Summer Camps 2021
Summer Camp Sign Up Time is around the corner!
Starting Monday, March 1st you will be able to sign up for all of our summer camps
We will have weekly camps this summer for young artists from age 5 to teens. We will be following all recommendations from the CDC that are in place when we begin our camps.
Here are the camps:
Art Medley
June 21-25, 9-noon
Ages 5-8
Nicole Packard
Do you enjoy all types of art? Then this class is perfect for you. We will be making everything from realistic drawings to sculptures to cartoons. $135.
The Art of Science
June 21-25, 1-4:30 pm
Ages 7-11
Julia Nelson
Join us to design, discover, and dream this week! We will get messy making all kinds of liquid art. We will learn about scientific sculptures using different solids and everyone will see how gases can be used to create art! Let’s learn how Leonardo DaVinci used art and science to create and discover Maria Sibylla Merian, the artist who made science beautiful. $160.
Around the World
June 28-July 2, 9-noon
Ages 5-8
Nicole Packard
Learn about different countries through their artwork. We will be “visiting” Italy, France, Germany, Australia, and a few others, making art along the way. $135.
Explore India
June 28-July 2, 1-4:30 pm
Ages 7-11
Carrie Koch
We’ll try out many kinds of art styles including traditional Madhubani, mandala, mehndi, batik and silk painting. We’ll learn and experience the activities, ideas, and foods of some holidays such as Diwali and Holi. We’ll even paint with paint made from spices! We’ll listen to some folktales, play some strategy games, and learn more about animals from this diverse country. $160.
Creating With Nature
July 6-9, 9-noon
Ages 5-8
Dottie Markle
Creativity blooms as we explore nature and use a variety of techniques to create nature-based art. Each day brings something new as we work in watercolor, collage, clay, weaving and more. Come create with us and have fun! $120.
Puzzles and Games
July 6-9, 1-4:30 pm
Ages 7-11
Carrie Koch
It’s all fun and games! We’ll create and play games. We’ll make art based on puzzles and games. We’ll solve puzzles and stump our friends with puzzles too. $140.
Creative Art with Unusual Materials
July 12-16, 9-noon
Ages 5-8
Nicole Packard
Bring your creativity! Join us for a week of painting, drawing, and sculpting as we make art with a range of materials including those both recycled and reimagined. $135.
Star Wars & Space Ships
July 12-16, 1-4:30 pm
Ages 7-11
Julia Nelson
A short time ago …in an art studio nearby …there existed a group of space lovers and would-be astronauts who loved Space Fantasy. Let’s create fantastic sculptures of rockets and light sabers, design costumes and accessories for living in outer space. We will definitely take pictures and make videos using our Cosplay and props! $160.
Comics and Cartooning
July 19-23, 9-3 pm
Ages 7-11
Adam Swartz
From your imagination to the page and beyond! Create your own realistic or make-believe characters and bring them to life this week. Set the scene and tell their story through sequential drawing, animation, puppetry and theatre games. $275
Art Palooza!
July 26-30, 9-noon
Ages 5-8
Ingrid Morejohn
The wilder the wackier! Explore art and expression through a bunch of fun projects using numerous mediums and techniques. $135
Art Palooza!
July 26-30, 1-4:30 pm
Ages 7-11
Ingrid Morejohn
The wilder the wackier! Explore art and expression through a bunch of fun projects using numerous mediums and techniques. $160
Fantasy Art
August 2-6, 9-noon
Ages 5-8
Nicole Packard
Join us for a week of creative art making centered around imaginative stories. Whether you pull ideas from your favorite book or develop your own, this is the class for you. From drawing to sculpture to graphic novels we will explore fantastical art in many different mediums. $135.
The Day You Begin
August 2-6, 1-4:30 pm
Ages 7-11
Carrie Koch
A week-long exploration and celebration of authors and illustrators of color, including Jacqueline Woodson, Bryan Collier, Kadir Nelson, Faith Ringold, and others. This book-based camp will include plenty of storytelling, art and experiences. We will look at the world through the authors’ perspectives. $160.
Art in Math & Nature
August 2-6, 1-4:30 pm
Ages 7-11
Lisa Turner
Explore and make art using tessellations, number patterns like the golden rectangle and Fibonacci, fractals, tangrams and MORE! Multi-media with drawing, collage and painting. THIS CLASS IS HELD IN THE ART CENTER. $160.
