Paintings, sculpture will be displayed at Penn State’s Great Valley campus

An exhibit with some artistic and historic heft will open on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Henry Gallery at Penn State’s Great Valley campus.

The unique iron and steel heritage of Chester County and the region set the background for an exhibit, which is entitled “Pennsylvania: Made in Steel.” An opening reception for the exhibit will be held Thursday, Jan. 30, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

 A selection of about 30 paintings, publicly exhibited for the first time from the Coatesville National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum’s recent acquisition of original works by Industrial artist Klaus Grutzka, will be on display through March 14.

The exhibit focuses on paintings Grutzka did of Lukens, Phoenix, and Bethlehem Steel companies and their surrounding communities in the 1970s. . Grutzka (1922 – 2011) was an artist in the Industrial Precisionist School of art known for its sharply defined, austere and simplified forms.

The exhibit also includes steel sculptures by three local artists affiliated with the Chester County Art Association: Karen Delaney, whose work has been shown at the Unionville Art Gala; David Haines; and Steve Blackburn.

The Henry Gallery is located in the Conference Center at Penn State Great Valley, 30 E. Swedesford Rd., Malvern, and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.