Examining "The Outsider" Panel Discussion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS: Claire Ertl, Director of Marketing & Public Relations
724.837.1500 x128
certl@thewestmoreland.org
Charlene Bidula, Manager of Communications
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cbidula@thewestmoreland.org
GREENSBURG, PA, Tuesday, June 7, 2016 – The Westmoreland Museum of American Art will host a panel discussion entitled Examining “The Outsider” on Saturday, June 11 from 1-2 pm. This discussion is tied to the Museum’s current featured exhibition, Telling Tales: Stories and Legends in 19th-century American Art, which is comprised of highlights from the New-York Historical Society’s impressive collection of narrative American art and demonstrates the great storytelling capabilities of visual art. Telling Tales, which runs through Sunday, June 19, is organized around six themes, including the theme of Picturing The Outsider that focuses on art depicting “outsiders” of 19th-century America.
The panel discussion, moderated by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Tony Norman, will contemporize the exhibition by moving the focus to marginalized groups that could be considered today’s “outsiders” in American society and will highlight the ways in which art and the media might either reinforce or refute these opinions. Panelists include Dawn Weleski from Conflict Kitchen; Caitlin Bruce, an expert on graffiti and muralism who teaches at the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Communication; and artist Darnell Chamber, whose work is heavily influenced by black nationalist themes.
About The Westmoreland Museum of American Art
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, located at 221 N. Main Street in Greensburg, PA, recently completed a transformational renovation and expansion project, hosting a community grand reopening celebration in late October of 2015. A new LEED-certified addition adds over 13,000 square feet to the Museum and features a dynamic cantilevered design along with a stunning view of the City of Greensburg and the Laurel Highlands beyond. The Westmoreland’s permanent collection is comprised of works by major American artists from the 18th century through the present, with a special emphasis on Southwestern Pennsylvania art and artists. The Museum also offers an impressive schedule of temporary exhibitions of American art – both nationally-travelling and those organized in house – as well as events and community-oriented educational programming for all ages. More information is available at thewestmoreland.org.
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