Under the Sea
August 9-13, 9-noon
Ages 5-8
Liza Johnson
Campers will use their imagnations and the inspiration of all that is magical and fascinating “under the sea” to create works of art. We will use paint, recycled items and other materials as we learn to use art techniques and stretch our creative muscles. $135.
Clay
August 9-13, 1-4:30 pm
Ages 7-13
Karen Lintner/Jan Dillon
Handbuilding with clay is simply fun, but there is always something new to discover about this versatile medium. Find out some interesting facts about clay and be inspired by what ceramic artists have made from clay. Tap into your creative mind as you learn techniques for creating forms and surface patterns or build on those you already know. $200.
Clay
August 16-20, 9-noon
Ages 5-8
Jan Dillon
Young artists love working with clay. This camp will introduce them to using various, age-appropriate techniques to create interesting textures and patterns on simple clay forms. The Emphasis will be on experimenting and having fun with clay! $145.
Clay
August 16-20, 1-4:30 pm
Ages 7-13
Karen Lintner/Jan Dillon
Handbuilding with clay is simply fun, but there is always something new to discover about this popular medium. Find out some interesting facts about clay and be inspired by what ceramic artists have made from clay. Tap into your creative mind as you learn techniques for creating forms and surface patterns or build on those you already know. $200.
Mandala Magic
August 2-6, 9-noon
Ages 11 and up
Liza Johnson
Note: these classes are held in the Art Center
Join us in exploring radial symmetry, learning about the history of the Mandala, and exploring just how many different mediums, colors, and found materials we could use to create them. Throughout our time together we will contemplate balance in life, what things center you and what is/what you wish to be the center of your life. $175.
Printmaking Ingrid Booz Morejohn
August 9-13 9-noon
Note: these classes are held in the Art Center
Spend the week learning different printmaking techniques: relief block printing, tetrapak drypoint and gelliplate. You’ll learn how to carve a plate, ink your plate and print on a real printing press. You’ll finish the week by making a small book using your prints as decoration and embellishment. $175.
Drawing Outside the Lines Bob Placky
August 9-13, 1-4:30 pm
Note: these classes are held in the Art Center
Students will initially review drawing foundation skills then explore new media with the introduction of non-traditional materials. Students will use unusual materials to explore a variety of mark making techniques. Examples of contemporary artists and samples of unique techniques will be reviewed. Students will produce a finished drawing in a material of their choosing as a final product. $200.
ART SMASH Ingrid Booz Morejohn
August 16-20, 9-noon
Note: these classes are held in the Art Center
Start and finish a new project each day: MAKE paper, weave small, Paint BIG, PRINT a print, BIND your own journal. $175.
Acrylic Painting in Five Days Bob Placky
August 16-20, 1-4:30 pm
Students will receive a complete overview of acrylics, from mixing colors to the use of mediums and final varnishes. The class will cover the following foundation skills: brush types and care, paint storage, palette and surfaces and gesso. The following painting techniques will be taught with demonstrations in a studio atmosphere: Alla Prima, Impasto, Imprimatura, Glazing, Blocking In/Underpainting, Scumbling and Collage. Master Artists will be used as examples of each of the painting techniques as well as reference for artistic styles. Students will produce a final Acrylic painting. $200.
Questions? contact us at artalliance05@gmail.com or 814-234-2740.
Spring Art Alliance Art Classes are coming!
Chris Leeper Demo night
Friday, March 19, 7–9pm
Sign up online here
Christopher Leeper is a nationally known artist from Canton, Ohio. We had hoped to reschedule his four-day workshop that was canceled last year due to the pandemic. This is a substitute opportunity and your chance to meet Chris and see his work.
Christopher Leeper is a full time artist from Canton, Ohio. He is the author of “Realism in WaterMedia Northern Light”. He has illustrated four children’s books for the Smithsonian and African Wildlife Foundation. Chris’s work has been featured in many books and publications including The Artist’s Magazine, American Artist, Plein Air Magazine and Ohio Magazine.
Call For Entries!
}figure{ative Show 2021
March 5–14 at the Art Alliance Art Center
virtual opening reception, Friday, March 5, 6–8pm
Juror, Steven Sherrill
Formerly “The Go Figure” show, this show has a 2-decade history showcasing artworks of the human figure by Central Pennsylvania artists. Entry to the show is not juried. All work must have the human figure as the dominant theme; clothed figures, nudes, and portraits are all invited.
