Opening reception Sept. 3 in Verostko Center
LATROBE, PA – The Verostko Center for the Arts at Saint Vincent College is pleased to present “Bearcats Create: Art by Saint Vincent Alumni,” an exhibition celebrating the creativity, artistic achievement and enduring legacy of Saint Vincent alumni.
On view from Aug. 29 through Dec. 4, 2026, the exhibition brings together an extraordinary collection of artwork spanning more than seven decades of alumni accomplishment.
Featuring artists whose connections to Saint Vincent range from a 1955 graduate of Saint Vincent Preparatory School to a 2026 graduate of Saint Vincent College, “Bearcats Create” showcases a remarkable diversity of artistic voices, media and perspectives. Through painting, drawing, photography, fiber arts, printmaking, mixed media and more, the exhibition reflects the many creative paths alumni have pursued while underscoring the enduring role of the arts in fostering connection, curiosity and the human spirit.
Organized by Dr. Elizabeth Barker, Verostko Center director, Saint Vincent Art and Heritage Collections curator and art history instructor at the College, “Bearcats Create” is the Center’s inaugural exhibition devoted exclusively to the work of Saint Vincent alumni. The exhibition celebrates the lasting impact of the College’s visual arts program while highlighting the accomplishments of graduates whose creative practices continue to enrich their communities and professions.
The exhibition also reflects a longstanding commitment to the arts at Saint Vincent. The College’s founder, Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B., envisioned the monastery and its educational institutions as places where the arts would play an essential role alongside religion and the sciences.
“I am determined to have our monasteries not only schools of religion and the sciences,” Wimmer wrote, “but also nurseries of the fine arts in order to develop a better taste for these things and to keep from our people the American mercenary spirit which thinks of nothing but how to make a living, because necessity demands it and example encourages it.”
One hundred eighty years later, “Bearcats Create” offers a contemporary expression of that vision, bringing together generations of Saint Vincent alumni whose artistic practices demonstrate the continuing vitality of the arts within the Saint Vincent community.
The exhibition was juried by Alison Brand Oehler, who serves as co-director of Concept Art Gallery in Pittsburgh. Her thoughtful selections bring together an engaging and dynamic exhibition that demonstrates both technical excellence and the breadth of artistic expression represented by Saint Vincent alumni.
The public is invited to celebrate the exhibition during the opening reception on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 4-7 p.m. The reception is free and open to all. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet participating artists, explore the exhibition and celebrate the vibrant creative community that continues to grow from the Saint Vincent experience.
Throughout the fall, the exhibition will be complemented by the Verostko Center for the Arts’ new “Process & Practice” educational series, offering artist talks, demonstrations and hands-on workshops led by participating alumni. These programs will provide visitors with unique opportunities to learn directly from exhibiting artists and gain deeper insight into the ideas, techniques and creative processes behind their work. Program dates and additional details will be announced throughout the semester. The series is designed to extend the exhibition beyond the gallery walls by connecting audiences with the artists and creative processes represented in “Bearcats Create.”
For exhibition details, programming updates, gallery hours and visitor information, visit the Verostko Center for the Arts website.
