'Mini' art exhibit in Tarentum to double as fundraiser for Highlands theater program

Betty Trout loves her backyard bees almost as much as she loves painting them.

So when she heard about Tarentum’s Manos Gallery putting out a call for local artists to submit pitches for a fundraiser exhibit called “24 Minis,” she knew exactly what she was going to paint.

“This was right in my wheelhouse,” said Trout, 67, of Murrysville, who also is a member of the East Suburban Artists League. “I’ve done lots of smaller paintings like these, and I love to watch the bees.”

Until a few years ago, Trout had mostly created black-and-white drawings using graphite pencils. But her artistic world began to explode with color when she started working with oil paints in 2018.

“I thought I would get out of my comfort zone,” she said. “I wanted to be a little more free and loose, without so much focus on the little details.”

Manos Gallery co-owner Ernesto Camacho said he also wanted to challenge local artists with the idea behind the exhibit.

“I wanted them to create a collection where they’d have to stay within small measurements,” he said. “So all the artists had to create their collections using 6-by-6-inch canvases, which are hung in a group.”

Trout’s collection depicts her bees visiting a variety of flowers. Camacho, an artist himself, submitted an entry he called “24 Hours of Shenanigans,” with each canvas featuring a hand in a different position, performing a different action.

Each artist also had to agree to sell their pieces individually.

“Not everyone can afford a large piece of art,” Camacho said. “This gives them an opportunity to purchase a small piece of art for themselves.”

Trout already has sold one of her pieces. She said the biggest challenge was finishing all 24 within a month to make the submission deadline.

“I had done an exercise where you have to create a painting in an hour,” she said. “I never was able to finish in time, but it did free me up to think about my work in a different way, instead of spending a long time making decisions about small details.”

Forty-seven artists will be part of the exhibit, which will be judged by local singer-songwriter Erin Burkett. The grand-prize winner will receive $500.

In addition, the exhibit will serve as a fundraiser for the Highlands High School theater program.

“There are artists who donated artwork, some artists are donating proceeds from their art sales, and local businesses have also donated baskets that we’re going to raffle off,” Camacho said.