The Lower Bucks County campus’ “Show Some HeART” exhibition raised $1,000 for the college’s scholarship fund.
The Show Some HeART exhibition, showcased from Feb. 2 to March 12, includes artwork from various artists, priced at $125.
Lower Bucks campus Executive Director James Sell says, “So far, we have sold 40 pieces of art which will net the scholarship fund $1,000. $25 of each sale goes to the College’s scholarship fund. So both artist and purchaser are in essence ‘showing some heart’ by supporting the College’s scholarship program through the sale/purchase of (He)ART.”
The Show Some HeART exhibition is the only exhibition at the Gallery where all art is priced specifically at $125. Some of the artists are sacrificing a significant amount of money by selling their work at this price, but this way, it is more palatable for people without a lot of disposable income to purchase artwork and get a good value.
“It’s kind of a play on words,” says Sell. “Both artist and purchaser are, in essence, ‘showing some heart’ by supporting the College’s scholarship program through the purchase of art.”
The exhibition showcases an incredible variety of art and is open to all artists. “We have watercolor, acrylic, oil, pottery, metals (jewelry), photography- you name it,” states Sell. “We have artists who participate in groups such as the Artists of Bristol on the Delaware, Artists of Yardley, Artsbridge, the New Hope Art League among others. We’ve also have had some artists from New Jersey participate in our shows. We are open to anyone, we are not exclusive.”
“We would LOVE to have more of our students participate. We’ve had a few participate, but would really like more of the Bucks talent to showcase.”
The gallery was founded by the College in partnership with the lower Bucks community in 2012 but originally grew out of the Show Some HeART exhibition. The Show Some HeART established an annual two-day art show each year in Feb. back in 2009.
Sell proposed to establish a more permanent gallery where art could stay up longer. Rose Marie Stripoli, from Artists of Bristol on the Delaware, and Rodney Miller, from Artsbridge, encouraged this idea and supported Bucks with all of the logistics. They soon received funding from the Grundy Foundation and the BCCC Foundation for the materials for the gallery.
“I quite doubt that the gallery would exist without them,” remarks Sell, “They put a lot of volunteer hours into the gallery and still do.”
The gallery supports the College’s mission by enriching the intellectual, cultural, and recreational life of the community, Sell believes. “The arts are such important elements in our lives. They foster creativity, innovation – and ultimately progress. In essence, they not only provide us with culture and perspective, but also with ingenuity to think differently and to define new ways of doing things which impact us in a variety of ways. Thus, creativity is surely a vital cog in moving our society forward through invention then production to prosperity.”
The gallery committee usually does three exhibitions per year and will be meeting soon to work on next year’s schedule of exhibitions. In the Fall, “Call of the Wild” will feature animals.