The Beck Center for the Arts’ “Art Treasures Display” is currently celebrating local creativity, showcasing regional artists who bring both skill and imagination to their work. The exhibition highlights the diverse artistic perspectives within the community, featuring a wide range of styles, from fine art to hand-dyed flannels.
The display, located in the Hoffman-Stach Gallery hallway outside the Senney Theater, opened Nov. 8 and runs through Dec. 27. During its run, visitors are invited to view the work and purchase pieces they like from the artist.
“We have about 11 to 12 artists on display every November and December, and I encourage artists to have handmade goods, maybe some low fine art that’s affordable for holiday gifts,” said Melinda Placko, Associate Director of Visual Arts and Education and curator of the event.
This focus makes the display accessible, offering visitors interesting artwork at affordable prices as the holiday season approaches.
“People send information in, and over the course of a year, there’s probably at least 30 or 40 different applications,” Placko said. “We also regularly post a call for artists, and we promote, you know, the exhibitions here, and ask local artists to apply, and we’re going to do a big push in January, so I expect to see even more after that.”
The high number of submissions reflects the exhibition’s growing reach and its important role in providing a platform for local artists to showcase their work to a broader audience.
The “Art Treasures Display” also ties into the Beck Center’s visual art education programs. The center offers a wide range of classes for all ages, including Abstract Painting, Adult Clay: Wheel Throwing, and After-School Cartooning, often with about a dozen students practicing in one studio.
“This offers the amazing benefit of working alongside fellow artists while you’re creating things, it fosters community, encourages people to connect with others, and with things that they love,” Placko said. “And so this is, you know, in addition to growing technical skills, people often have seen great benefit in interacting socially with their neighbors or their fellow artists and feeling a real strong sense of support and community amongst artists.”
Ryan Finley, an art teacher at the Beck Center, has been creating sketch cards since 2016. His section of the display features a variety of work, including hand-painted wood pieces, sketch cards, and a hand-drawn Pikachu drawing. Visitors can see these alongside the rest of his work.
“I really like the wood and Ralphie thing that I did. I don’t do things like in wood as well with paint and stuff,” Finley said, reflecting on his favorite piece.
Finley, who works with major companies like Disney and Nickelodeon, offered insight into the professional demands of his craft. “I think the biggest challenge is just making sure that I meet the standards and the deadlines for the companies that I’m working for, and to make sure that the collectors who collect my art are happy with it.”
The “Art Treasures Display” not only showcases Finley’s work but also highlights the perseverance and passion that define many of the local artists featured in this exhibit, as well as those who come to visit the display.
“I was told that you could not have a job as an artist… but art has just always been there for me and been very meaningful. I always wanted to make sure it became something,” Finley said.
Another featured artist is T.J. Rovito, a business analyst at PNC Bank and a subcontractor at the Beck Center, who only learned to make jewelry this past June.
“I wanted to see, you know, the jewelry is new for me, so I did want to see if that was something that maybe I could incorporate into the studio that I already have, because I do photography and I do paint and do watercolors and things like that, but nothing ever really caught on for me,” Rovito said. “It wasn’t as interesting as I needed it to be to keep my attention, but the jewelry was very fun.”
Rovito’s experience demonstrates how the exhibit encourages artists to experiment with new ideas and test their work with a real audience.
“I made a piece that came out looking like coral, and we’re about to do SpongeBob,” she said, referencing the upcoming musical at the center. “It was one of the very first things that I sold, and I was excited, because I thought maybe I could sell.”
The Beck Center’s “Art Treasures Display” is more than just an exhibition. It’s a celebration of local talent, creativity, and stories that tie together each piece. Each carving has a story behind it, and each bead has a reason it was put in that order on a piece of string. From sketch cards to handmade jewelry, the exhibit highlights the passion and perseverance of artists in the community, giving visitors a close-up of what artists make in the.
The Art Treasures Display runs until Dec. 27, located just outside the Senney Theater in the Hoffman-Stach Gallery hallway of the main building. Each piece has meaning, and each artist has a story worth listening to.
