Featuring the work of "Lincoln Artist" Wendy Allen

(4/12) The strength and spirit of Abe Lincoln was studied and captured by nearly 100 area art students when the Adams County Arts Council offered its fourth History Meets the Arts student workshop on March 23 at the Adams County Emergency Services Center. This year, the master class featured Wendy Allen, whose life’s work revolves around revealing the many faces of Abe. In addition to discussing her art and career, Ms. Allen guided and coached art students and teachers from Bermudian, Gettysburg, Upper Adams, Littlestown and South Western high schools as they photographed and sketched Jim Getty, Gettysburg’s Mr. Lincoln. Area artists were also invited to attend.

A Pittsburgh native, Ms. Allen frequently visited Gettysburg in her youth, and it was here that she discovered her passion – the face of Abraham Lincoln. She has been painting Lincoln for more than 20 years, and her paintings hang in galleries and homes from Kansas to South Korea. She describes her technique as "sculpting" because she usually uses fingers to mold the paint. She is also senior designer for Internet Product Development at Scholastic, Inc., and lives in Connecticut.

Thanks to the cooperation of the Borough of Gettysburg, the students’ finished work will be exhibited and for sale during the History Meets the Arts Festival at the newly restored Lincoln Train Station on Carlisle Street. The exhibit, Railsplitter: A New Look at Lincoln by Students and Teachers, will open Friday, April 21, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with Jim Getty and Wendy Allen on hand. Ms. Allen’s work will also be featured in the exhibit, which continues Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Council extends special thanks to Lisa Harman and Nina Rynearson, Upper Adams art teachers, for coordinating the exhibit.

This program is supported by the Humanities and the Arts Initiative, administered by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council and funded principally by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Brobyn Family Foundation also helped underwrite the program.

History Meets the Arts 2006 will also feature an art raffle of highly collectible miniature drawings by artists like Robert Griffing, Heide Presse, and "dog" artist John Weiss at Lord Nelson’s exhibit at the Gettysburg Fire Hall, April 21-23, so stop by and enter the drawing! Raffle tickets are $5, three for $10, and eight for $20 and available during exhibit hours, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information on Arts Council programs, contact 717 334-5006, info@adamsarts.org or visit www.adamscountyartscouncil.org