EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Marketing Department Taylor House Edinboro, PA 16444 (814) 732-2194 November 28, 2001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FAX (814) 732-2294 ROBERT SHERER’S WORK SELECTED FOR PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL ART SHOW The Florence Biennale in Italy is among the most prestigious and comprehensive exhibitions of contemporary art in the world. Edinboro University is nationally known for its successful art program. What do the two have in common? Robert Sherer. Sherer is one of only a few Americans who has been invited to represent the United States in the international art exhibition, Biennale Internazionale Dell ’Arte Contemporanea, also known as the Florence Biennale or the Winter Biennale. The event will be held December 7 through 16 at historic Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Italy. “Being asked to represent my country in an international venue is a great honor,” said Sherer. “Getting to see Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, as an artistic guest of the city is perhaps the most personally satisfying aspect of this venture.” Sherer received his MFA from Edinboro University in 1992. “I was a typical art student before attending the graduate painting program at Edinboro; I knew how to dye my hair, act cool and rebellious, and ‘express myself wildly with paint,” said Sherer. “The MFA program at Edinboro taught me painting, discipline and professionalism. “My primary professor in the graduate program, Ben Gibson, encouraged me by making me feel as if I could achieve anything in the world if I just put my mind to it,” said Sherer. “He taught me how to balance intellect and emotion in the creative process of art.” The subjects of his artworks are contemporary figures whose actions reflect classical themes of love, death, mystery, rebirth, innocence, mythology, superstition, the unconscious realm, and tragedy. His contribution to the Florence Biennale are two, largescale oil-on-canvas paintings, one of which is titled “Nuptial Not” measuring 50” x 62” and the other “Insurgent Desires” measuring 50” x 65”. - more - A member of the State System of Higher Education ROBERT SHERER TO SHOW AT FLORENCE BIENNALE Page 2 More than 600 artists from 40 countries will display approximately 1800 works in the historic buildings of Firenze Expo, Florence’s premier exhibition space. The Florence Biennale not only showcases established artists, but also emerging artists seeking an entry into the European art world. The founders of the Florence Biennale, brothers Pasquale and Piero Celona, thought it important to create an international venue where talented career artists could exhibit their latest works and make their presence felt in a panoramic survey of contemporary art. A full array of cultural events and secondary exhibitions will be included during the ten-day Biennale with an estimated 72,000 people attending. The number of art techniques in this year’s Biennale of Contemporary Art has been expanded from three to six. In addition to painting and sculpture, and works on paper, the exhibition will include works in photography, video and digital art. The Lorenzo II Magnifico prize, a medal portraying the great Renaissance patron, will be awarded by the International Jury to the winners of the International Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary Art in the fields of painting, sculpture and graphic art. Among those included in the exhibition is Charles, The Prince of Wales, who will exhibit two of his own artworks. He said he is delighted at having his works included in this exhibition which is growing in importance and attracting the attention of critics in Italy and abroad. “Since I have never participated in an exhibition of this importance, it is difficult to say what it will mean to my career,” said Sherer. “I have spoken with an artist from the Biennale 1999 who told me that it has opened unimaginable doors for her career.” The artist told Sherer that curators and dealers are very impressed when they see the Florence Biennale on an artist’s resume. And impressed they should be. Sherer captures the magnificent beauty of his humanistic subjects on canvas and instills a sense of mystery in the viewer. - more - ROBERT SHERER TO SHOW AT FLORENCE BIENNALE Page 3 Because of his commitment to excellence and the rigid discipline he places upon himself, he produces only about ten large-scale paintings per year and several small paintings. He also teaches drawing and art anatomy at the Atlanta College of Art, and painting, drawing, and figure studies at Kennesaw State University. “Passing along knowledge is one of the truly noble professions,” said Sherer. “Due to the slash-and-bum tactics of Academic Modernism, we lost much knowledge that had been handed down from countless hundreds of years. Continuity is very important to me.” He is inspired by those unrecognized artists/academicians who spend their lives engaged in visual study. ' “According to my family, I have been drawing and painting all my life,” said Sherer. “I can’t remember a time vrithout art.” -30CGH EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Marketing Department Taylor House Edinboro, PA 16444 (814)732-2194 FAX (814) 732-2294 November 20, 2001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TRAVELING MUSICIANS PRESENT CONCERT OF HOLIDAY PROSE AND POETRY AT EDINBORO UNIVERSITY Brass Rings will present “Time for Christmas,” a Victorian-flavored concert at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania on Monday, December 3, at 8 p.m. in the University Center. Spend a delightful evening of warmth, friendship, and good cheer during this holiday event sponsored by the University’s Concert and Lecture Series. Brass Rings is composed of five musicians of wide experience who invent concert programming that demands they stretch beyond their musical selves. They bring skill in writing, staging, acting, and movement to their shows that creates a deeply involving experience for their audience. By interweaving spectacular musical arrangements with favorite holiday prose and poetry, they celebrate six elements of a traditional Christmas - bells, snow, food, gifts, trees, and angels. