One test of how long you've been acquainted with the local art scene is whether you're familiar with the work of artists Richard Beaman, Janet DeCoux, Roy Hilton, Eliza Miller, Raymond Simboli, Frank Trapp, Russell Twiggs and Christian Walter.

Those are names that many in today's art community may not recognize, but they were once prominent figures. Vicky A. Clark, an independent curator and cultural historian, thinks they once again should "be brought to the forefront."

		If you go... Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Annual "Popular Salon of the People: Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Annuals, 1910-2006" • Where: Carnegie Museum of Art, Oakland. • When: Through Jan. 21. • Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays. • Admission: $10, $7 seniors, $6 students and children (admission price increases Nov. 21). • Events: Gallery Talks on various genres by artists represented in the exhibitions will be given from 2:30-3:30 p.m. on Saturday (Robert Qualters and Cynthia Cooley), Nov. 18 (to be announced), Nov. 24 (Robert Bowden and Barry Shields), Dec. 2 (TBA), Dec. 8 (Karen Kaighen and Richard Stoner), Dec. 16 (TBA), and Jan. 12 (Jane Haskell and Chuck Olsen). A Jan. 10 "Lunch & Learn" will include comments by Vicky A. Clark on significant achievements by Associated artists ($44, $35 members, register at 412-622-3288). • Information: 412-622-3131, www.cmoa.org, www.aapgh.org.

That's one of the many goals of "Popular Salon of the People: Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Annuals, 1910-2006," a retrospective exhibition Clark organized for Carnegie Museum of Art. Another goal is to celebrate the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh itself as it nears its 2010 centennial year and holds its 97th annual exhibition, at the same time this year, in the same museum.

The fact that the Carnegie conceived "Popular Salon" is interpreted by Clark as a sign of respect for the AAP by the museum, whose relationship with the local artists' group has experienced some tension in recent years. An acknowledgment of AAP's continuing vitality is the appearance in both exhibitions of such artists as Robert Bowden, Aaronel deRoy Gruber, Adrienne Heinrich, Karen Kaighin and Richard Stoner. Clark concedes that this is a coincidence but one that nonetheless "connects the two [shows] in a way."

The retrospective is the first serious curatorial look at the collective Annuals, the artworks of which number in the thousands. Clark selected work by more than 75 artists, and the decision-making wasn't always easy.

"There are many, many more artists who deserve to be in here who were not included," Clark says. It boils down to that old bugaboo, space limitations, both in the galleries and in the accompanying catalog, which Clark authored.

"It's legitimate to ask, 'Why isn't so-and-so in the show?' " she acknowledges. This exhibition is "the tip of the iceberg" in terms of the work that the Annual has showcased over the years.

Her show is grouped into four loose sections.

The "Starting Out" section reflects tastes at the turn of the 19th century -- portraiture, still life and landscape. Among the latter are those of the self-taught Walter, described by Clark as "dark, moody, phenomenal." A two-sided John Kane painting, of the Gettysburg Address and of mules pulling a cart, debuts publicly here.

Many of the artists in the next section, "Encountering Modernism," were faculty at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), illustrating its early significance as a creative center. Included are three paintings by Samuel Rosenberg that span 32 years and the evolution of painting from realism to abstraction.

Rosenberg and Simboli were two key figures from this time period who exhibited together for years, Clark says. Here also is Hilton, whom Clark dubs "one of the most underrated," and sculptors DeCoux and Miller.

Two paintings by Trapp, a landscape and "American Beauty," are owned by Graham Shearing, one of several collectors Clark credits for introducing her to artists and for lending works to the show. Pointing to the latter work -- an overweight pageant queen on a stage clutching a rose and a "True Romances" magazine -- Clark says, "it's quite possible that that's a [symbolic] self-portrait."

Abstract art, which was controversial in its early years, is featured in "Ready or Not: Abstraction." Headliners include Beaman and Twiggs, whose work, Clark says, represents two of the major aspects of the new art -- process and expression.

"Still Working" includes several of the works added to the Carnegie's collection through Annual exhibition Purchase Awards, among them landscapes, abstracts, photographs, drawings and illustrations. "It's analogous to what AAP is today," Clark says. "It shows that diversity, which is important to bring out in this show."

Another grouping comprises Edward Eberle, Paul Glabicki, Thaddeus Mosley and Diane Samuels, each of whom has been given a solo exhibition by the Carnegie. Only Mosley remains an Associated member, Clark notes, alluding to the ups and downs the organization has endured in recent years.

Art stars Andy Warhol, Philip Pearlstein and Jonathan Borofsky all exhibited in Annuals while students at Carnegie Tech (they've also all been included in Carnegie Internationals, the prestigious, curated exhibition that has earned the Carnegie a global reputation). Clark finds it particularly amusing that Warhol, who the school "almost flunked because they said he couldn't draw," exhibited drawings in the Annuals.

One of the most illuminating subjects that Clark addresses is the interplay between the Annual (founded in 1910) and the Carnegie International (founded 1896); each is the second-oldest continuing survey exhibition of its kind.

In earlier years, work by local artists was regularly included in Internationals, a practice that has changed dramatically. One reason, Clark explains, is that artists at one time could submit their work to International jurors. Other changes in the art world, including attitudes toward exhibiting in survey shows and toward the prize system, altered the field of participants in both exhibitions.

While all of the artists of "Popular Salon" were included in at least one Annual, some of the pieces exhibited couldn't be located and other works represent the artist.

More than half of the works in the exhibition are from the Carnegie's collection and the rest came from area collections, the farthest being the special collection of the Greater Latrobe School District. Clark says she was pleasantly surprised at the number of individuals and organizations that collect locally.

"One of the real lessons for me -- and I think for everyone -- is there is support for artists here."