'Stay Wild' exhibit showcases Greensburg artist’s connection with humanity, nature

When not creating with paint or clay, artist Sarah Hunter of Greensburg enjoys nurturing her “wild” habitat in the suburban backyard.

She wants to support nature, while encouraging her neighbors to do the same.

“We really need to support our native plants and pollinators,” said Hunter, who is a member of the Audubon Society and Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

Although Hunter has a small backyard – about a quarter of an acre – she and her husband James have used most of it to create a pollinator garden. Her goal is to eventually become certified by Penn State.

“We’ve planted about 45 shrubs and trees since we moved here four years ago,” Hunter said. “Even if you don’t have a big backyard, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a big impact.”

Hunter was always interested in art as a child, but became discouraged by an instructor. Yet, the desire to create never left; she continued to write songs and designed her high school yearbook cover.

“Your destination will chase you,” Hunter said.

For Hunter, whose work includes illustrations of humanity and nature, creating is therapeutic. Her motivation for her artwork is healing, both for herself and her audience.

“I just want the viewer to have their own connection with my art work,” Hunter said.

Friends of the Monroeville Public Library invite the public to view Hunter’s art at a free opening reception for the exhibit “Stay Wild” from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 14 at the Elaine Biondi Gallery Space, 4000 Gateway Campus Blvd.

Hunter’s paintings will be on display until Sept. 24, with many pieces available for purchase. Acrylic is her medium of choice, although she uses oils and watercolors at times.

You can find her work in various locations, including a collaborative mural for Westmoreland Cultural Trust’s Art in the Alley in Greensburg and two public murals as part of the River Art Walk with Bottle Works in Johnstown.

Hunter has studio space at The Manos Gallery in Tarentum, where she is a resident artist and has paintings and pottery for sale. Currently on display is Hunter’s public art project, “How are you feeling today?”

“The public is invited to put their mark on the canvas by drawing or writing on it,” said Hunter, who added that if patrons don’t feel comfortable, they are welcome to put a note in her mailbox and she will design it for them.

Hunter graduated from Saint Vincent College in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in studio art and minors in art history and psychology. She attributes her professor, the late David Ludwig, with helping her become the artist she is today.

When Hunter wanted to pursue art, it was Ludwig that went to bat for her with her advisor.

“He said, ‘She has the passion. The skill set can be taught’,” she recalled.

Hunter also hosts private drawing, painting and pottery lessons. For more information, visit thecensoredartist.com or follow her on Instagram at thecensoredartist.