The Elk County Council on the Arts will present Delivered, a collaborative exhibition of artwork created during Julie Mader’s 2026 Arts in Education residencies, celebrating the creativity of regional senior participants and honoring Mader’s work as a teaching artist.
The exhibition highlights artwork made by participants at Ridgway Senior Junction in Ridgway, Bradford Ecumenical Home and Chapel Ridge in Bradford, and Guy and Mary Felt Manor in Emporium. The residencies were led by Mader through the Arts in Education program, a former grant program of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts in partnership with ECCOTA that has brought professional teaching artists into schools, senior centers, care facilities, and community spaces for years.
Delivered will be on display at the ECCOTA Gallery, 237 Main Street in Ridgway, from August 28 through September 26, 2026. The public is invited to an exhibition opening on Friday, August 28, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Given that the Arts in Education program ends statewide as of September 2026, ECCOTA wanted to take this opportunity to spotlight the meaningful work Julie Mader has done during the program’s final year. Mader, a visual artist and longtime Arts in Education teaching artist, has shared hands on art experiences with learners of many ages and abilities. However, given the audience of the participants of this exhibit, it should be prudent to say that Julie thrives when teaching seniors. It’s one of the driving forces behind why she continues to be ECCOTA’s rock star teaching artist.
The Arts in Education program has helped communities across Pennsylvania connect with professional teaching artists through residencies that encourage creativity, skill-building, and meaningful artistic engagement. With the discontinuation of the program by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Delivered serves as both a celebration of the artwork created in 2026 and a tribute to teaching artists in rural communities.
Everyone is welcome to attend the opening celebration and view the exhibition during regular gallery hours. For more information, contact the Elk County Council on the Arts at 814-772-7051 or visit ECCOTA at 237 Main Street in Ridgway.
