Penn's Woods Painters

South Central PA

Note that this reflects a change in Friday's project!

Penn’s Woods Painters (PWP) is the local chapter of the Society of Decorative Painters for South Central Pennsylvania.  The chapter was affiliated by the Society of Decorative Painters (SDP) in 1990 and is devoted to the advancement of decorative painting through education and community service activities.  The group welcomes painters of all levels and follows the guidelines as outlined by SDP.  Penn’s Woods Painters Chapter is one of the more than 300 local chapters of SDP.

Penn’s Woods Painters has received much recognition for its contributions to the local and national community:

·       PWP provides Memory Boxes as part of a national program to the bereavement programs of Holy Spirit Hospital, Harrisburg Hospital, Carlisle Hospital and Hershey Medical Center.   These hand painted boxes are distributed to parents who have lost an infant at birth.

·       PWP members were among members of the Society of Decorative Painters from all 50 states who contributed ornaments for the official 2004 White House Christmas tree displayed in the Blue Room of the White House.  In past years, PWP members have painted ornaments for trees at Blair House, the White House, Library of Congress and, most recently, the Smithsonian Institute.

·       PWP participates in the national project of creating hand painted treasure boxes for children in the Shriners’ Hospitals.

·        Members of PWP volunteer their time and talent annually at Cumberland County Children & Youth Children’s Holiday Party held in Carlisle. 

·        PWP had an active part in the 2006 and 2009 Symphony Show House which benefited the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. 

·        Over the years, Penn’s Woods Painters has sponsored activities to benefit Hospice, Project Share, Methodist Children's Home in Mechanicsburg, Breast Cancer Research, Hurricane Katrina Relief, Cumberland Valley Habitat for Humanity, and Public Television to name a few.  The chapter is a regular supporter of the Decorative Arts Collection Museum, Atlanta, and the SDP Foundation’s Brush with Excellence Gallery, Wichita

·        In addition, chapter members have donated their time and talent by painting murals at Seidel Hospital (Mechanicsburg), Cumberland County Children and Youth Services (Carlisle), and the First Church of God Community Center (Mechanicsburg). 

www.pennswoodspainters.com

What is decorative painting? Decorative painting is a diverse art form that uses a variety of techniques and media to decorate both functional and non-functional surfaces.

The scope of contemporary decorative painting is boundless. Styles and techniques of the past are incorporated into trends and materials of the present while developing the decorative art heritage of the future.

Tole painting is the general term historically used to describe decorative painting on tin surfaces, especially in New England and by the Pennsylvania Germans. Contemporary decorative painting includes not only the folk art styles of many countries (Norway, Sweden, Germany, Russia, England, Mexico, etc.) but many facets of Early American decorative painting, theorem, and graining. Whatever style,method, technique of media, all decorative artists will find a place in the Society of Decorative Painters and Penn's Woods Painters.

We'd love to hear about what your local chapter is doing (i.e. Fund Raisers, Seminars Interesting Projects).