Artists expand their palettes during pandemic, just in time for 'Art of the State' competition

May 12—At the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, people across the globe found themselves with a bit of extra time on their hands, and many used it to try something new — baking bread for the first time, or learning a skill they couldn't make time for normally.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation want to know what the Keystone State's artists have been up to during the pandemic, issuing a call for submissions to the 54th annual "Art of the State" juried exhibition.

Betty Trout of Murrysville took the opportunity to revisit a painting style she hadn't taken part in since the 1980s — "en plein air" painting. It's French for "in the open air" and takes advantage of the way natural light plays on landscapes and other artistic subjects.

"It was a way for other artists to get together without being too close," said Trout, who is also a member of the East Suburban Artists League. "I did plein air a little in the '80s, so it's kind of new for me again."

Trout discovered she needed to work more quickly, "because the light changes so much. You really have to dive in and get going quickly," she said. "And the lighting is so different when you take it back home and look at it."

For Arlene Holtz of East Liberty branching out artistically meant exploring new color combinations and different painting techniques.

"I've changed the whole color palette I've been using," Holtz said. "I used to use a lot of blues, greens and cool colors, but I've been switching over to warm colors because I just needed something new and different."

Holtz said she is also experimenting with a combination of the real and abstract.

"I've done a lot of representational art as well as abstract art in my career," she said. "I've been trying to combine them: working on portraits that are a little more abstract and not exactly perfect, or doing things like florals but also working to make them deliberately imperfect."

And creative exploration isn't limited to those who create art for a living.

At the Latrobe Art Center, executive director Michael Tusay said there has been steady interest in the center's virtual classes, and even more now that they are slowly returning to in-person instruction.

"We're seeing an increase there, and we've also seen an increase in interest from established artists who are looking to branch out and learn other mediums," he said.

Tusay of Irwin is an amateur artist and said that over the past year, he's focused on learning more about art history and preservation.

"I've been learning about preservation techniques, how to clean and repair damaged or deteriorating pieces of art," he said. "And in order to fully understand that, you have to learn how to create those types of pieces."

Trout said one bright spot for artists during the pandemic was the sizable number of galleries that are now able to be viewed virtually.

"I think that will set up everything to be better in the future," Trout said. "A lot of galleries will now have their virtual option in addition to regular visiting hours."

Sometimes even social media can lead to unexpected surprises.

"There was a Facebook challenge going around where you post one of your paintings every day for 10 days," Trout said. "That resulted in four sales for me, which was really cool."

Trout, Holtz, Tusay and others will be able to submit art in five categories to the "Art of the State" exhibit: painting, work on paper, sculpture, craft, photography and digital media.

The application deadline is May 28, and more than $4,000 in cash prizes will be awarded, including a $500 first prize and $300 second prize in each category.

The competition will be juried by Portland Art Museum photo curator Julia Dolan, Chicago State University's former curator Joyce Owens, Matthew Hincman of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Al Miner, director and chief curator for the Georgetown University Art Galleries.

The gallery will open Sept. 26 and close Jan. 2, 2022, at the museum in Harrisburg.

Details: StateMuseumPA.org/artofthestate.

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick at 724-850-2862, pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .