LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The public is invited to an artist reception in conjunction with the latest art exhibit in the Sloan Fine Arts Gallery on the Lock Haven University campus. The exhibit runs from October 12 to November 7. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

The reception will be 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 14 in the Sloan Gallery.

The exhibit showcases the work of Jeremiah Johnson, a Pennsylvania native whose art draws heavily upon local history and culture. A resident of Williamsport, Johnson says, “I’ve spent many afternoons exploring historical sites and exploring the woods. My relatives tell me stories about people and places that no longer exist, painting vivid pictures in my mind of a rich cultural past. I started making pictures about this history and the stories I’ve heard. My influence also comes from the writings of Henry W. Shoemaker, an early Pennsylvania historian, conservationist and family relative.”

One of Johnson’s projects is “The Story of Job,” which “is directly based on the oral and written stories of life here in north central Pennsylvania as told through the drawings done by an alter ego named Job Johnson who lived at the beginning of the Industrial Era (1860 to 1937).”

Johnson was raised in both Lycoming and Clinton Counties. He received his BFA in Printmaking from the Tyler School of Art of Temple University. He was awarded Young Artist in residence at Millersville University and later went on to receive his Masters in Print, Paper and Book Arts from Syracuse University.

Johnson has received many grants and awards including the Gibbons Fellowship to study in Ireland, the National Society of Arts & Letters Award, and Temple University’s Outstanding Printmaker Award.

While living in Philadelphia, Johnson worked for the Fleisher Art memorial and Snyderman Gallery. He taught drawing at Lycoming College in Williamsport. His work has been in numerous juried exhibitions from Oregon to Rome, Italy, and is a part of several public and private collections including the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg.

Johnson currently teaches arts and crafts courses at Pennsylvania College of Technology and the Public Art Academy at the Pajama Factory in Williamsport. He is represented by ADA Gallery in Richmond, Virginia.

This free event is sponsored by the Lock Haven University Art Department in cooperation with the LHU Student Cooperative Council.