Complete Story
10/10/2015
Art and Industry Come Together to Raise Money for Scholarships
Community College of Allegheny County and the Fluid Power Educational Foundation have joined forces to raise scholarship money for promising young people interested in the technology fields by sponsoring “Art for Industry” today at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden.
The event will feature paintings by prominent local artists Philip Salvato of Carnegie, Stowe Township-based artist Fabrizio Gerbino, and works by Kirsten Lowe-Rebel, who won the Emerging Artist Award at the 2015 Pittsburgh Arts Festival.
Their artwork, along with those of other artists, will be auctioned with a portion of the proceeds going to fund scholarships for students interested in college-level technology studies.
Scholarships will be awarded by the community college for its Mechatronics Program and other scholarships will be given through the Fluid Power Education Foundation.
“We are giving artists an opportunity to sell some of their wonderful work while at the same time raising funds for scholarships,” said Judy Wojanis, who came up with the idea of highlighting the work of artists to draw attention to the need for attracting talented young people to careers in science and technology.
Ms. Wojanis has devoted her career to technology in the fluid power industry.
She is a current board member of Catalyst Connection, an organization dedicated to helping manufacturing industries compete successfully in southwestern Pennsylvania.
She also serves on the board of Wojanis Supply Company and is a past board member of the National Fluid Power Society.
The fluid power industry affects anything mechanical. Its products are used in a wide array of industries ranging from steel and mining, to oil and gas, medicine and robotics, Ms. Wojanis said.
“Millions of people are retiring in these fields. There are good jobs available and we need young people to fill those jobs,” she said.
She envisions the Art for Industry event, subtitled Industry Supporting the Arts/Artists Supporting Industry, as way to bring the two communities together.
“I see it as building a bridge,” she said, and she believes there is a natural synergy between the work of artists and the work of those in industry
“In both fields creative minds are needed to solve problems,” she said.
In fact, she found while organizing Art for Industry that a lot of people already work in both fields.
“Many artists we contacted have day jobs in technical fields while also being passionate artists,” she said.
One of the featured artists, Mr. Gerbino, often uses materials commonly found in industry like carbon and metals as well as objects like chains and pulleys to create his art in a variety of mediums from painting to sculpture.
The work he is submitting is called “Untitled – Purge #2,” an oil on paper created from unused tints that can be bought in a paint store and tagged with a sign reading, “Throw Away – Purge.”
Art for Industry begins with refreshments and awards from 2 to 4 p.m., then food and cocktails will be served from 6 to 9 p.m. The cost is $40 for the 2-4 p.m. portion, and $100 for the 6-9 p.m. portion.
Money from the ticket sales, a silent art auction, raffle, and artwork sales benefit the scholarship fund.
Tickets: www.fpef.org
