The Cream of the Crop 2006 exhibition, a biennial show of the finest art works created by artists within an 85-mile radius of Portsmouth, will open at the Southern Ohio Museum on Sat., June 10 with a gala reception sponsored by the Portsmouth Area Arts Council.

The festive evening, themed “Picnic at the Crop,” will feature a large gallery of new art for sale, an opportunity to meet the artists who are guests of honor at the event, the announcement of merit awards to artists and “picnic supper” refreshments, as well as the introduction of PAAC's new executive director, DeLynn Coppoletti.  

The opening night gala is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Southern Ohio Museum, 825 Gallia St. in Portsmouth.

Admission to the celebration, a major fundraiser for the Ports-mouth Area Arts Council, is $25 per person.

All proceeds from the gala reception will help the local Arts Council provide arts programming for children and families in the Portsmouth region.

Artists whose works are exhibited in the show are entitled to two free admissions and may purchase additional tickets at a discounted price.

Reservations may be obtained by sending checks made payable to the Portsmouth Area Arts Council to P.O. Box 1258, Portsmouth, OH 45662, or by contacting the PAAC office at (740) 351-3642. June 5 is the deadline for reservations.

Mark Cole, Associate Curator of American Painting and Sculpture at the Cleveland Museum of Art, will select the works to be included in the exhibit from among hundreds of entries submitted by artists in the tri-state region of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. Cole will also name first, second and third place merit awards, as well as honorable mentions.

Cream of the Crop reception guests will enjoy appetizers, typical picnic fare and sweets prepared by Bill Schaefer of Haute Stuff Personal Chef Services and PAAC volunteers. The refreshments will be highlighted by red and white checked picnic d