Photo Collection of Abandoned Buildings Coming to Central Penn

Matthew Murray's Abandoned America photographs to display Nov. 5

Summerdale, Pa. - The latest art exhibit to display at Central Pennsylvania College will include photographs of neglected, abandoned buildings from across the East Coast before they fell - or have now fallen - to dust and rubble. The artist, Matthew Murray, lives in Hummelstown and intends his art to capture the beauty and lost history of these buildings, which quite often once defined communities. The collection, titled Abandoned America, will be on display in the College's Advanced Technology Education Center from Nov. 5 through Jan. 3.

"I think the buildings that shaped our culture are beautiful," said Murray. "My collection is a preservation effort because there are quite a few buildings - significant buildings - that are left to the elements. I attempt to encapsulate the presence and atmosphere of the buildings before they fall to the wrecking ball. There is always more to discover about them. You only have to look."

The display is a historic and photographic catalogue of sites; a lost way of life. Murray describes viewing the display as entering a parallel universe of silence, rust and peeling paint. The sites included in Murray's collection are institutions, asylums, jails, schools, hospitals, houses, barns, and industrial, commercial and agricultural buildings.

Murray has photographed more than 200 sites over the past four years and has posted nearly 40 of those sites to his Web site, www.abandonedamerica.org. In the Harrisburg area, he has photographed the Harrisburg State Hospital and the currently non-existent Lancaster Stockyards, among other locations.

"I love the genre of urban decay and Matt's work is simply gorgeous," said Erin Sparler, curator of Central Penn art exhibits and professor of digital arts. "The goal of the art exhibit program is to constantly bring in unique art so the students experience variety and edgier work that typically isn't seen in central Pennsylvania."

Since 2004, Central Pennsylvania College has displayed more than 500 pieces of artwork, including woodblock prints, collages, performance art, fish prints, mixed media, photography, pencil and charcoal executions, and oil and abstract paintings. For more information on Central Pennsylvania College art exhibits, contact Erin Sparler at erinsparler@centralpenn.edu or 1-800-759-2727.

Central Pennsylvania College, a leader in career education since 1881, offers bachelor's and associate degrees in the fields of accounting, business administration, criminal justice, information technology, communications, graphic design, healthcare, homeland security, and legal studies. The College, currently serving students at its Harrisburg and Lancaster locations, attributes its high rate of student success to a caring faculty and its hands-on learning approach. Over ninety-nine percent of Central Penn graduates are working or continuing their education within one year of graduation. Central Pennsylvania College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

CONTACT: Sarah Groff
717.728.2295
sarahgroff@centralpenn.edu