Valley Forge Tourism And Philadelphia Premium Outlets Partner For New Art Installation

Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board's Arts Montco brand has announced a new installation that celebrates diverse visual artists within Montgomery County at the region's premiere outlet shopping destination, Philadelphia Premium Outlets, located in Limerick, PA. The large-scale display, which is located near Columbia Factory Store, Aeropostale, Francesca's Collections, and Polo Ralph Lauren, highlights makers in the Montgomery County area. This is the second Arts Montco Wall; the first debuted in 2021 at King of Prussia Mall.

"We are thrilled to partner with the Philadelphia Premium Outlets, the region's top outlet shopping destination, to celebrate the incredible and diverse artists who call Montgomery County home," notes Valley Forge Tourism's Associate Vice President of Communications Rachel Riley. "This installation is a celebration of our county-wide Arts Montco brand, and a wonderful way to provide exposure for these incredible artists with the outlet center's high foot traffic."

The installation features 7 larger-than-life pieces of art created by artists who either live in the region or have their art displayed in one of Montgomery County's dozens of galleries. The wall is part of the Tourism and Convention Board's ongoing Arts Montco initiative, which highlights the county's over 200 arts and entertainment venues, attractions, and galleries. The arts and culture sector represents $100 million in positive economic impact for Montgomery County, not to mention hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs.

Featured in the new installation are:

Kathy Bohn: "Fruit Basket"

Kathy is a 20 year self taught veteran of the art world. She started at the age of 12 teaching herself different mediums and has since been in eight different art markets in the United States including Pennsylvania, Washington, California, New Mexico, and Montana. Kathy exhibits art through her website and also at Engage Arts Studios in Schwenksville, PA where they are on display. Kathy has been a teacher of the fine arts at several local schools in Montana from 2010 through 2018 and has been involved with a National Endowments for the Arts Project in Montana. She enjoys working in the communities she lives in on revitalization projects.

Robyn Burckhardt: "Allure"

Robyn is a "process oriented" artist. She uses traditional materials in an unusual way. Robyn's paintings often begin with thin washes of paint followed by layered glazes of color. Her education is a B.S. Art Education from Kutztown University and Graduate studies in fine art from The University of the Arts, Philadelphia. Robyn's studio is in Spring City where she holds workshops, and her work is in collections in P.A., S.C, C.T., A.Z., F.L., Washington D.C, M.D., and N.J.

Suzan Dise: "Little Poppies in Fiber"

Working with multiple mediums, such as oils, watercolors, fiber and photography, Suzan draws creative inspiration from discovering the extraordinary in the ordinary of everyday life. She favors contemporary impressionism, well-balanced composition and exploring color relationships. Suzan studied both fine art and graphic design, earning a BFA from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. She currently runs a design studio, teaches Digital Arts to teens, and creates original and commissioned fine art out of her home studio in Montgomery County.

Midred Sands Kratz: "Gold Finch and Wildflowers"

A nationally renowned watercolor artist of the Great American Realist tradition, Mildred was a native of Pottstown. She co-founded the Pottstown Artist Guild and is the winner of over 100 awards for her art.

Lisa Muller: "Through Small Holes Torn in Their Tightly Woven Days"

Prior to painting, Lisa was a full time ceramic artist, creating large scale murals, sculpture, and a line of ceramic tiles found in collections across the country. Trained at Tyler School of Art, Lisa also taught ceramics at multiple venues to all ages. Surface depth, texture, layered color, and translucency are some of the formal traits she pursues in her current body of work. Her figurative imagery includes elements of abstraction and whimsy drawn from many adventures. She has a full time studio practice based in Pottstown, PA.

Trina Poage, "The Black Earth Rising"

As a child, Trina always had a passion for art. She loves anything that evolves color, and her dream was always to work at a place where she could express her creativity and educate others. Trina has studied at University of the Arts, Berkeley, and the Art Institute of Philadelphia. She started "The Black Earth Rising" collection as an outlet to express her thoughts during the COVID pandemic after she attended a social justice discussion. Trina wanted to create visual, symbolic pieces using black, gold, and white that would lead viewers to have thought-provoking conversations, while offering a bit of history surrounding the Black community.

Madisyn Williams, "Hell's Moonlight Never Fades to Copper"

Madison is a junior at Pottstown High School and has been drawing and painting since the age of 12. She hopes to study art and travel, and is interested in singing, fashion, and makeup.

The installation is free and open to the public. For more information on Arts Montco, visit artsmontco.com.

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