READING, PA.- History comes alive! In honor of the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address (which is being observed in 2013), the Reading Public Museum will exhibit nearly 30 paintings, etchings, and sketches by renowned historical artist Mort Künstler. The exhibition, Remembering the Battle of Gettysburg: The Civil War Art of Mort Künstler, opens in The Museum’s American Gallery on Friday, April 26, 2013, and continues through Sunday, July 28, 2013. Reading will be the first venue to display his newest painting, titled Pickett’s Charge: Gettysburg, July 3, 1863. This exhibition is presented locally by Fulton Bank/Clermont Wealth Strategies.

A special Opening Reception will be held on Friday, April 26, 2013 from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. including a “meet and greet” with the artist, a lecture by Mr. Künstler on Art of the Civil War (from 6-7 p.m.), and a booksigning opportunity. The cost is $20 for Members and $30 for Non-Members, and includes wine and light hors d’oeuvres. Reservations required – call 610-371-5850 x223.

When Mort Künstler began his current emphasis on Civil War art in the early 1980s, he had already accomplished more than a half-dozen artists could hope to produce in a collective lifetime. From portraits of prehistoric American life to the odyssey of the space shuttle, Künstler had painted America’s story — and was already renowned as “the premier historical artist in America.”

In 1982, a commission from CBS-TV to do a painting for the mini-series, The Blue and the Gray, directed Künstler’s interest toward the Civil War. Although the research was painstaking, he devoted much time to making sure that his painting, The High Water Mark, was meticulously correct. The painting was unveiled at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum on July 2, 1988 in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the battle. Since then, Mr. Künstler has been concentrating on Civil War subject matter.

Künstler quickly established himself as the country’s most-collected Civil War artist, and earned unprecedented acclaim within this genre. Probably no other artist has recorded so many events in American history and certainly no one has painted them with the extraordinary authenticity and drama as Mort Künstler.

On Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, 2013, from 1:00 until 2:15 p.m., a special related program of Civil War era music by Ken Gehret and Friends will be presented in the American Gallery alongside this exhibition. This program will be presented for free with Museum admission, and is part of a special Family Day – Moms get in one-half price with paid admission for one child. Members are always free.