Database -- View Entry The entry of a selected artist from the database Database Entry To reach the Artist Page for the artist shown below, click on the artist's name or thumbnail image Eric Armusik Biography: Eric Armusik was born and raised in the northeastern coal region of Pennsylvania. Once one of the largest coal mining operations in the county then was replaced with the depressions of post- industry. The landscape riddled with abandoned buildings and mountains of culum provided little inspiration for the young talented artist. What remained out of all the blight was a vibrant and ethnic community strong in faith. What the community lacked in public art and museums it made up for it with churches on every city block. It was here Eric had his first experiences with art staring at the walls and ceilings at church every Sunday. The traditions and academic rendering of Catholic artwork made a permanent impression that continues to influence his work today. Armusik attended Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a B. F. A. in painting, with and a minor in an art history focusing on Baroque art. He spent his last semester studying painting and art history in Italy. The rare opportunity to view masterworks by Baroque painters Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi had a profound effect on the quality of his work and focused the inspiration he experienced as a child. To date the artist’s work has been featured in such galleries and museums as the Salmagundi Art Club, New York; Allentown Art Museum; Philip and Muriel Berman Art Museum, Ursinus College; Monsoon Galleries; Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts; State Museum of Pennsylvania; and Reading Public Museum. His paintings are in the permanent collections of The Trenton City Museum, Lehigh Valley Hospital and several private collections and his work has also been prominently featured in publications like American Artist Magazine, American Art Collector, Victorian Homes, Old House Journal, ArtMATTERS, Morning Call, Reading Eagle and William and Mary Review. Country: USA Birthyear: 1973 Galleries: Allentown Art Museum, Allentown PA Reading Art Museum, Reading PA Qbix Gallery, Philadelphia PA Afif Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Monsoon Galleries, Bethlehem PA Hoyt Institute of Art, New Castle, PA Madison Square Garden, NY, NY The Artworks, Ephrata, PA Willow Street Gallery, Reading, PA Patterson Gallery, University Park, PA Zollar Gallery, University Park, PA Awards: Ben Whitmire Purchase Award, The Trenton City Museum, Trenton, NJ 2nd place, 34th Annual Juried Art Exhibition, Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery, Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA Artist Showcase Award Winner - Healing Art, Manhattan Arts, NY Margaret Giffen Shoenfelder Memorial Scholarship for the Arts, University Park, PA Honorable Mention, Gesamtkunstwerk, Henzel Union Gallery, University Park, PA Honorable Mention, Undergraduate Juried Exhibition, Zollar Gallery, University Park, PA Award for Contribution to the Arts, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA Media: oil Style: realistic Subjects: people, portraits and characters