JOHN LEHMAN
Half a Century of Painting the Susquehanna Valley
Artist Reception Friday, June 25, 2005

Lynden Gallery in Downtown Elizabethtown, will host an exhibition of John Lehman and a half-century's worth of painting the Susquehanna Valley. Mr. Lehman, now in his eighties, will reveal some never before seen oils on canvas of the local landscape and the Susquehanna River. The exhibit will open with an Artist Reception on June 25 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., and continue through the end of July.

Mr. Lehman was born in 1916 and spent his childhood on a farm between Bainbridge and Falmouth, moving to Elizabethtown in his early teens. His interest in art began early and he continued studies after high school at the Pennsylvania Academy of Art in Philadelphia. He subsequently moved to Chicago, Illinois where he spent the years from 1942 to 1954 working as a freelance artist in advertising and editorial art, while attending the Art Institute of Chicago and the Institute of Design, also in Chicago. He returned to Elizabethtown in 1954 and took a position with the Continental Press in Elizabethtown. He worked there as Art Director for over 30 years before retiring. Currently he resides with his wife, Barbara, just outside of Elizabethtown overlooking the countryside he painted for so many years.

The Susquehanna river landscapes range from Columbia to Liverpool - the Wrightsville Bridge being a favorite subject then, as it is to so many or our current en' plein aire painters. He often captured the views from ordinary places, such as coming over Chiques Hill and overlooking Columbia with the river in the distance, or the singular butterfly weed along a country road. The work is vibrant, with an expansive palette, immersing the viewer in the full gamut of tones and feelings afforded by the impressionistic style he employs. Mr. Lehman's "affection for his home territory is clearly evident."

As a printmaker, John Lehman was acknowledged for his artisanship in American Artist Magazine, December 1957. The article he authored, entitled "Making Handmade Printing Plates" exemplified his creativity, describing press plates of string with matboard, cardboard with a shellac technique, crayon on paper and enamel on wood. His love of printmaking led to the authorship and printing of the collectable book, Lion and Mouse, published by Katydid Press, and is held in the Pennsylvania State Library's rare books collection, and the Bodelian Library, Rider Collection in Great Britain.

Mr. Lehman's list of exhibitions is long and venerable, including the Audubon Artists, New York City, NY, the American Watercolor Society, Library of Congress, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, Philadelphia Print Club, Philadelphia, PA, Ohio Watercolor Society, Indiana Society of Printmakers, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL and many more. His work has been recognized by Art News Magazine, American Book Collector, Print Magazine and Show Magazine.

Lynden Gallery, located at 117 South Market Street in Downtown Elizabethtown, is open Tuesday thru Friday 9-6, and Saturday 9-5 and evenings by appointment. Convenient, free parking is available, and the gallery is handicap accessible. Originally the Elizabethtown Fire Hall, the spacious gallery offers a host of fine art services, including custom framing and restoration. For more information please call the gallery at 717.367.9236 or refer to our website at www.lyndengallery.com .