Box Heart's Art Inter/National Exhibition began in January 2002 with the concept of exploring space, how the immediate environment impacts the artistic process and influences what each artist creates. Inspired by the prestigious Carnegie International, Box Heart Gallery is thrilled to offer the Pittsburgh community an intimate, yearly alternative. Over 220 entries, from regional, national, and international artists, were received this year. Of these entries, 20 artists were selected for participation and 28 works of art in a variety of media will be exhibited.

The artwork selected for this year's Art Inter/National Exhibition respond visually to the Hegelian dialectic. The work aims to make visible the control modernized language and guided thought has taken over social evolution. In some cases, such as Charles Caldemeyer's architectural encaustic paintings or Lidia Simeonova's contemplative figurative paintings the artwork depicts man, alone in the universe, filling the vacuum left by religion with materialism. In other cases, the power of the dialectic in political issues that demand taking sides is presented. Whether viewing Cherie Tymkiw's "Young French Muslims Riot Against Discrimination and Deprivation" or Susan Kirby's "Signal Quilt: from the Katrina Series," the viewer is challenged to step outside the dialectic. The artwork in this year's Art Inter/National demonstrates the power of individual rights. Artwork like Deanna Mance's "Ticker Tac," Susan Constanse's "Unreal Spaces," or Sarah Wiseman's "Assembled and Linked Together" seeks to uncloak the invisible dialectic of communitarian law which hides the beauty of nature's true mechanics and aims to demolish personal conscience.

We congratulate painter Lidia Simeonova for receiving the Best of Show Award in this year's Art Inter/National Exhibition. Simeonova will lead Box Heart's 2010 Exhibition Year with her own solo exhibition following next year's Inter/National Exhibition.