The Westmoreland to Present Opposites Attract: Kathleen Mulcahy and Sylvester Damianos
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
Barbara L. Jones
Chief Curator
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bljones@thewestmoreland.org
GREENSBURG, PA, Wednesday, October 26, 2016 – The Westmoreland Museum of American Art will present Opposites Attract: Kathleen Mulcahy and Sylvester Damianos, from Saturday, November 5, 2016 through Sunday, February 5, 2017. An opening reception sponsored by Rivertowne Brewing will take place on Saturday, November 5 from 6:30-8pm. Tickets for the reception are $10 for Museum members and $15 for non-members and may be purchased at thewestmoreland.org/events or 1.888.71TICKETS.
Opposites Attract features the work of Kathleen Mulcahy and Syl Damianos, two Pittsburgh artists who were selected as The Westmoreland Museum of American Art Exhibition Award recipients from the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Annual Exhibitions in 2010 and 2011, respectively. This is the first major exhibition of contemporary art to be shown at The New Westmoreland, and as the title implies, these two artists vary in their artistic backgrounds and their chosen mediums.
Regarding this exhibition, Chief Curator Barbara Jones remarked, “This is the first contemporary art exhibition to be shown in our new Cantilever Gallery, and I am especially pleased that Kathleen and Syl are the initiators of the space. The gallery was designed with 16-foot ceilings to accommodate historical and large-scale contemporary work, and to be flexible and changeable according to any criteria and challenges presented by artist or exhibition. I hope our visitors will enjoy the results.”
About Kathleen Mulcahy
Kathleen Mulcahy has been creating works of art from glass and mixed media for five decades. Having a Masters of Fine Arts in glass sculpture and three-dimensional design from Alfred University, she directed glass studio programs at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh then went on to develop the Pittsburgh Glass Center with her husband and partner, artist Ron Desmett. She has been the recipient of numerous fellowship awards from various organizations and foundations, including The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The Creative Glass Center of America, The Lusk Memorial Award through the Fulbright Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2013, Kathleen was named Artist of the Year in Pennsylvania by the Governor. Her work is in many public and private collections.
About Sylvester Damianos
Syl Damianos has had a dual career in art and architecture for nearly a half century. He received a bachelor’s in architecture, with honors, from Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Technological Institute of Delft, the Netherlands. Following his internship and association with Celli-Flynn, Architects and Engineers, he co-founded his first firm, Damianos+Pedone, in 1967; it transitioned, over the years, to become Damianosgroup. As an artist, Damianos works in a range of materials—canvas, concrete, metal, wood—and his expertly crafted works of art reflect his attention to detail and focus on precision, both of which are significant features of his architecture. He has won numerous awards and commissions for both private and public patrons.
Exhibition Events and Programming
Opening Reception
Saturday, November 5 > 6:30–8pm
Celebrate the opening with us! Enjoy light bites provided by J. Corks and live music by Outside the Box. Purchase tickets at thewestmoreland.org/events or call 1.888.71TICKETS. $10 members, $15 non-members (includes two drink tickets). Sponsored by Rivertowne Brewing.
Fire and Light: Pittsburgh Glass Center Flameworking Demonstration
Sunday, November 6, 2016 > 12–2pm
Enjoy a free demonstration by artists from the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Master craftsmen will twist, twirl and manipulate rods of glass in an open flame to create marbles, pendants and intricate glass sculptures.
SmART Chat: Calculated Vision
Wednesday, November 16, 2016 > 6–7pm
Join artist and architect Syl Damianos for a gallery talk in his joint exhibition Opposites Attract. He will share his approach to using natural materials in the construction of his work.
Art Beat: Artist in Action
Saturday, December 10, 2016 > 1–2pm
Join Kathleen Mulcahy for a special glass working demonstration at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Meet the artist and watch her in action as she transforms molten silica into beautiful glass objects. Learn about this remarkable material and what attracted Kathleen to the challenges of mastering this unique medium. Please note: This event will take place at the Pittsburgh Glass Center.
Pop-Up Studio
Wednesday, January 4, 2017 > 6–8pm
Join us for an Opposites Attract-inspired Pop-Up Studio class for adults ages 18 and over. Purchase tickets at thewestmoreland.org/events or call 1.888.71TICKETS. $15 members, $20 non-members (includes wine, beer, soda, snacks and materials).
For more info and to RSVP for free events, visit thewestmoreland.org/events
About The Westmoreland Museum of American Art
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, located at 221 N. Main Street in Greensburg, PA, completed a transformational renovation and expansion project in October of 2015. A new LEED-certified addition of over 13,000 square feet 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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