For Immediate Release Contacts: Outsider Folk Art Gallery: Emily Christensen: emily@outsiderfolkart.com, 610-939-1737. A.C.O.R. Gallery: Ed Terrell: zyxart@yahoo.com, 610-898-7684 Major African-American Art Show in Reading, PA. "Believe, Achieve, Succeed" Celebrates Black History Month Outsider Folk Art and A.C.O.R. Galleries Collaborate to "Light Up" Reading with Art during February and March 2010

Purvis Young "Our Leader"

Reading, PA - The Outsider Folk Art and African American Coalition of Reading (A.C.O.R) galleries announced they will collaborate on one of the city’s and state of Pennsylvania’s largest African-American art shows in downtown Reading in honor of Black History Month and as a special tribute to black artists.

Titled "Believe, Achieve, Succeed" the show comprises contemporary mixed media works of more than 100 local, regional and national artists to be displayed from February 1 through March 26, 2010 in a 4300-square-foot space on the first floor of the Exide Building at 645 Penn Street (courtyard side), site of the former Albright College Cultural Center where numerous other art exhibits have been held.

A public grand opening will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010 beginning at 5 p.m. and including a ribbon-cutting by Reading Mayor Thomas H. McMahon. Many of the artists will be in attendance. The show is being sponsored by the Berks Arts Council and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. The Outsider Folk Art and A.C.O.R. galleries are prominent Reading and Berks art institutions both based in The Goggle Works Center for the Arts, 2nd and Washington Streets, Reading.

Ed Terrell, A.C.O.R. director and one of the participating artists, said, “This is yet one more significant and successful partnering of the arts in our community, one that will light up downtown Reading and showcase not only the talents of black artists, but also underscore how far the Reading and Berks County arts community has evolved.
George Viener, co-director and founder of the Outsider Folk Art Gallery with Sue Viener, said, This is yet another reason for people to come to Reading and further evidence of the positive impact brought by The Goggle Works and other arts organizations. "The fact that we can do this during Black History Month is awesome. Art is powerful and it is inspiring to see what not only black artists have the freedom to create in America, but also any artist" said Viener.

Among the many Outsider Folk Art Gallery artists represented are: Loring Cornish, Baltimore, Md.; Thornton Dial, Bessemer, Ala.; “Mr. Imagination,” Atlanta, Ga.; Jimmy Lee Sudduth, Caines Ridge, Ala.; and Purvis Young, Miami, Fla. In addition to Terrell, other local A.C.O.R. artists in the show are: Marlene Book, Raylene Devine, Chad Cortez Everett, Christine Mitchell, Shirley Newton, Lois Power, Maria Ruoff, Donald Thomas, Sandi Turner, Renae Tyson and Lorenzo White.

A.C.O.R. is an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance education through the arts, while enlightening everyone to the essence of African-American art, history and culture. It produces visual, creative and performing arts and cultural and historical programs in Reading and Berks County. A.C.O.R. additional photos available at http://picasaweb.google.com/acorgallery/AcorGalleryDecember2009January2010#

The Outsider Folk Art Gallery is one of the country's leading exhibiters and proponents of "outsider art" also commonly described as "self-taught art" encompassing expression that includes people living mainstream lives, who were not trained as artists, but make great art. Viener and his wife, Sue, discovered folk art and Americana in 1970 and have championed it ever since. Outsider Folk Art additional photos available at http://www.outsiderfolkart.com/outsiderart.html or http://www.outsiderfolkart.com/folkart.html

Hours for "Believe. Achieve. Succeed" Are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. For additional details, contact the Outsider Folk Art Gallery by e-mail at emily@outsiderfolkart.com or 610-939-1737 or the A.C.O.R. Gallery by e-mail at zyxart@yahoo.com or call 610-898-7684.
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Emily Christensen

Assistant Gallery Director
Outsider Folk Art Gallery
201 Washington St.
suite 504
Reading, PA 19601
610-939-1737 p
610 939 1738 f
www.outsiderfolkart.com

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