Juror — Steven Sherrill
Steven Sherrill is a Professor of English and Integrative Arts at Penn State University. He has five novels and a book of poems in the world. Though primarily a novelist, visual art has always been an important part of his creative output, and intake. In addition to making hundreds of paintings (and most of those figurative in some way), Steven has interviewed Kiki Smith and James Rosenquist for Modern Painters; he has written for TATE Magazine and Art Review; and he has taught art writing and art practice at the university. Somewhere along the way painting reared its oily and colorful head. Since then, he has endeavored to live an art-centered life.
How to Enter
Eligible Work
2D and 3D work created in the last 5 years that has not previously won an award in an Art Alliance show is eligible. Reproduction prints are not acceptable. 2D work must not exceed 48″ in any direction. Work must be ready to hang with hardware on the frame or stretched canvas. The Art Alliance reserves the right to reject any entry.
Entry Process and Fee
Entry Fees:
$30 member; $40 non-member; $20 student (high school / college)
Each artist may submit one piece. The entry form & non-refundable fee are due by Wednesday, February 24, 2021 by NOON.
Preferred option: Pay online through our link below and you will receive instructions via email about the information you need to send us.
To Enter –– click here for a link to our payment system
UNDER SEARCH OPTIONS find the “Select Session” drop down menu and choose “Figure-ative Exhibition 2021” and then click the “Search” button.
OR if you prefer to enter via the paper form (click here for a PDF), fill out the form and mail or drop by the office. Please include a check or call our office with your credit card information, or click here to pay online.
Show Dates and Hours
The Exhibit will open by appointment only at the Art Alliance Art Center in Lemont on Saturdays, March 6 & 13, and Sundays, 7 & 14, 12–4pm.
Opening Reception
The opening reception will be held virtually the evening of Friday, March 5 from 6–8pm. Prize winners will be announced at this time.
Prizes and Judging
Cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be awarded. In addition, Honorable Mention awards will be given to other notable works.
Sales and Conditions
Works may be for sale. The Art Alliance charges a 20% commission of the selling price for work sold at the show. The Art Alliance is not responsible for lost or damaged artwork.
Receiving and Retrieving Work
Appointments via Sign-Up Genius will be required for artwork drop off and pickup. A link will be mailed to you. Please choose a time. Work must be delivered to the Art Alliance on Wednesday, March 3, at the time you sign up for. Please complete and attach ID labels to your work. All artwork must be retrieved on Sunday, March 14 at the time you sign up for. The Art Alliance has no additional storage space for artwork, so please honor the pickup date.
Sitting for the Show
In order to make our shows open to the public, we need participating artists to “sit” with the exhibit. Please sign up for a time slot to sit with the exhibit after you receive the Sign Up Genius email invite.
Entry Process and Fee
Entry Fees:
$30 member; $40 non-member; $20 student (high school / college)
Each artist may submit one piece. The entry form & non-refundable fee are due by Wednesday, February 24, 2021 by NOON.
Pay online through our link below and you will receive instructions via email about the information you need to send us.
To Enter –– click here for a link to our payment system
OR if you prefer to enter via the paper form (click here for a PDF), fill out the form and mail or drop by the office. Please include a check or call our office with your credit card information, or click here to pay online.
Spring Pop-Up Art Alliance Classes are coming!
Stay tuned for Spring Pop UPs!
Click on the classes below to find out more and to sign up online.
Watercolor and Pen
Online — March 26
Friday, 7–9 pm
Instructor: Nicole Packard
Join us for an evening of relaxation and painting from the comfort of your home. Learn how to mix watercolor with black pen to add a bold technique to any of your watercolors. Artist Nicole Packard will lead you through the process over zoom.
- You will need a sheet of watercolor paper, watercolor paints (tubes or palettes at fine), paint brushes, a black pen (micron pens are best but any pen will work), and a pencil.
Illustrative Drawing
Online — April 4
Friday, 7–9 pm
Instructor: Nicole Packard
Join us for a fun evening of whimsical drawing. Perfect for card making or a piece of art to hang on your wall. You can create your own version of this cute bunny picture with artist Nicole Packard. You will need a sheet of watercolor paper, watercolor paints (tube or palettes), and paint brushes, and a black pen (micron pens are best but any pen will work).
- You will need a sheet of watercolor paper, watercolor paints (tubes or palettes at fine), paint brushes, a black pen (micron pens are best but any pen will work), and a pencil.
