With successful models such as Paducah, Ky.; Penn Alps, Md.; and Berkeley Springs, W.Va., before them, the Nathanael Greene Historic Foundation is hoping the arts will serve as a catalyst to revitalize Greensboro, the historic Greene County town famous for its early pottery.

Foundation organizers of Art Blast on the Mon are planning a two-day focus on the arts that includes a Creative Communities Conference on Friday and an art festival and art show and competition Saturday.

"We're expecting a large crowd because the events coincide with the Mapletown all-class reunion at Greensboro's Mon View Park," said Mary Shine, president of both the foundation and Greensboro's town council.

	Robert J. Pavuchak, Post-Gazette Potter Jennifer Adamson, artist in residence, explains how these replicas of the roof tiles manufactured in Greensboro in the 1800s will be installed along the Greensboro river trail. Click photo for larger image.

Speakers at Friday's conference, which runs from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., will focus on how the arts can energize community and economic development.

Topics will include arts funding and residencies, artist relocation programming, engaging youth in the arts and the business of art. The conference will conclude with a mixer when the speakers and audience can meet informally.

Cost of the conference is $35, which includes breakfast, lunch and materials.

"Other smaller or rural communities like Paducah have made an effort to draw artists and craftspeople," said Maggie Aston, a California University of Pennsylvania professor who is organizing the art show and competition Saturday in the Greensboro fire hall.

"As a result of their influx into town, they've bought houses, opened shops and helped drive even more positive growth with the opening of restaurants, bed and breakfasts and antique stores."

Artists in all media are eligible to participate in Everyman's Art Show at the fire hall, simply by bringing in their work on Friday and Saturday morning. Each artist is limited to three works, which must be framed and matted with stiff backing. A $5 entry fee will be charged for each submission, which will then be eligible for cash prizes of $300, $200 and $100, awarded by the historical foundation to first-, second- and third-place winners.

"From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., when the show is open to the public, attendees will be able to vote on a People's Choice Award for a dollar fee charged for the privilege of voting," Ms. Aston said.

"Participating artists will also be able to sell their work with no commission fee going to the organizers."

Scott Lloyd, art professor at the University of Pennsylvania, will judge the works, and the awards will be announced at 5 p.m. Saturday.

	Robert J. Pavuchak, Post-Gazette A drawing on a roof tile by Holbrook artist Colleen Nelson, titled "The Flying Pig," is a replica of the tiles manufactured in Greensboro in the 1800s. Click photo for larger image.

Also Saturday, Greensboro will be host to an arts festival that will include a working blacksmith, potters, and other craftspeople demonstrating their skills along the city's streets, which also will be lined with food and craft vendor stalls.

During the festival, artist-in-residence Jennifer Adamson, a potter from Waynesburg, will make replicas of the roofing tiles manufactured in Greensboro in the 1800s.

Those at the festival will be able to sign their names, draw a figure, decorate or write something of their choosing on the tiles, which will then be kiln-fired and installed on the nearby Nathanael Greene Delight River Trail.

Festival-goers can view the mural now being painted by artist-in-residence Connie Merriman, an art professor at Carnegie-Mellon University, on the wall of a building on Main Street. The mural depicts the history of Greensboro.

Other festival activities include kayaking, a decorated boat parade, guided tours of the historic district with history advocate Betty Longo and tours of the hiking trail led by Peggy Ping, of the National Park Service.

"A recent trend not more than a decade old is for rural areas to attempt to draw in artists and craftspeople to help revitalize their communities," Dr. Lloyd said.

"If enough local residents buy enough art, they can help spawn the birth of a number of cottage industries. Part of the effort is re-educating the public on the virtue of investing in local art. You no longer have to be a Carnegie, a Mellon, a Scaife or a Hillman to become a collector."

For more information on Art Blast on the Mon or to enroll in Friday's conference, call 724-943-4462 or visit www.greenecountytourism.org. For information on Everyman's Art Show, call 724-943-4944.