Known for exhibits offering a range of media and approaches to art making, as well as multimedia presentations and lectures, the Rose Lehrman Arts Center Gallery will use the grant to fund programming during the current 2004-2005 fiscal year.
The funding makes it possible for HACC to host nationally recognized artists and lecturers, according to Tyler Clever, gallery director and adjunct humanities instructor.
"Grants like this one from the PCA have allowed me to bring in a higher caliber of artists and artwork in recent years that wouldn't be possible without it," Clever explained. "It allows me to broaden the range of access for visitors and to bring in things that people in the area might not normally get a chance to see."
Art historian Howard Risatti, who teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Woody Pirtle, a graphic designer, are two well-known members of the national art community whose recent visits were made possible by the grant.
"The month that Woody Pirtle gave his lecture, he won the Medal of American Institute of Graphic Arts, a lifetime achievement award." said Clever, explaining that the award is the most prestigious in the field of graphic design. "I couldn't have [brought him in] without those funds."
For several years, Clever has successfully leveraged the annual PCA grants to increase the Rose Lehrman Arts Center Gallery's reputation for hosting nationally recognized artists and art experts. Leslie Dill, who had a solo exhibit at the National Women's Museum in the summer of 2003, exhibited her work at HACC's gallery during the spring of 2001.
During her exhibit, Janet Koplos, senior editor of Art in America, visited the campus to lecture on Dill's work and that of other related artists.
The Rose Lehrman Arts Center Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. For a list of upcoming events, visit www.hacc.edu or call 717-231-ROSE.