolor

AWARD for EXCELLENCE IN PHOTOGRAPHY $35 to Katherine Wince for Atlas Pantsed – Photograph

AWARD for EXCELLENCE IN LANDSCAPE $35 to Stephen Allen for Blue House on the Perkiomen Creek – Oil

AWARD for EXCELLENCE IN FLORAL $50 to Sharon Gross for Pelargonium x hortorum - Watercolor

AWARD of EXCELLENCE FIRST TIME EXHIBITOR - NEW MEMBER $50 to Karen Keegan for PaPa, Pileated Woodpecker – Acrylic

CHARLES ROSS MEMORIAL AWARD $50 to Luciana Orsoni Timmons for Untitled - Sculpture Raku

DONNA T WELLS MEMORIAL AWARD EXCELLENCE in ANY MEDIUM $50 to Koz Noruzi Power of Water - Enamel Reverse Painting

In MEMORY of FREDRIC (RICK) SCHMID $50 to Rich Godshall for Summer in the City - Oil

In MEMORY of GEORGE M. SCHMID $50 to Barbara Brown for Keep Off The Dunes - Pastel

MARGARET MURPHY MEMORIAL AWARD $50 to Bob Hakun for The Last Dance - Sculpture

AWARD in HONOR OF DAVE THOMAS & HIS MAGIC $75 to Catherine McIlhenny for Humphrey’s Peak - Pastel

FOUNDERS AWARD $75 to Philip A. Smith for Solo Flight - Sculpture

CATHERINE SCHLACHTER CARROLL MEMORIAL AWARD $100 to Michele Ward Evans for Magnolia Tree – Watercolor

AWARD in HONOR of PAT WILSON-SCHMID $100 to Susan Klinger for Waffle or Sugar - Soft Pastel

3^rd Place $100 to Sherry Ward for The Great Escape - Pastel

2^nd Place $150 to Lori Quinque-Quinn for Mid March - Oil

1^st Place $175 to Teresa Nicolo for Forest Bathing - Pastel 1

Thank you for attending our 2024 Members Show!

Hello! This is Emily Pope from the Perkiomen Valley Library, we are hosting a craft fair on June 15 from 10am to 4pm and were wondering whether any of your artists would like to be vendors for the event? Outdoor tables are $25, and indoor tables are $35 (electricity included), all tables are 6 feet long. Should they need additional tables, it's $15 after the initial table cost. Attached are the post and flyer for the event. Crafters/artists keep all their earnings. If any artists want to be vendors, all they have to do is reach out to me at this email (epope@mclinc.org) to get an invoice or more information to register.

Watercolor at Pennypacker Mills - Spring 2024

by Terry Page

A watercolor class for those adults interested in learning about watercolor and also for those who already know how to use them and would like to learn more.  This is your chance to be in a classroom and enjoy the company of like-minded artists

New students will need an introductory set (about 8-10 colors) of Student or Artist grade watercolors such as Windsor Newton, Grumbacher or similar. Brushes such as Princeton Round #4, #8, (#6 optional) or similar. These can be obtained at Michaels Arts and Crafts. You will also need a pad of Watercolor paper 9x12 or 11x14, or a watercolor block, and a hair dryer. Some kind of clips or artist tape to secure your paper to a backer board 

Please contact me with your questions/concerns about materials or drop-in sessions: dmg4904@gmail.com

Terry has a BA in Fine Art and a Masters of Art Education.  She taught art at NPHS and now is teaching art at several locations throughout Montgomery County.

This is a 4-week class. Thursdays 1:00pm-4:00 pm.  Ends May 2th.

Cost: PVAC Member: $100,  NON-Members: $125

REGISTER