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Oct. 24, 2012 – The art galleries of Allegheny College will present two new exhibits from Tuesday, Oct. 30, through Tuesday, Nov. 20: “New Acquisitions: Serigraphs by Roy Ahlgren” and “Re-conTEXT: Book as Object.” A reception will be held in the galleries from 7 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 30. Both the exhibit and the reception are free and open to the public.

Ahlgren’s precisely crafted geometric abstractions have been exhibited at the National Academy of Design in New York, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the 1969 National Exhibition of Prints, the Library of Congress and the International Exhibition of Graphic Art in Frechen, Germany. Well known for his use of hard-edge and op-art techniques, Ahlgren was the recipient of more than 20 national and regional prizes.

Curated by gallery director Darren Lee Miller, “Re-conTEXT” features work by Brian Dettmer, John Cage, Jenny Holzer, Alfredo Jaar, Clarissa Sligh, Kara Walker, Daniel Embree and many others. Many of the artists are known throughout the world for their innovative work. Holzer, Cage, Jaar, Sligh and Walker have been featured on the PBS TV series “Art:21, Art in the Twenty-first Century.”

Brian Dettmer is known for his detailed and innovative sculptures with books and other forms of antiquated media. His work has been exhibited internationally in galleries, museums and art centers that include the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the International Museum of Surgical Science in Illinois, the Museum Rijswijh in the Netherlands, the Wellcome Collection in England, the Bellevue Arts Museum in Washington, the Kohler Arts Center in Wisconsin and the Illinois State Museums.

Dettmer’s work can be found in public and private collections throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, Australia and Asia. He currently has solo shows in San Francisco with Toomey Tourell Fine Art and the Jewish Community Center; in Maribor, Slovenia as part of its celebration as the European Cultural Capital of 2012; and in Atlanta at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia. His work is also scheduled to be in several group shows including “40 under 40” at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institute.

Many of the works in “Re-conTEXT” are on loan from the Erie Art Museum and Allegheny College’s Special Collections.

“Re-conTEXT” is part of the Year of Transforming Education at Allegheny College, an exploration of the inequalities inherent in American education, the future of the U.S. public education system and the value of liberal arts education.

Presentation of the exhibitions is supported in part by Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA), the regional arts funding partnership of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency. State government funding comes through an annual appropriation by Pennsylvania’s General Assembly and from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. PPA is administered in this region by the Arts Council of Erie.

Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 12:30-5 p.m.; Saturday, 1:30-5 p.m.; and Sunday, 2-4 p.m. The art galleries are closed Nov. 21-23 for the college’s Thanksgiving break. Visitors are asked to call ahead to verify hours, since programs are subject to change. All events are free and open to the public.

The Art Galleries, which are wheelchair accessible, are located in Doane Hall of Art, east of North Main Street between College and John Streets in Meadville.

For more information, phone 814-332-4365 or visit www.allegheny.edu/artgalleries.

Photo 1: Serigraph by Roy Ahlgren
Photo 2: “Prehistoric Societies,” by Brian Dettmer