Bufflehead duck decoy, circa 1920. Maker Frank W. Buchner (1871-1947) was one of the most prolific and talented of Erie carvers. A chief engineer at Erie Sand & Gravel, he resigned in 1938 but continued to carve. Unfortunately, most surviving Buchner decoys have been overpainted in black.

 

Art and Life in Erie, Pa.

ERIE, PENN. - The Erie Art Museum is celebrating its 100th Anniversary with "Art & Life in Erie, Pa.," a historical display of art and handicraft from Erie County, on display through October 4 in the Erie Art Museum's main gallery.

The exhibit presents art created in Erie from 1815 to 1950 and features paintings, prints, drawings, textiles, ceramics, folk art, furniture, silver, maritime objects, and an assortment of Victorian crafts. Artists include James Bowman, Moses Billings, Junius Sloan, Laura Sanford, Lovisa Card-Catlin, Lucy Drake Marlow, George Ericson/Eugene Iverd, Joseph Plavcan and others.

This show offers a visual history of life in the community, reflecting its rural origins, industrialization, participation in national events like the Civil War, the shaping presence of Lake Erie, and Erie's growth into a modern city. The artworks are from the museum's collections, along with other private and public collections, most notably the Erie Historical Museum and the Erie Historical Society.

The exhibition includes objects that were strictly commercial and commonplace when they were made but are now collected for their craftsmanship and rarity. Items that were originally personal and precious are now avidly collected by others.

"The most pleasant surprise encountered in accumulating the objects for this exhibition was the wealth of folk art," says John Vanco, curator of the exhibit. "The historically belated appreciation for folk art fortunately has not prevented its preservation in both private and public collections. And while folk artists, like other artists, often color their creations with optimistic views of reality, their objects reflect the realities of daily life in ways which the fine arts cannot."

"Art & Life" is based on research conducted by many individuals, including Kirk Steehler, Karen Dolan, John Vanco, Ron Holstein and Rick Hovis, Jim Harrison and Louis Meyer, Betty Portenier, Paul Barden, Elizabeth Kelly, Susan Beates, Annita Andrick, John Claridge and Laura Gifford.

Erie Art Museum, 411 State Street, is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am-5 pm; Sunday, 1-5 pm. Telephone 814/459-5477.