BUCKS COUNTY, PA – An installation of 5 oil paintings and 5 prints by Edith Skiba is on view in the Carlin-Hutton Hall at the Bucks County Visitor Center in Bensalem, Pennsylvania until September 10, 2004. Combining expressive brushwork with evocative color, the New Hope resident depicts river scenes, trees, flowers, stone ruins and old barns. Her paintings serve not only as pieces of art, but also as reflections on the social history of the people living and working in Bucks County.

“Regardless of subject matter, I want the viewer to have an emotional reaction to my paintings. My work is about experiencing the beauty and mystery of nature,” explains Skiba, whose work is included in private collections of State Farm Insurance, Prime Time magazine, Dupont and others.

Skiba holds a BA in Painting and a Masters in Art History and Criticism from New York State University at Stony Brook. She has taught studio art and art history at the University of New York Empire State College, at Suffolk Community College on Long Island, New York and at the College of New Jersey. Her first solo show was in 1987 at Birch Hill Gallery on Long Island, New York. Her drawings, paintings and collages have been exhibited at The Heckscher Museum and Islip Art Museum. Moving to Lambertville, New Jersery and then to New Hope, Pennsylvania in the 1990s, Skiba now paints full time at her Bucks County studio. She was the winner of the Tinicum Arts Festival 2000 Best in Show Prize and has been a featured artist in the Bucks County Guidebook.

“I first saw Edith’s work a few years ago at the Nagy Gallery in New Hope and was immediately impressed with how vibrant and exciting it is,” says Paul Licitra, Executive Director of the New Hope Arts Commission, which is sponsoring the exhibit at the Visitor Center.

The works in the Visitor Center display are available for purchase through the artist. Skiba is represented by Village Artworks in Lahaska. Her work is also available for purchase through Philadelphia Museum of Art Corporate Sales.

The Bucks County Visitor Center is located at 3207 Street Road in Bensalem (adjacent to the entrance to Philadelphia Park Racetrack) and is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (extended summer hours through Labor Day). It is easily accessible from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Route 1 and Interstate 95. For more information contact the Visitor Center at (215) 639-0300 or visit the Bucks County Conference and Visitor Bureau at www.ExperienceBucksCounty.com.