Photograph; “Miranda” by Nicole Dube

As the summer heat descends upon Harrisburg, many midstaters pack up their suitcases and sunscreen and head for the surf, sand and sea.

Fortunately, for those who are staycationing it by the Susquehanna this steamy season, a free voyage awaits in the shadow of our own Capitol, at the State Museum.

As Marcel Proust once said, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

On display through early September, right here in our own backyard, your eyes can be opened as you take in 130 original paintings, sculptures, photographs and three-dimensional crafts from 119 Pennsylvania artists.

This is the landmark 50^th year of the annual “Art of the State” exhibit, proving that life begins at 50.

More than 20 artists in the exhibit hail from Dauphin and Cumberland counties, including TheBurg’s own Aron Rook, the magazine’s former chief illustrator, and a first-time entrant in “Art of the State.”

Her piece, entitled “Gold Bond, Because Silver Linings Don’t Mean Sh*t,” is wood-burn, acrylic and gold leaf on an antique wood panel. The piece reflects both “strength and vulnerability,” Rook explained, with two mirroring figures who have placed their hearts where their heads are.

“They are deteriorating, they have become disconnected,” she said. “Yet, in all their decay, they are surrounded by golden light.”

Another local artist who dazzles is Nicole Dube, a Carlisle-based photographer whose picture of “Miranda” depicts a pensive young teen.

“That kind of melancholy—you don’t expect a 14-year-old to have such deep thoughts, such a burden on her shoulders,” Dube said. “You rarely see that kind of weightiness.”

Harrisburg’s award-winning street photographer Karen Commings’ entry is a full-color photograph of a bicyclist zipping down 2nd Street in Harrisburg in the pouring rain, the green of the streetlights glowing in the gray mist.

“I always appreciate the beauty of Harrisburg and seeing it wet,” said Commings, a long-time member of the Harrisburg Camera Club. “I just hope people will appreciate the beauty of the street, and I hope it makes them happy to look at it,”

New Excitement

Harrisburg-based artist Jeff Wiles had an impressive three pieces accepted into the exhibit this year.

“Regardless of the style of photography, it’s always my hope that I establish an emotional connection with the viewer,” Wiles said. “A good image will hold the eye, prompt interpretation and be memorable.”

Dube admits that her favorite piece in the exhibit is Wiles’ photograph entitled “Four Worlds,” which shows four Milton Hershey School students on a bus, each so close in proximity, yet so far apart in spirit.

State Museum Director Beth Hager said the show is an “interesting mix, juxtaposed against each other.” With different judges, and featuring everything from rocking chairs and jewelry to pottery and portraits, the show changes dramatically from year to year.

This show features a first-time award from the docents, she noted, which is triggering new excitement.

“Pennsylvania has a rich artist tradition,” Hager said. “Historically, Pennsylvania has been a mecca for artists.”

She pointed out that “Art of the State” is among the longest-running shows in the nation, if not the longest.

“It just draws you in,” she said. “It’s amazing what comes in every year.”

This year’s exhibit attracted nearly 2,200 entries from 845 artists. It’s co-presented by the State Museum and Jump Street, with WITF and Higher Information Group as sponsors.

Hager noted that, thanks to a newly negotiated reciprocal agreement, members of the State Museum and the Susquehanna Art Museum now can receive free admission to both destinations through Sept. 17.

A Conversation

For the 50th year exhibit, some works are indeed “state-of-the-art.” Others are timeless.

Rook said that, for a work of art to be brilliant, it must be “a most genuine expression, one where sincerity cuts through all the veils. Perhaps it deconstructs and reconstructs beliefs.”

To be a great photographer, “You have to understand your equipment and be willing to experiment and practice, practice, practice,” Commings said.

Keeping up with software and the capricious weather is a constant challenge, she added.

For Dube, the challenge is light.

“Photography is light,” she said. “That’s the hardest thing always.”

From the creative side, Dube said she always looks for a beautiful subject and, more importantly, a subject that resonates.

“A photograph will be empty unless there is some kind of narrative,” she said. “The narrative can be hidden or overt.”

Commings does a lot of street photography, particularly in the rain.

“In candid situations, sometimes it’s the unusual, sometimes it’s the ordinary, shown in an unusual way,” she said. “Nothing is off limits. Once I take it, I know how I want it to look, how I want to process it.”

During the exhibit, the museum plans to offer three “Conversations with the Artists,” programs, where two artists at a time will join together to talk and answer questions.

“We look to start a conversation about art,” Hager said.

On July 7, Pennsylvania First Lady Frances Wolf and Harrisburg’s own Andrew Guth lead the tour. Guth received a first-place award in the category of “Work on Paper.”

And despite what your art teachers may have told you, “There are no right or wrong interpretations. We all see art through the filter of our unique set of personal life experiences,” Wiles said.

With so many works featured, you won’t connect with every selection in the show. But that’s OK.

“A tour through any ‘Art of the State’ exhibit will make you aware of the depth and variety of talent our state possesses,” Wiles said.

That’s worth staying home for.

“Art of the State” runs through Sept. 10 at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, N. 3rd and North streets, Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.statemuseumpa.org.

Author: Diane McNaughton