Allegheny Valley artists celebrate ‘New Beginnings’ in Tarentum gallery show

The Allegheny Valley League of Artists will celebrate “New Beginnings” with an exhibition by that name in the Manos Gallery in Tarentum.

“We’re just getting back underway after the pandemic, so the name is apropos for the times,” said Patti Giordano of Lower Burrell, the league’s president.

“New Beginnings” will open with a reception from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday in the gallery at 320 E. Fifth Ave., in the historic building that once housed the Manos Theater. Light appetizers will be served.

Running through Aug. 27, it’s the league’s first group show since before the pandemic and its first group show in the Manos.

The league has an active membership of about 20, and most of them will be exhibiting their work, Giordano said. Many of the members also belong to other artist groups, including the East Suburban Artists League and New Kensington Camera Club.

Featured works will include acrylics, watercolors, photography, jewelry and painted hats and purses. All items will be for sale.

Among the exhibitors is Peter Cehily of Allegheny Township, who has shown at regional juried exhibitions at locations including the Hoyt Art Center, Westmoreland Art Nationals, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Merrick Art Gallery and Sweetwater Center for the Arts.

“I chose three pieces that incorporate a mix of different media since mixed media is my new medium,” said Cehily, who previously worked mainly in acrylics.

One of Cehily’s pieces incorporates enamel paint and sand along with the acrylic. The others meld ink drawings and sketches with other media.

“I have amassed a lot of these sketches, and working in mixed media provides a perfect opportunity to use them in a very creative way in the work that I show,” said Cehily, who studied drawing and painting at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and Westmoreland County Community College.

Giordano, who is mostly self-taught, will exhibit watercolors.

“I love the movement of the watercolor. It always surprises you,” she said.

A ‘tightknit group’

The AVLA was organized about six years ago and previously has held workshops and shows at the New Kensington Art Center and Peoples Library in New Kensington. This summer, the group also has met in a local park.

Most members are residents of New Kensington, Lower Burrell and Natrona Heights, but membership is open to anyone, Giordano said.

“Allegheny Valley League of Artists is a great, very tightknit group of local artists who know each other and are committed to expanding and promoting the visual arts in the A-K Valley,” Cehily said. “This is my first time exhibiting at the Manos Gallery. Several other artists in our group have exhibited their work there frequently, and it is a very exciting venue.”

The gallery opened in November 2020 and is operated by Ernesto Camacho and Brian DeFelices as a showcase for local artists and Camacho’s work. It also hosts painting classes and wine and art nights.

“It is always exciting to have a new gallery in the local area that offers an eclectic variety and an opportunity for artists to show their art and gather together,” Cehily said.

“New Beginnings” will be available for viewing during gallery hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Fridays and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

For more information on the exhibition or about AVLA activities and membership, call 724-335-2914 or 724-980-6566.