SRU art professor June Edwards recently got one of her works of art displayed at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.
The Art of Facts exhibit in the history center has an array of different art that creatively interprets the history of Pittsburgh through art and design. The exhibition includes more than 50 works of art from people that are either from Pittsburgh or have ties in Pittsburgh. Edwards created a woodblock print of East Liberty for the display.
“I made this print in 2012 for a celebration of the arts called ‘Steamrolled Pittsburgh’ where each artist was asked to choose a neighborhood in or around Pittsburgh to create a work of art about,” Edwards said.
Edwards grew up near the town of East Liberty and it interested her to do the research to find historical people and places to include in her piece. Her print is very intricate and includes people such as Gene Kelly, Billy Strayhorn, and Selma Burke. There are significant locations also included in the artwork such as an old gas station, The Highland Building, and historic East Liberty Presbyterian Church. Most of the figures included in the print date back to the 1940s.
When they announced that art needed to be displayed for the Art of Facts exhibit, Edwards quickly entered her woodblock print because of how relevant it was to the guidelines of the new display. A juror came in and picked the exhibition, where Edward’s woodprint made the final cut to be on display in the History Center.
“The exhibit was originally expected to run through January, but it has now been extended to April, which I am very excited about,” Edwards said.
Edwards is an active member of the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators and has been for 12 years now.
