Mister Fred Rogers Fine Arts Juried Exhibition
The Legacy of Mister Fred Rogers
Fred Rogers was a pioneer in children’s media, but he was also an artist, minister, musician, composer, environmentalist, and advocate for children and families. With his gentle, unassuming manner, he made a profound impression on everyone he encountered.
Fred Rogers treated everyone with the same respect and sensitivity that he knew had helped him as a child. His strong moral code informed every aspect of his life—from how he lived, to the community that he chose for his family and work. As a gifted communicator Fred Rogers was able to tie all of those elements together.
The legacy of Mister Fred Rogers is of great value and importance—not just to children, but to all of us. His thoughtful and sensitive approach continues to be of great value to many generations of children through his programs and the work of others who follow his example.
Continuing the Legacy
Latrobe Art Center continues to nurture and inspire his timeless wisdom to children, families, and professionals through our art education, exhibitions, and community events.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was the brainchild of Mrs. Elaine “Laney” Rogers Crozier, Mister Rogers’ sister, and her friend Mrs. Elizabeth “Libby” Hazlett. Mrs. Crozier and Mrs. Hazlett had a vision to create an art center in the heart of downtown Latrobe where local artists could exhibit their work. Twenty-three years later, Latrobe Art Center is a welcoming place for adults and children of all skill levels to grow their artistic talents and interests, reaching out to the community through art education programming, community involvement, quality artwork, and our local eatery, Ricolita’s Café.
The Art Center features two spacious, professionally lighted, state-of-the-art galleries which allows us to exhibit all entries to the Mister Fred Rogers Fine Arts Juried Exhibition in a museum-quality space for the enjoyable viewing of the artists and public alike.
We encourage you to participate in this year’s juried exhibition and showcase your work in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Please, Won’t You Be Our Neighbor?
AWARDS
Best in Show— $500
Ned J. Nakles Award of Excellence in Oil/Acrylic— $300
Awards of Merit (At Judge's Discretion)— $200
Juried Exhibition Guidelines:
Registration Deadline July 28, 2025
Greater Latrobe School District Permanent Art Collection
This juried exhibition gives the artist the opportunity to be chosen for consideration into the Greater Latrobe School District’s highly acclaimed Special Art Collections. The senior high, junior high, and three elementary schools select paintings from this exhibit.
One of the Greater Latrobe School District’s treasures is a unique art collection featuring over 200 paintings; it is the largest one in the United States that is entirely student-selected and, for the most part, student-purchased.
Since 1936, the Special Art Collection has been a pioneering program for students of the Greater Latrobe School District and the citizens of Latrobe and the surrounding areas.
Eighty-nine years later, the high school students still vote each year to determine what works should be added to the Special Art Collection.
The GLSD Art Conservation Trust, founded in 1991, oversees the art collection and raises funds for its conservation and exhibitions.
Eligibility
Open to all artists 18 years of age or older.
All work must be the submitting artist’s own original design and concept, created independently and completed within the last five years. (Store bought kits or paint-by-number pieces are NOT considered original artwork and will not be accepted.)
Reproductions of original artwork will NOT be accepted.
All media is accepted and encouraged, both two-dimensional and three-dimensional.
Artwork previously accepted in past years to the Mister Fred Rogers Fine Arts Juried Exhibition will NOT be accepted for this year’s show.
All entries must be ready for exhibition. Pieces MUST be framed, securely fastened with picture wire, and ready to hang. Sculptures should stand securely. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Juror
Elizabeth Barker, PhD
Dr. Elizabeth Barker currently serves as the Director of the Verostko Center for the Arts and Curator of the Saint Vincent Art & Heritage Collections. A native of Brunswick, Maine, Barker received her BA in the history of art from Yale College, and her MA and PhD from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, where her research focused on Italian Renaissance drawing and British Romantic painting.
Barker began her career as a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art before moving into directorship roles at Colgate University’s Picker Art Gallery, Amherst College’s Mead Art Museum, the Boston Athenæum, and the Frick Pittsburgh. She is a recipient of the New York State Historical Association’s Henry Allen Moe Prize, The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Theodore Rousseau Fellowship, New York University's Robert Lehman Fellowship, Yale University’s A. Conger Goodyear Award in the History of Art and others. She was a finalist for the William M. B. Berger Prize for British Art History and for the Art Newspaper/AXA Art Exhibition Catalogue Award.
Registration & Entry Fee
Artists are asked to submit a nonrefundable fee of $35.00 for up to three (3) entries. An additional $5.00 is charged for a fourth piece. Register in-person, by mail, or online using the button below.
For mail-in registrations, please make checks payable to:
Latrobe Art Center
and mail to:
819 Ligonier Street
Latrobe, PA 15650
Digital Entries
All 2-D and 3-D artwork must be submitted digitally for the juried process.
Submitted files must be a high-resolution JPEG or PNG with a file size no larger than 5 MB.
Entries may be submitted via the electronic registration form above or via email at info@latrobeartcenter.org
Please clearly label the file with the title of the entry.
Notification of Acceptance
All artists will be notified of their acceptance into the exhibition by Monday, August 11, 2025.
Accepted artwork must be framed and ready for hanging. Artwork must be identified on the back with the following information:
Artist’s Name
Email
Title
Medium
Framed Size
Date of Completion
Price
Please indicate the “Top” of your piece.
Delivery/Drop-Off of Accepted Work(s)
Artwork will be accepted Monday, August 25 – Tuesday, August 26, 2025 at Latrobe Art Center between the hours of 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. All artwork must be delivered at this time.
Exhibition
This exhibition will be on display from September 1 – 27, 2025.
Opening reception and Award Presentation will be on Thursday, September 4, 2025 from 5 – 7 p.m.
Artwork Pick-up
All entries must be picked up at Latrobe Art Center on Monday, September 29 OR Tuesday, September 30, 2025 between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Latrobe Art Center will not store artwork.
Insurance
All work will be handled with care. Latrobe Art Center is not responsible for any damage.
Sales
Generally work submitted should be for sale. However, if you wish to exhibit pieces that you do not wish to sell, indicate “Not For Sale” with a zero for the price. A sales commission of 30% will be retained by Latrobe Art Center on all sales. All sales are handled by the staff of Latrobe Art Center.
