For More Information, Contact:
Ruth Tonchel, 570-268-4093

For Immediate Release
September 19, 2007

From Heart to Hand Exhibit Highlights Northern Tier

Join the Northern Tier Cultural Alliance as we celebrate the folk artists and artisans who live and work throughout the Northern Tier region during our annual exhibit, "From Heart to Hand," September 30 through October 28, at the Susquehanna Borough Building at 284 Erie Blvd. in historic Susquehanna Depot, PA. The Opening Reception is set for Sunday Sept. 30 from 2:00-5:00pm at the Borough Building with refreshments and entertainment in the nearby (within walking distance) Starucca House, a stunning reminder of the once booming Erie Railroad lines that run through the town.

Among the artisans featured in the 2007 exhibit are: Ken Ely, Stone Wall Builder Susquehanna County; Jim Hinston, Woodworker, Lycoming County; Debbie Lutz, Broom Maker, Bradford County; Deb Schildt, Fiber Artist, Tioga County; Don Shelton, Blacksmith Artist, Wyoming County; Christalyn Snyder, Quilter, Potter County and Linda White, Potter, Sullivan County.

The Northern Tier Cultural Alliance (NTCA) was formed in 1995 by volunteers who had been engaged in a cultural inventory of the area as part of a 1992 Pennsylvania Heritage Commission project. Even as representatives of local cultural and heritage organizations themselves, they had been overwhelmed with the wonderful, largely unsung artistry and heritage of the region. They shaped a mission of “educating the public about cultural traditions, history and art of the Pennsylvania Northern Tier and to assist tradition bearers and traditional artists in the preservation of their work.“ This show continues to further that mission.

NTCA now serves as one of five Regional Folk Arts Support Centers after the Institute for Cultural Partnerships and the PA Council on the Arts partnered to "develop a statewide Folk Arts Infrastructure Initiative that seeks to strengthen awareness and understanding, as well as participation in, traditional arts across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

For additional information on the "From Heart to Hand" exhibit or the featured artists, contact the Northern Tier Cultural Alliance at 570-265-7455 or visit www.ntculturalalliance.org. Support for the "From Heart to Hand" show has been provided by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Institute for Cultural Partnerships, and our membership.

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