'It's a beautiful show' Museum showcasing paintings by late watercolorist who focused on Johnstown

Apr. 28—BEDFORD, Pa. — This colorful display captures dreamlike imagery that showcases a love of home.

The exhibition "A Walk Around" is on display through July 14 at Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Bedford, located in the Anderson House, 137 E. Pitt St., Bedford.

The show features artwork from SAMA's permanent collection by the late B. Strank Zivkovich, who was a watercolor artist.

"Her work just draws you in," said Sandie Hampton, SAMA's director of operations. "With everything that's going on in the world, it's sort of like a relaxing, free-style pastel exhibition. When you walk through, it gives you that nice, calm and beautiful feeling."

Dreamlike quality

Zivkovich was an enigmatic artist whose work delves into the realms of the surreal and the fantastical, captivating audiences with its dreamlike quality and intricate symbolism.

Drawing inspiration from the depths of the subconscious, Zivkovich's art transcends traditional boundaries, inviting viewers to explore alternate realities and contemplate the mysteries of existence.

"Her style was very unique, and she draws very freely the forms," Hampton said. "She loved to draw from her hometown, and many of the pieces are from her hometown neighborhood in Johnstown.

"It gives you an idea of what she thought her hometown looked like, which is a very cohesive, relaxing and fun neighborhood."

She said SAMA has 40 of Zivkovich's watercolor works, and the exhibition features 27 of them.

"She liked to work with watercolor, and a majority of what we have are of street- scapes," Hampton said.

Through a fusion of vibrant colors, intricate detail and evocative imagery, Zivkovich's creations transport observers to ethereal landscapes where the boundaries between reality and imagination blur.

"The work gives a dreamlike quality that you would experience if you were walking down the different streets of her hometown," Hampton said.

Indelible mark

With a body of work that sparks curiosity and ignites the imagination, Zivkovich continues to leave an indelible mark on the world of contemporary art.

Zivkovich studied at Hofstra College in Long Island, New York, and the Art Students League of New York.

Her work is highly regarded by artists and curators, and has been shown at the National Academy of Design in New York City, the Metropolitan Gallery, Women Artists of America, Westmoreland Museum of Art, the Community Arts Center of Cambria County and the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art.

Zivkovich was an active member of the Allied Artists of Johnstown, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Artists Professional League and the Pennsylvania Society of Watercolor Painters.

She was nominated for the Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts in 1981; honored by the YWCA Greater Johnstown's Tribute to Women Awards in 1992; and was inducted posthumously into Bottle Works' Artists' Hall of Fame in 2007.

"It's a beautiful show. We want people to come in, and hopefully this exhibit will help to take their worries away and let their mind relax and be in the moment," Hampton said.

"We've already had a couple people from Johnstown come in and support the exhibit and artist. Even though Barbara is no longer with us, her family is still in Johnstown, so that's nice to be able to support her family and show them that we appreciate our artists."

'Best of the Best'

Also on display is the "Best of the Best" portrait exhibition that's featured on the museum's second floor in the Ashe Gallery, the Jerry and Joan Hawk Gallery and the Children's Discovery Gallery.

The show includes curated selections of artwork from SAMA's permanent collection of timeless classics and contemporary works that are meant to inspire, provoke and captivate.

From intimate character studies to grand depictions, each portrait is a testament to the depth of human expression and the enduring power of portraiture, museum officials said.

The show features 35 pieces from artists including Norman Rockwell, Leonard Baskin, Mary Jane Peale, Colleen Browning, Charles Olson and David Armstrong.

'History lesson'

"It's a gorgeous exhibition from different artists," Hampton said. "It goes from the early 1900s through the current, so you get to see what they could do back then in art, the supplies they had and what's going on now. You get a little art history lesson."

Hampton said that while the two shows are different in style, they complement each other.

"Downstairs, the work is very relaxing and dreamlike, and upstairs, the portraits are very real," she said. "You can see the talent in whatever media you like, whether you like the realism or you like the fantasy."

Museum hours are noon to 4:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Admission to the exhibition is free.

For more information, call 814-589-3020 or visit www.sama-art.org.