State Theatre Declares February Art Lovers Month

February 2, 2016

The Old State Theatre Antique Mall and Art Gallery in Columbia, Pa., in accordance with its new Friday, Saturday, Sunday sale format will feature over 250 oil paintings, watercolors, prints, and various of art on deep discount during the month of February. Among the paintings on sale are regional works by such artists as Ben Austrian and Christopher Shearer and also work by international artists including work from Salvador Dali and Marc Chagall. Selected for this sale are portraits, still lifes, landscapes, marine art and genre paintings.
Among the Lancaster and Berks county regional art represented is an oil-on-canvas painting signed C.H. Shearer 1908. This painting depicts an autumn landscape in Berks County with a pink and yellow sky above a covered bridge and a rabbit in the road. Christopher Shearer (1849-1926) was a well known artist from Reading, Pa., who studied in Paris and Munich and exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Shearer was a strong promoter of the arts in Berks County in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and supported the movement through an association with the Oscar Woerner Art Gallery. Shearer also was instrumental in the development of the Reading Public Museum and Art Gallery, convincing the founder, Dr. Levi Mengel, to incorporate a painting gallery within the institution in 1913.
Works by Lancaster County artists include watercolors by Myrtle Tremblay, an original watercolor by Thomas Hermansader, and an oil painting by Hazel Doner. Myrtle Tremblay (1908-2011) was known for her watercolors of rural farmland and historical landmarks of Lancaster County. Included in "Art Lovers Month" are two watercolors, one depicting a mill in Hinkletown and the other a large stone house. Tremblay studied at the School of Art institute of Chicago, Ill., and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Thomas Hermansader, born in 1950, also studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and is represented in the sale with a watercolor titled "Sand Dunes." Hazel Doner (1897-1981) was the wife of Paul Doner and together they owned an art gallery on Queen Street in Lancaster, Pa., from 1933-81. She won numerous first place prizes for her works and was a trustee of the Lancaster County Art Association until her death. In the sale is a oil-on-canvas depicting a colorful autumnal landscape.
Also represented in this month’s long sale are renditions by other American artists (many who studied and exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts), several primitive folk art works, and a number of antique European paintings.
An Italian oil-on-canvas coastal landscape by Emilio Donnini (1809-86) is a showstopper. This painting captures the evocative evening setting sun as it casts light on the clouds, the water, the boats, and the fishermen. Donnini, with the skillful use of light and pure hues, transfers the romantic realism of Italian life onto the canvas. Another appealing oil painting is an oil-on-wood panel painting signed by the German artist Ernst Holzweissig. This alluring painting depicts three different species of butterflies with a faux painted wood grain background. In contrast to the small painting of butterflies is a large German oil-on-canvas painting of a tabletop still life by Edward Huber-Andorf (1877-1965). The painting depicts a tray with a lobster, oysters, grapes and an orange, with a copper bowl of fruit and a block of cheese, all on a red cloth on a wood table in a Continental style.
The Old State Theatre Antique Mall has an ever-changing display of art, antiques, and collectibles. It has an eBay store at “planetantiques55” and posts information on special events, and interesting tidbits on its Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and Instagram pages.
For "Art Lovers Month," The Old State Theatre Antique Mall will be open in February every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are closed Monday through Thursday, but private appointments are welcome. They are located at 421 Locust Street in Columbia, Pa.
To learn more, call 717-925-4204 or email carnival100@gmail.com.

 

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