Montgomery County Community College’s upcoming art exhibit features works for every palate, from the Renaissance through modern art, Japanese art, and fine art, spanning various time periods. The show, which opens on Oct. 16 at the College’s Blue Bell Fine Arts Gallery, is a veritable feast for the eyes.

The two strengths of this collection of the Dr. Harry C. Goebel Collection  – on loan from Eastern University – are portraiture and architecture, according to MCCC Galleries Director, Patrick Rodgers.

“The cool thing about this collection is it’s all over the map,” Rodgers said, noting that works span the 1400s through 1980s. “It’s got great variety.”

Dubbed “Faces, Places, and Liminal Spaces: Prints from the Goebel Collection,” the exhibition features caricatures, creatures, and compelling views of nature by graphic artists from Europe, North America, and Japan. The exhibit highlights original prints by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Italian archaeologist, architect and printmaker Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, among others, as well as American artists like Martin Lewis and John Taylor Arms. Japanese manga and modernist prints round out the exhibit.

“If you’re a visitor you’ll find something to connect with,” Rodgers said of the various portraits and abstract art. “It’s very strong in terms of personalities—both the artists whose work is present and the everyday people depicted in the prints.”

The exhibition marks the College’s third and final showcase of the Goebel collection. Previous exhibitions occurred in 2017 and 2019.

“It happened organically,” Rodgers said of the exhibitions, adding that the first show “really engaged our students.”

When students asked to learn more about the material, and formed a “voluntary core of docents,” Rodgers knew subsequent exhibitions from the same collection would be well received.

“It just took on a life of its own,” he said. “There are well over 1,000 prints in addition to some other collections … why not make a trilogy of it? It all came together after that first one.”

The exhibitions are also meant to highlight Eastern University’s collection and offer gallery space since the university does not have an ample display area. As a thank you for allowing the College to borrow the pieces, Rodgers intends to return the artwork in better condition than it was received.

“All of the pieces are in the original mats and housing that these have been in since they were donated in the ‘60s,” Rodgers said, adding that the acidic mats have stained the prints. “We’re rehousing every single piece in acid-free matting. It helps them preserve the collection, just as it helps us display it. And if Eastern University wants to display it in the future, they would have a readily available mat.”

Several free special events are planned in conjunction with the exhibit.

• On Tuesday, Oct. 24, from 4 to 5 p.m. and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., co-curators Sandra Scicchitani, printmaking instructor, and Rodgers will offer “Curatorial Tour of Faces, Places, and Liminal Spaces: Prints from the Goebel Collection,” a special tour of this historical exhibition that focuses on portraiture and architectural views from the Renaissance through 20^th
• The sixth annual PumpkinFest will be held on Saturday, Oct. 28, from noon to 4 p.m. in the gallery and back patio. RSVP for a free pumpkin to carve or bring your own. Pumpkins are generously donated by McCaffrey's Food Markets. “It’s a good chance for families who come to the pumpkin carving workshop to see a nice art exhibit,” Rodgers said. “Not everybody has the space to get really messy pumpkin carving.”
• On Monday, Nov. 13, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. international scholar of Japanese visual culture Marina De Melo Do Nascimento will discuss the history of Japanese manga and printmaking, as well as its influence today. Her talk begins at 5:30 p.m. Enjoy some delicious mochi (a rice cake dessert) and view the manga on display. 

The gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m., and Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Group tours may be scheduled by contacting Galleries Director Patrick Rodgers at prodgers@mc3.edu or 215-619-7349.

MCCC’s fine arts galleries at the Blue Bell and Pottstown campuses are part of the Montco Cultural Center, MCCC’s new platform encompassing all arts and culture venues, series and programming. Designed as an interconnected campus, the Montco Cultural Center features the newly renovated, 563-seat theater and lobby galleries, intimate Black Box theater, the fine arts galleries, community spaces and learning environments. Through the Montco Cultural Center, the community is invited to experience the excitement and awe of live music, theater, dance, art and ideas in an entirely new manner.