Pop UP Chalk Pastel Flowers
Online — April 16
Friday, 7–9 pm
Instructor: Nicole Packard
Are you interested in learning how to use chalk pastels? Join artist Nicole Packard in creating your own version of this beautiful pastel picture. You don’t even have to leave your home. The class will be held on zoom and all you need is a set of chalk pastels, one piece of multimedia paper or watercolor, and a few paper towels.
- Set of chalk pastels, one piece of multimedia paper or watercolor, and a few paper towels.
Pop UP Watercolor Flowers
Online — April 30
Friday, 7–9 pm
Instructor: Nicole Packard
Learn how to use your watercolor paints to create a beautiful layered flower painting. Artist Nicole Packard will lead you through the process over zoom.
- You will need a sheet of watercolor paper, watercolor paints (tubes or palettes at fine), paint brushes, and a pencil.
January/February CentreArts is out!
In this issue, check out …
Find Inside // BAM in 2021 // 3 Dots Community Art Project // 3 Dots $1000 Prize Winner // The Rivet Classes // The Makery Classes // Featured Artists — Photography Edition // State College Photo Club // Classes at the Art Alliance // Art Alliance Pop-Up Classes // Art Alliance Annual Meeting
Click here for an online version (you can also get a PDF if you look at the bottom of the window for the download symbol)
ART ALLIANCE EXHIBITION SCHEDULE 2021
Figurative Exhibition
March 5–14
Art Alliance Art Center
Tom Mickle, Chair — Steven Sherrill, Juror
Recycled Show
April 23–25
Art Alliance Art Center
Anni Matsick, Chair
Members Show
May and June
Kish Expect More Store
Christina McNeill, Chair
Fem Fusion
June 4–13
Art Alliance Art Center
Stacie Bird, Chair
Square Show
October
Art Alliance Art Center
Jim Bright, Chair
Abstraction Show
November 5–14
Art Alliance Art Center
Michele Randall
The Board of the Art Alliance is excited to announce this Exhibition Schedule for 2021. Our shows this spring in the Art Center will be hybrid events with viewing in-person by appointment and a virtual component.
This is an ambitious schedule and we need VOLUNTEERS to make it happen. Tasks include helping to install exhibitions, receive and return work, and coordinate calls for entry and advertising with staff. Additionally for shows in the Art Center help is needed in repairing and painting walls. This is a great way to get to know other artists in our organization and contribute to our success! To volunteer please send an email to artalliance05@gmail.com.
With the closing of our Downtown Gallery we lost some exhibition space. Fortunately our friends at the Kish Expect More Store on S. Allen St. have invited us to use their beautiful lobby and offices for exhibitions. The months of May and June will feature our Members Show. Other months will be available for solo or group shows and we will be sending more information about this later.
We are also scheduling shows for the Downtown Improvement District office in the MLK Plaza. It is a great space with plenty of wall space and good lighting. For more information on having a show of your work at the DID please email us at artalliance05@gmail.com.
Penn State Anderson Lecture Series, Spring 2021
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State School of Visual Arts announced its spring 2021 lineup for the John M. Anderson Endowed Lecture Series, which will be presented via Zoom and is free and open to the public. Pre-registration for each lecture is required via the links below.
Lewis Hyde, “The Art of Forgetting”
- Monday, Feb. 1, at 11:30 a.m.
- Lecture registration
Lewis Hyde is a poet, essayist, translator, and cultural critic with a particular interest in the public life of the imagination. His 1983 book, “The Gift,” illuminates and defends the non-commercial portion of artistic practice. “Trickster Makes This World” (1998) uses a group of ancient myths to argue for the disruptive intelligence that all cultures need if they are to remain lively and open to change. “Common as Air” (2010) is a spirited defense of our “cultural commons,” that vast store of ideas, inventions, and works of art that we have inherited from the past and continue to enrich in the present.
Read more about Lewis here
Adébayo Bolaji, “Following the Line”
- Monday, Feb. 22, at 3 p.m.
- Lecture registration
Adébayo Bolaji is a multi-disciplinary artist living and working in London, England. He has a background in theater, having trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. He also holds a law degree from London Guildhall University.
Read more about Adébayo here
Linda Weintraub, “‘I’ and ‘Eye’: Creative and Sensory Innovation in Eco Material Art”
- Monday, March 22, at 3 p.m.
