(Posted November 20, 2006)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Combining images of stark forms taken from nature, with a Zen-inspired sense of Asian design, the work of artist Brad Stroman will be the subject of a one-person exhibition at the Juniata College Museum of Art from Thursday, Nov. 30 to Feb. 17 at the museum on the Juniata campus. There will be an opening reception for the exhibit at 5 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 30 at the museum gallery. The reception is free and open to the public. \"Ecological or environmental art is more than traditional painting of natural landscapes. While such works may be visually pleasing and even awe-inspiring, they fail to focus on the inter-relationships between man and nature,\" wrote Stroman in his artist\'s statement. Many of Stroman\'s paintings use the circle as a major design motif, often incorporating images of twigs, branches, leaves and other natural forms within the circle. He uses a Zen Buddhist concept within his art, called \"wabi-sabi\" to balance man-made and natural objects. Through Stroman\'s art, he hopes \"a stronger understanding develops concerning our imperiled environment\'s struggle against the daily ravages of man.\" A native of Harrisburg, Pa., Stroman was an art teacher in elementary and secondary schools for 34 years. He earned a bachelor\'s degree in art education from Kutztown University. He started his professional art career in the 1990s starting using the mediums of graphite and colored pencils. He is a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America and received the Prismacolor Award of Excellence from the organization. He also received the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation Award in 1990. By the late 1990s Stroman switched to painting using acrylic paints. His work is currently represented by several galleries. The Juniata College Museum of Art is located in historic Carnegie Hall at 17th and Moore streets in Huntingdon. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. For more information, please call the museum at (814) 641-3505, or visit the Juniata College Web site at http://www.juniata.edu/museum.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.