Origins of NPAA
In 1974 when the NPAA was founded, there was a need for professional artists to band together to help each other promote the visual arts as well as to protect their artistic endeavors from being exploited by an uninformed public.
Most non-artists thought painting, drawing, and sculpting was "fun", "easy," and a "hobby." Therefore non profit organizations would call upon artists to donate works for auction to raise money for worthy causes and give nothing to the artist in return. Many times the work was sold for a small sum and often criticized. This was especially true in the case of abstract art. Where other professionals were asked for tax deductible monetary contributions, the artist was expected to give his work freely.
To initially create a uniform policy for art donations, three local artists and one art advocate (the Schabackers and Sundbergs) formed a basic organization that would represent local professional visual artists. The organization, named the Northwestern Pennsylvania Art Association (NPAA), then decided it would base its membership on the national organization "Artist Equity" which required its members to be accepted to at least three national exhibits. The first committee chosen to draft the bylaws included: Dan Burke, John Deckard, Tony Ko, Andrew Sanders, Betty Schabacker, Carl Sundberg, and John Vanco.
Now in its 47th year, the NPAA organizes several annual exhibits for its 130+ members’ participation, annually donates college scholarship monies to local graduating high-school seniors, and generally promotes the visual arts in the tri-county community.
Most non-artists thought painting, drawing, and sculpting was "fun", "easy," and a "hobby." Therefore non profit organizations would call upon artists to donate works for auction to raise money for worthy causes and give nothing to the artist in return. Many times the work was sold for a small sum and often criticized. This was especially true in the case of abstract art. Where other professionals were asked for tax deductible monetary contributions, the artist was expected to give his work freely.
To initially create a uniform policy for art donations, three local artists and one art advocate (the Schabackers and Sundbergs) formed a basic organization that would represent local professional visual artists. The organization, named the Northwestern Pennsylvania Art Association (NPAA), then decided it would base its membership on the national organization "Artist Equity" which required its members to be accepted to at least three national exhibits. The first committee chosen to draft the bylaws included: Dan Burke, John Deckard, Tony Ko, Andrew Sanders, Betty Schabacker, Carl Sundberg, and John Vanco.
Now in its 47th year, the NPAA organizes several annual exhibits for its 130+ members’ participation, annually donates college scholarship monies to local graduating high-school seniors, and generally promotes the visual arts in the tri-county community.
Founders ListDan Burke
John Silk Deckard Tony Ko Andrew Sanders Betty Schabacker Carl Sundberg John Vanco |
First Members ListRoy Ahlgren
Evelyn Askey Nancy Bacon Robert W. Banks Betty Bartholme Dan Burke Kenneth C. Burkhart James R. Chizmadia Sr. Mary Angelica Cummings Neil Daugherty John Fosco Edward Higgins Mary Lou Higgins Vitus J. Kaiser Henry Katzwinkle Dan Kelleher Steven Kemenyffy Susan Kemenyffy Peggy Krider Robert A. Krider Patrick Lally Sarah M. Laudenslager Fred Livingston Ernest Mauthe Clair McLain James C. Myford Howard Neibling Anne M. Philbin Joseph Plavcan Tom Potocki Mary J. Rosiak Betty B. Schabacker Robert B. Schabacker Francis Schanz Jean Stull David Seitzinger Carl Sundberg Wilda Sundberg John Vahanian John Vanco Lois Wiley |