Melega exhibit a tribute to renowned artist’s diversity
Jon C. Crawford’s painting “Thut-mose III (after Herget)” will be among the artwork displayed in the Frank L. Melega Art Museum’s memorial exhibition titled “Jon C. Crawford: Scintillation.”
Crawford’s painting “Deep In The Forest”
The Frank L. Melega Art Museum, 71 Market St., Brownsville, will unveil a memorial exhibition of paintings and drawings by the late Jon C. Crawford titled “Jon C. Crawford: Scintillation” during an opening reception from 1 to 5 p.m. July 26.
Crawford, a painter, sculptor, art restorer, muralist, landscape architect and prominent interior designer in Pittsburgh, died in 2012 at age 60.
Cruator Patrick A. Wick said it is very rare for one artist to have the talent and ability to be a master of such a wide range of styles and media.
“Jon Crawford was the only Renaissance man I’ve ever met,” said Wick, an art collector who has been collecting Crawford’s artwork for decades.
“One of the most extraordinary things about Jon’s work is that every time you look at one of his paintings, you see something in it that you didn’t see before,” Wick said, “so you might want to tour the exhibit two or three times. That’s why his artwork is truly scintillating. Hence, the name of the exhibit.”
Crawford’s range of painting styles included classical realism, surrealism, abstract, geometric abstract, Impressionism, Cubism, folk art and primitive art, all of which are represented in the Melega show. Crawford’s original artwork and limited editions will be available for purchase.
In addition to painting on canvas, Crawford did murals and watercolors, and he was a master of fine art restoration. Crawford attended Carnegie Mellon University and Ivy School of Professional Art, both in Pittsburgh. He also taught graphic design at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
“Folks attending the show might at first think this is a group show because of the variety of styles and subjects in Mr. Crawford’s artworks,” said Patrick Daugherty, museum director. “This is a reaction we often get to Mr. Melega’s work on display at the museum. We like how the two artists connect. Mr. Melega also did a wide range of styles and media.”
The museum is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. and by appointment. For more information, call 724-785-9331 or visit http://melegaartmuseum.org.