Staff photo / Andy Gray
William Mullane, gallery director at Trumbull Art Gallery in Warren, talks about the work selected for the 59th TAG/RAA Annual.

WARREN — Many new artists will be featured in the 59th TAG/RAA Annual, which opens Saturday at Trumbull Art Gallery.

This is the third year TAG has collaborated with the Sharon, Pa.-based group Random Acts of Artists for its juried exhibition. Gallery Director William Mullane, who has been involved with TAG since it was located in the Gillmer House on Mahoning Avenue NW, said the partnership has expanded the talent pool.

“It gets the word out,” Mullane said. “I know most of the artists (in the region), and in this show, there are at least 20 that I have never met.”

Juror Missy McCormick, an artist and educator and the owner of the ceramic studio M3 Clay, said, “It says a lot for the gallery to still be reaching new people and staying relevant in the region.”

McCormick selected 85 works by 70 artists from the 188 pieces submitted by 102 artists for consideration.

Unlike many juried exhibitions, where artists can submit photos of their work or ship the pieces to the gallery for review, the TAG/RAA Annual requires artists to hand deliver their work, and the juror makes selections after viewing the actual piece.

“That really shows the dedication of these artists in the region to share their work with the community, which I was really impressed with,” McCormick said. “And then the quality of work was really amazing. It was just such a treat to be surrounded by all that work.”

It includes pieces by artists still in their teens up to those in their 80s.

Mullane praised McCormick for her consideration of the range of experience levels that a show like this attracts as well as thinking about the size of the space to accommodate the exhibition.

“This was one of the easiest shows I’ve ever hung,” Mullane said. “This is something you can’t plan. You don’t know what’s going to be selected. A lot of times I have to double hang things (displaying 2D works on top of each other) because there’s just so much. If there’d been one more piece, I might have had to double hang; five less and there wouldn’t have been enough.”

Mullane said there is more 3D work than usual, and some of those pieces are displayed on pedestals in the main gallery. He also noticed an increase in fiber arts and quilting along with a continued rise in photography submissions. This year TAG brought back an annual photography show to its gallery schedule because of that trend.

Artists selected for this year’s exhibition are: Dick Adler, Mary Lou Alexander, Brenda Armstrong, Jillian Barath, Bill Barron, Diane Beatty, Jeff Beede, Rebecca Benjamin, Scott Chopko, Maria Ciletti, Michele Coe, Lisa Curry, Kat Devadan, Denise DiLellio, Marie Dippolito, Emily Downey, Diane Drapcho, Karen Fetchko, Patricia Fleeger, Tara Flynn, Lisa Frederick, Bob Galick, Carol Gallo, Cynthia Hall (Buell), Ed Hallahan, Rachel E. Hathhorn, Millie Hawkins, Carolyn Dixon Hrusovsky, Kimberly Hunter, Susan Jacobs, John B. Johnson, Charles Kish, Danell Koenig, Salli Kowalski, Ron Krygowski, Marianna Larew, Alesis Laughlin, Carl Leet, Caroline Lorimer, Ann Madej, Sherry Mann, Ken Marshall, Julie Martin, Elise McKeown Skolnick, Nancy McLean, Jody Neugebauer, Dana Nicholson, Jody Nudell, Wendi Raven Patrick, Jeffrey S. Piper, Lia Ploumbis, Terry Polonsky, Yasmin Rashid, Donna Rogers, Chuck Seidler, Thomas Sewickley, Stephanie Sferra, Renee Sheakoski, Lilah Shuttic, James Shuttic, Kathryn Sowecke, Gary Taneri, Gail Trunick, Linda Vasconi, George Whitacre, Jesse Wilson, Linda Wurthner, Jim Young, Tulla Zambetis and Teofana Zaric.

“I find with community exhibits like this, part of it is about honoring the quality of work and the range of work that’s out there,” McCormick said. “But then the other part is the encouragement of those that are on their path. You want to encourage artists to continue. Hopefully the wide-ranging work that was accepted can also encourage those that might not have been selected. That is my hope.”

McCormick picked nine works for $150 juror awards — three in the media of drawing / prints / painting, four in 3D ceramics / media / fiber arts and two in photography. Recipients will be announced at the opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday.

If you go …

WHAT: 59th TAG/RAA Annual

WHEN: Saturday through Oct. 31 with opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

WHERE: Trumbull Art Gallery, 158 N. Park Ave., Warren.

HOW MUCH: Admission is free. For more information, go to www.trumbullartgallery.com or call 330-395-4876.