FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sarah Skaggs, Program Specialist - (573) 874-6387 or Marie Nau Hunter, Cultural Affairs Manager - (573) 874-7512

City’s annual commemorative poster unveiled

COLUMBIA, MO (August 23, 2010) - Eric Seat’s acrylic and oil painting titled “Huntsdale House” has been unveiled as the 2010 commemorative poster for the city of Columbia. The work was selected from 154 images submitted by 28 Missouri artists through a jury process.

“Huntsdale House” depicts one of the oldest residences in Huntsdale, Mo. It was the residence of Mary Ann Hunt, widow of the town founder, William Birch Hunt. ”As with each of my works, my goal with this painting was to create an experience that can be considered both enigmatic and direct by the viewer,” says Seat.

Seat was born and raised in northern Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. He holds a BFA in communication arts from Virginia Commonwealth University and studied at the Illustration Academy in Richmond, Va., and in San Francisco, Calif. Seat's work has been recognized several times by the Society of Illustrators, with work juried into their annual publication, “Illustrators,” and exhibited at the Museum of American Illustration in New York.

Since moving to Columbia in 2009, Seat has exhibited his work at the Columbia Art League, Orr Street Studios and the Rocheport Gallery. “My work as an illustrator has taught me to create images that are compelling and that tell stories,” adds Seat. “It is my hope that my art leaves a strong and lasting impression on the viewer.”

The commemorative poster was unveiled Saturday at the home of Jackie Lenox, host of this year’s poster party. The event is held annually as a fundraiser to support the arts programming of the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs. This year, more than $11,000 was raised.

The 2010 Columbia commemorative poster, “Huntsdale House,” can be purchased at Deck the Walls in the Columbia Mall and at 1305 Grindstone Parkway, or at the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs, 1 S. 7th Street.

The city’s commemorative poster is a program of the city of Columbia Office of Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the Columbia Daily Tribune, Columbia Home & Lifestyle Magazine and Deck the Walls, and with financial assistance from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

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