She was so conscientious. She wasn't just there 9 to 5 each day; she was there constantly. She really gave her all."

Adrienne Heinrich, co-chair of the 2007 Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Annual, was talking about juror Polly Apfelbaum, an internationally exhibited artist on the faculty of Bard College's Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts, Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y.

From nearly 500 submissions by artists living within a 150-mile radius of Pittsburgh, Apfelbaum selected 124 artworks by 76 artists in a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, fiber, video and mixed media. Fourteen of the chosen artists for this year's show are not members of the Associated, including one who was among the 16 prize awardees selected by the juror.

At a reception held in her honor after the jurying, Apfelbaum spoke of the difficulty of making choices. "I just want to say thank you for having confidence. I can't make everyone happy, but some people will be happy."

In her juror's statement, Apfelbaum writes that she "could easily have organized four or five different shows with different artists" but that her intent was to present a cohesive exhibition. "The works chosen make up some kind of whole, which is the show that eventually got selected."

Apfelbaum said she chose, whenever possible and merited, two works by an artist. Although that resulted in fewer artists being included, it offers a "deeper view into the work and vision" of the artists who are shown, she writes.

In recent years, artists have had the option of submitting by slide or disc or delivering the actual artwork. Jurying is done at The Trolley Station Oral History Center and The Greater Pittsburgh Coliseum, an East End venue owned by Associated member Tina Brewer and her husband, John.

Heinrich, whose responsibility for exhibition logistics included accompanying the juror on her rounds (co-chair Susan Sparks was responsible for the catalog), says that Apfelbaum had never juried from actual work before "and loved that." She was also impressed by the impartiality shown by Associated members on site who refrained from discussing artists or the works submitted. Apfelbaum was harder on fiber and installation works, which are her media, Heinrich noted.

As we spoke, the 97th Annual was being installed at Carnegie Museum of Art. Vitrines stood empty, awaiting three-dimensional objects. Equipment was being positioned for new media. Fiber pieces lay across tables. A lengthy row of photographs were propped against the base of a wall. And a long bulky sculpture was still covered in protective wrap.

But most of the larger works were already hung, and the show was beginning to take shape as large colorful glossy photographs sparkled across from a wall of imaginative and varied landscapes. Conceptual work complemented abstract and realistic expression with palettes ranging from nuanced to vivid.

The breadth of artists' ages contributes to the eclectic presentation, some exhibitors having only recently graduated from college while others have been exhibiting -- and contributing to the organization -- for decades. Heinrich observes that the number of young artists entering has been increasing.

Eight members who have died since the 2006 Annual are represented in the memorials section. They are Blanche Galey "Be Ge" Alexander, Linda Fruhwald, Dianne Haber, Helen Carew Hickman, Kathe Kowalski, Charles George LeClair, Howard Lieberman and Eliza Miller.

While the collaboration between the Carnegie and the Associated brings attendance to the museum and prestige to the organization, it doesn't come cheaply. The Associated has so far contributed $66,500 toward the making of this Annual, $10,000 of that from a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and it may need to raise more money, Heinrich says.

The Carnegie annually requests $40,000 toward the cost of processing and hanging the exhibition. Another $26,500 was applied to printing the catalog for "Popular Salon of the People: Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Annuals, 1910-2006," a complementary exhibition curated by Vicky A. Clark. Catalog sales are to benefit the Associated ($25).

"Popular Salon," coupled with the contemporary show, anticipates the Associated's centennial in 2010 -- an honorable milestone for an essentially volunteer organization.

As Apfelbaum observes, "Pittsburgh is lucky to have such a strong arts community ... I can see why the AAP has been around for as long as it's been. These are times when I feel the presence of community is very important to the arts."