The Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center will host “Camp Plein Air: Oil Paintings by Luke Sassani” as its next Atrium Gallery exhibition in September and October. The show will feature new local works by Luke Sassani, who received the top award at last year’s inaugural Wellsboro Wilds Plein Air Festival for his painting of downtown Wellsboro. The “Camp Plein Air” exhibition will open with a public reception on Saturday, September 20th, from 2–4 PM, and will be on view through Sunday, October 12th.

Luke Sassani, a 1988 graduate of Millersburg High School, began his artistic journey following several years in construction and factory work. He pursued art education at Mansfield University, earning a B.S.E. in Art in 1998, and later taught elementary art in Cecil County, Maryland, where he developed a deeper interest in drawing and plein air painting. After relocating to western Pennsylvania in 2004, Mr. Sassani explored chainsaw carving, an art form that has significantly influenced his creative direction. Since 2020, Mr. Sassani has served as an elementary art instructor at Aquinas Academy in Greensburg, continuing to explore and advance his artistic practice. With over 30 years of experience and a family background in painting, Mr. Sassani is recognized for his plein air landscapes and figure drawings, with a particular focus on sunrises and sunsets and the interplay of light and shadow. He also remains active in chainsaw carving.

For more information and to view additional works by Luke Sassani, please visit https://lukesassani.blogspot.com/.

The Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center is located at 134 Main Street, Wellsboro, behind the Green Free Library. The gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 12–6 PM. Admission is free and open to the public.