Erie Art Museum Exhibition Drawing from Within: Sketchbooks by Frank Novel Features Local Artist

Erie, PA - The Erie Art Museum is thrilled to announce their next exhibition, Drawing from Within: Sketchbooks by FrankNovel, which opens on May 21st, 2025.

Since the 1970's, Frank Novel has drawn almost daily in his sketchbooks. Fred Scruton, a retired professor and photographer, describes his "enigmatic visual diaries of daily life" as the result of "a stream of consciousness filled with figures ensnared in complex webs, pieces of the urban landscape, abstraction, poems, comic book characters, and references to pop culture and current events." Included in the exhibition are originals and large scale prints of his spontaneous drawings and, at times, the artist himself working in the gallery and interacting with visitors through the run of the exhibition.

The Erie Art Museum will be celebrating the opening of Drawing from Within during the June 27th Gallery Night, from 5-10 PM, including a meet and greet with the artist.

Support for this adapted artist in residence program is provided in part by Erie Arts & Culture through the Lydia McCain Special Projects Grant.

About the Erie Art Museum

Located in Erie, Pennsylvania, the Erie Art Museum holds the region's leading art collection with more than 8,000 objects spanning American ceramics, paintings, sculpture, and photography. The museum regularly hosts special exhibits bringing art and inspiration to the community. It also hosts lectures, and educational programs and provides artists' services including interdisciplinary and interactive school tours.

The Erie Art Museum is open every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 11 am 6 pm, Saturday, 10 am 5 pm, and Sunday from 1 6 pm. The museum routinely posts updates on activities on social media Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

For more info on upcoming programs, visit erieartmuseum.org or call 814-459-5477.