- Lecture registration
Linda Weintraub has supported controversial vanguard art as a curator, educator, artist and author of several popular books about contemporary art. Weintraub’s most recent focus explores the timely intersection between contemporary art and ecology. The books exploring this burgeoning art movement include: “What’s Next? Eco Materialism & Contemporary Art” (2018), “To Life! Eco Art in Pursuit of a Sustainable Planet” (2012), and “Avant-Guardians” (2007), a series of textlets that include EcoCentric Topics: “Pioneering Themes for Eco-Art;” “Cycle-Logical Art: Recycling Matters for Eco-Art;” and “EnvironMentalities: Twenty-two Approaches to Eco-Art.”
Read more about Linda here
Sonya Clark, “These Days. This Country. This History.”
- Monday, April 5, at 11:30 a.m.
- Lecture registration
Sonya Clark, born in Washington, D.C., to a psychiatrist from Trinidad and a nurse from Jamaica, is an artist and educator who uses the language of textiles, politics of hair, and commonplace materials to honor her ancestors and address race, justice, and historical memory. Clark is a professor at Amherst College, where she received one of her undergraduate degrees and was more recently awarded an honorary doctorate. Her formal art education came from obtaining a master of fine arts degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a bachelor of fine arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. For a dozen years, she resided in Richmond, Virginia, and chaired the Craft/Material Studies Department at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Read more about Sonya here
PSU Clay cOven spring 2021 Ceramic Artist Lecture Series
Alex Watson 9 feb at 2:50pm
Kat Hutter and Roger Lee 18 feb at 2:50pm
Michael Garcia 28 jan at 2:50pm
Brad Klem 2 feb at 2:50pm
Alex Corrin 3 feb at 7:30pm
Community-Inspired Art Display at 3 Dots Downtown
2021 Inaugural Art Exhibition
State College, Pa.– The Borough of State College and 3 Dots Downtown are seeking artists to respond, to highlight the vibrancy and resilience diversity brings to the State College area. The Borough’s Office of Community Engagement and 3 Dots Downtown are collaborating for the first time on a rotating art exhibition in the downtown area which will comprise local artists conveying ‘what diversity means in this community.’
Applications to be submitted no later than January 31, at Noon EST.
Community members were recently asked “What makes State College a vibrant and resilient community?” The responses had one common theme: Diversity. State College residents come from all over the world to share their food, culture, perspectives, and their identities with the community. Because of this, both organizations encourage representation from commonly marginalized communities in society, such as, but not limited to: people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, persons with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community. These communities must be represented to ensure this initiative is successful and strongly encourage submissions from individuals who identify with these communities.
The selected artist/s are required to provide a series of large-scale artworks to be displayed in the interior windows at 3 Dots Downtown (137 East Beaver Avenue). The Office of Community Engagement has received a small grant for this project and will be providing $500-$1000 in remuneration (depending on the installation).
The first exhibition is planned for the months of February and March 2021, followed by a second artist’s exhibition April and May 2021. Both organizations will work with you to ensure professional lighting and hanging installation are appropriate to your artworks, and that your work is secure.
Criteria
· 2D Artwork – painting, drawing, photography, printworks, etc.
· The artist must reside in the Borough of State College or surrounding areas to be eligible.
Application Guidelines
· Photo examples, number & dimensions of artworks
· Short biography about yourself and your medium
· Brief statement on why you’re interested in participating in this initiative
Applications to be submitted no later than: January 31 at noon EST
For submissions and questions, please contact Natalie Vercillo at:
Email: nvercillo@statecollegepa.us // Tel: (484) 560-1397
Do you use Amazon to deliver your stuff?
Yes? Well, did you know that you can use smile.amazon.com and choose the Art Alliance of Central Penn and Amazon will donate a (small) percentage of your purchase to the Art Alliance? It’s true! With NO cost to you!
Just go to https://smile.amazon.com and find the AmazonSmile drop down menu to go to the settings and choose Art Alliance of Central Penn (that’s us). It’s simple!
We know it is a small thing, but as you know, those small things, they add up! And we really appreciate it and all you do for the Art Alliance.
Online galleries are still up for your viewing pleasure!
Visit our Rings & Things virtual gallery, up now!
Check out our virtual tour of the show that was in our Gallery.
On our gallery website:
See our online gallery of the art that was at the Kish Bank.

Visit our online Stay At Home Gallery filled with work by Art Alliance Artists working during this pandemic

Check out the January/February CentreArts magazine Online! Your local guide to art events and activities in State College and beyond. Also, click here for a link to our page with previous editions.