BUCKS COUNTY, PA – Face masks of wood and horse hair; a watercolor painting of champion Smarty Jones with trainer John Servis; and a dominating steel sculpture presenting the head of a horse in motion are just a few of the dynamic works of art on view in the Carlin-Hutton Hall at the Bucks County Visitor Center in Bensalem. Though the individual objects vary in subject, style and media, the exhibit of 21 works by Bucks County artists complements a concurrent display of Smarty Jones horse racing memorabilia on loan from John and Sherry Servis. Both installations will be on view at the Bucks County Visitor Center through February 2005.

“From the time my father bought me my first horse when I was 13, horses have been a source of comfort, adventure and escape for me,” says Evelyn King, a Pipersville artist exhibiting three bronze horse-inspired sculptures. “It is those early remembered feelings of freedom and bounding grace that so enchants me even now, and it is what I attempt to capture in a more concrete form in my art.”

The other artists exhibiting work include Deborah DeRosa (Bensalem), professional sculptor and installation organizer; David Duthie III (Buckingham), founder of Bucks County Hot Glass LLC; Ray Faunce 3 (Bensalem), professional sculptor and founder of 3^rd Force Sculptural Design; Jack Givens (New Hope), noted portrait artist; John E. Mathews (Quakertown), head of the Art Department at Bucks County Community College; and Reny Willoughby (Pipersville), a ceramicist and former apprentice of Toshiko Takaezu.

The works in this installation are available for purchase through the individual artists. For more information, contact Deborah DeRosa at (215) 778-7626.

The Smarty Jones display includes saddlecloths, horseshoes and halters worn by the champion horse during the Preakness and Kentucky Derby; personal ticket stubs belonging to the Servis family; a 3-minute Smarty Jones highlights film sponsored by VISA; and various photographs. The Smarty Jones items are on view courtesy of John Servis. The display was organized and arranged by Sherry Servis and Deborah DeRosa.

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 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. 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.