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(Philadelphia) Central High School Alumni Exhibition

 

Woodmere Art Museum presents an extraordinary view of Philadelphia art when it brings together an array of artworks from private and public collections, both historical and contemporary, by Central High School graduates from April 24 to July 7, 2002.

According to Dr. Michael W. Schantz, The Patricia Van Burgh Allison Director and CEO, "Central High School Alumni Exhibition" represents a sampling of the many talented Central High School graduates, and evidences the important contribution to American art made by the school's art program."

Some of the artist graduates represented include William Trost Richards, Thomas Eakins, John F. Sloan, Julius Thiengen Block, Arthur B. Carles, Paul Keene, and Seymour Mednick.

Woodmere Art Museum and Sigmund Balka (Class 198), General Counsel, Krasdale Foods, New York, co-curated the exhibition, which will be accompanied by an exhibition catalogue with an essay by Dr. Amy Werbel, distinguished scholar and Associate Professor of Fine Arts, St. Michael's College, Colchester, VT. The exhibit will travel to New York venues after its initial showing at Woodmere.

 

Following is wall text from the exhibition:

The Central High School Alumni Exhibition is an example of this institution's mission of "Woodmere Art Museum celebrates Philadelphia's artistic legacy through its permanent collection, exhibitions, and educational programs." There is a legacy indeed, not only of Philadelphia artists, but of artists from Central High School.  An astonishing list of historical figures whose careers began at Central include, among many others, Julius Bloch, Arthur B. Carles, William Glackens, Louis I. Kan, Daniel Ridgway Knight, William Trost Richards and John Sloan.  Some of the contemporary figures were equally well
known to us and had either exhibited at Woodmere over the years or were part of Woodmere's permanent collection.
 
While the exhibition is sizable, the show is in no way comprehensive, as space, time and resources were limited.  Indeed, it is a mere sampling of many of the talented Central High graduates.  As such, it is a seminal effort, rather than a fully realized tribute to all those artists who began their careers at Central.  We do hope, however, that the works assembled will give ample evidence of the important contribution the art program at Central High School has made to American art.
 
We at Woodmere would like to thank Sigmund Balka (Class 198) for not only co-curating this exhibition, but for the initial idea of assembling the many examples of the talent from the graduates of Central High School.


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