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. Edinboro University students are free with valid I.D. For additional information or ticket reservations, call the Office of Cultural Affairs at 814-732-2518. - 30 CGH A member of the State System of Higher Education Brass Rings Thomas Henderson 519 576 6945 ThomasT rombone@sympatico.ca EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Marketing Department Taylor House Edinboro, PA 16444 (814) 732-2194 November 6, 2001 FAX (814) 732-2294 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE EDINBORO UNIVERSITY TO HOST “MAINTAINING INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY IN THE 21^^ CENTURY” Edinboro University of Pennsylvania will host “Maintaining International Peace and Security in the 2U* Century,” an International Conference on Terrorism on Thursday and Friday, November 15 and 16. The conference, planned well in advance of our nation’s tragedy on September 11, will feature keynote speaker Dr. Bruce Hoffman, along with several presentations by both national and international scholars, as well as panel discussions on terrorism. Hoffman, vice president of external affairs at RAND, is responsible for the company’s overall communications strategy. He is one of the world’s leading experts on terrorism. He has served as an advisor and consultant to numerous government agencies and private sector groups worldwide. Author of two books and several articles, reports and reviews on the subject, Hoffman will present “Rethinking Terrorism and Counter­ terrorism after 9/11,” on Thursday at noon in Van Houten Dining Hall South. Tickets are required for the keynote luncheon. Highlights of the conference include panel discussions on “Terrorism and Maintaining International Peace and Security,” “International Terrorism: Strategy, Tactics and Ideological Objectives,” “Terrorism, The Islamic Threat and Extremist Movements,” and “Understanding Islam and Jihad.” Among those presenting at the conference include: • • Dr. Rohan Gunaratna, senior policy expert, and Dr. Paul Wilkinson, director. Center for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, St. Andrew’s University, Scotland; Katrina Grenfell, office of legal affairs. United Nations, New York; - more A member of the State System of Higher Education INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TERRORISM • • • • • • • • • Page Two Dr. Abdel-Kader Cheref, professor, University of Oran, Algeria; Dr. Mark Plain, president. Philosophical Center, British Columbia, Canada; Ravi Aryasinha, department of political science. School of International Service, American University, Washington, D.C.; Ahmed Salim Khuwaja, associate researcher officer. South Asian Research Council; Dr. William A. Ejalu, department of political science. University of Budapest, Hungary; Dr. H. Nizamani, Center for Non-Proliferation Studies, Vancouver, Canada; Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, executive director, Kashmir American Council, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Paul Njemanze, chairman, Pomnacon Nigeria Limited; former faculty. University of Lagos, Nigeria; Dr. Nazir Mughal, middle eastern studies professor, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania; conference chairperson; former vice-chancellor. University of Sindh, Pakistan. Registration begins at 8 a.m. on Thursday, followed by the opening ceremony at 9 a.m. in the University Center multipurpose room, where all plenary sessions will be held. A pre-registration fee of $35 includes continental breakfast both mornings. Keynote Speaker’s Luncheon on Thursday, November 15, and lunch on Friday, November 16. Edinboro University students are admitted to all presentations free of charge, excluding lunch. For additional information or to register, ct>ntact Edinboro University’s history department at 814-732-2575. - CGH 30 - Edinboro University of Pennsylvania President Frank G. Pogue (second from the right), welcomes representatives from area colleges to the Healthy Lifestyles Luncheon held recently at the university. The event discussed ways of dealing with the issues of binge drinking on college campuses. With Pogue, from left, are Ken Miller, director of student affairs, Penn State Erie - The Behrend College; Dr. Antoine Garibaldi, president, Gannon University; and Laura Zirkle, dean of residence life and student conduct, Mercyhurst College. AN INTERNATIONAL NIGHT: Nov. 13'^ 2001 On November 13thth, you can enjoy a trip around the world without leaving Erie as the Edinboro University Chamber Players and Department of Music present “International Night.” This free program will begin at 7:30 pm in the Hirt Auditorium as part of the Blasco Memorial Library concert series. “This program runs the gamut from steel drum music to choral music from Israel and Africa to brass music from Sweden” say concert organizers. This program will feature the Edinboro University Steel Drum Band, Edinboro University Singers and a faculty brass quintet featuring Dr. Daniel Burdick. For more information, contact the Edinboro University Department of Music at 732-2555. This free concert is sponsored by PNC BANK, the Erie County Public Library, Friends of the Library, Froess Piano and Keyboard, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Clarence E. Beyers Music Performance Fund, and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. This project was made possible through the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts program of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency. It is funded by the citizens of Pennsylvania through an annual legislative appropriation, and administered locally by the Arts Council of Erie, Inc. The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is supported by the National Endowment of the Arts, a federal agency.