Situated in Central Pennsylvania just east of the Susquehanna River in Schuylkill and Dauphin counties, on the southern border of Northumberland county, lies a small Germanic community that began its culture in the late 18th century and continues its folk art traditions into the present. Responding to a need for color and exuberantly decorated objects for the home, the residents produced an idiosyncratic style in their arts and crafts that is the focus of this exhibition. Most notable among the works shown is the distinctive treatment and handling of needlework, particularly in their quilts. Though the colors and symbols in their work maintain a direct, rudimentary formula of reds, greens, and yellows with recognizable designs which include the eight-point star, the heart, and flowers - often the tulip - Mahantongo Valley artisans transform everyday objects into vibrant works of art. We are priveledged to have as curator of this exhibition Jane DuPree Richardson, Director of the Northumberland County Historical Society, who initiated her research through a comprehensive survey of quilts from the Valley. Discovering through her inquiries a parallel among the painted objects, the fraktur, the furniture, baskets, household objects, hand-worked metal items with designs and colors of the quilts, Richardson defined a group of objects that, shown together, demonstrates the integral nature of their craft and vision. The name of the community, "Mahantongo," was so designated by the Delaware Indians as "plenty of meat" or "good hunting grounds." A creek which divides Northumberland and Dauphin counties as well as a mountain which delimits the valley to the south both bear the word, Mahantongo, thus providing the valley with its name. Richardson describes its location as: Nestled in the pocket of the Blue Mountains of Central Pennsylvania's Appalachian chain, the Mahantongo Valley extends east from the Susquehanna River for seventeen miles. Bordered to the north by Line Mountain - once the boundary between the Commonwealth and the Indian Lands - it extends four miles to the south where the Mahantongo Mountain closes the valley. Two major communities are defined by the Mahantongo Valley watersheds where the traditional artforms can also be found: the Schwaben Creek to the north and the Mahantongo Creek to the south. Unification of these areas may have been the result of the circuit followed by Isaac Faust Stiehly, a Reformed minister, who from 1827 to 1864 regularly serviced the churches potentially bringing them to an integration of the arts. The Mahantongo Valley aesthetic has been explored in various recent studies, particularly those of Frederick S. Weiser and Mary Hammond-Sullivan who focused attention on decorated furniture made in the region. They described a highly distinctive furniture that had been created between 1798 and 1828 along the Schwaben Creek Area of the Mohantongo Valley. Henry M. Reed's Decorated Furniture of the Mahantongo Valley limited its research to extraordinary pieces of furniture shown in an exhibition at Bucknell University in 1987 for which there was an exhibition catalogue. Through the breadth of these and other less-formalized studies, a view of the spread of the Mahantongo Valley culture to the adjacent areas closer to the Susquehanna River can be found in art objects from outlying regions as well. The Lore Degenstein Galllery will display numerous works of art and craft from the hands of the historic creators, including quilts, coverlets, and other objects that demonstrate the aesthetic unique to the Mahantongo Valley. We appreciate athe generosity of all those who lent objects to this exhibition. We are particularly appreciative of Jane DuPree Richardson for her efforts and professional expertise in bringing this exhibition to Susquehanna University. We are deeply indebted to the Degenstein Gallery Endowment for making our exhibition program possible. Dr. Valerie Livingson Appliqéd Quilt from the Mahantongo Valley, "Blazing Suns" pattern. Made and quilted by Salome Falk Diehl. 88.3 x 79.5" Courtesy of Hugh and Mary Lou Wagner.