Westmoreland Museum event promotes public art participation

A new community art resource will be unveiled during Public Art Day, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg.

The free event also will feature artist demonstrations, chalk art activities and information from local galleries.

“The Community Art Exchange Station … is very similar to a Free Little Library/Sharing Library, but with art,” said Hannah Vincent, the museum’s public programs manager.

The station will be installed in mid-September at the museum’s north entrance on Academy Hill Place, opposite Greensburg Salem Middle School.

“Guests can leave drawings, small canvases, paintings and small multimedia works in the exchange,” Vincent said. “(They) are encouraged to leave artwork they’ve made in the exchange and take artwork, as well.”

The station shares a mission with Public Art Day, Vincent said, “for visitors and participants to spread art in the community and with each other.”

Artist Stephanie Oplinger of Hempfield will be present Saturday to work on an original painting that will be installed on the station. Visitors will be able to see her work in progress.

Erik Greenawalt of North Huntingdon, known as “The Chalking Dad,” will create a chalk work based on the Barkley L. Hendricks painting, “Father, Son, and …,” featured in the museum’s current “Block Party” exhibition.

“We also will have a lot of chalk on site for visitors to create their own chalk art,” Vincent said.

Representatives of two downtown Greensburg galleries, Green Beacon Gallery and StopWatch Gallery & Studio, will be on site with information on their facilities and examples of their art and programs.

“We’ll talk about the gallery and our mission to enliven this lovely town,” said Marti Haykin, who owns and operates StopWatch with her husband and fellow artist, Marc Snyder.

StopWatch specializes in showing contemporary artwork that might not otherwise be seen in the area, Haykin said, with upcoming exhibitions ranging from “lovely sculptures related to animals and nature” to works exploring the opioid epidemic.

“Our whole concept is ‘stop and watch,’” she said. “Stop playing with your phone and look at some art. See what’s here before you.”

Green Beacon Gallery showcases work by local emerging artists, hosts concerts in various alternative music genres and offers classes, workshops and special events such as paint nights.

Admission to Public Art Day is free. Registration is requested at 888-718-4253 or thewestmoreland.org.