Boyer Gallery Exhibit: ‘Pennsylvania Made of Steel’
The Hill School’s Boyer Gallery next exhibition “Pennsylvania Made of Steel” runs March 23 through May 4. The show features paintings by the late Klaus Grutzka and steel sculptures by Karen Delaney, David Haines and Katee Boyle. An opening reception will be held in the Gallery on Friday, March 23, from 7 to 9 p.m. Guests may view the exhibit Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday hours by appointment.
Klaus Grutzka, an artist with a unique talent and a deep passion for depicting the steel mills of Pennsylvania in his work, was born in Germany in 1923 to Polish parents. He was a German Naval officer and later studied art at the Muthesius Werkschule in Kiel. In 1963, Grutzka and his wife moved to New York City. His artistic activities with schools and companies in the U.S. eventually lead him to Pottstown, where, in 1982, he became an instructor of fine arts and artist-in-residence at The Hill. During his time at The Hill, he enjoyed the diverse student body and strove to broaden each student’s world view through art. While not teaching, he pursued his own art interests which included sketching and painting the industrial sites at Lukens and Bethlehem Steel companies, among others in Pennsylvania.
Karen Delaney of West Chester, David Haines of Gettysburg, and Katee Boyle of Kennett Square are Pennsylvania artists who work in steel. Like Grutzka, they have a passion for the material and each approaches it in distinctively personal ways. “Pennsylvania Made of Steel” includes a variety sculptures; grand and small, sleek and textured, masculine and feminine, abstract and representational.
“Pennsylvania Made of Steel,” hosted by The Boyer Gallery/The Hill School and curated by Karen Delaney, is in its second rendition, the first displayed at the Henry Gallery, Penn State Great Valley, Malvern, Pa., in 2014.