The Southern Alleghenies of Art in Altoona will host several events Saturday, April 26, at 1210 11th Ave., Altoona.

It’s a combination of fortuitous coincidence and added planning in an effort to entice attendees of the Blair Creators Festival to visit the museum, organizers said. Blair Creators Festival is a collaborative effort of ArtsAltoona and the Sheetz Fellows program at Penn State Altoona. The event features live music, comedy acts, food trucks and artisans showcasing their wares downtown at Heritage Plaza on 11th Avenue and extends between 13th and 15th streets.

SAMA Site Director Scott Riner said he hopes festivalgoers will stop by the museum and then visit the festival — or vice versa. It’s an example of the kind of synergy and cooperation Riner is building with the ArtsAltoona organization, where he is a board member.

“If it’s a nice (weather) day our doors will be wide open to encourage people to come in,” he said. He’s hoping to entice people who have never been to the museum to come and visit.

It’s a “happy coincidence” the museum planned an opening reception for artists Jessie Luke and Judith Peck, artists featured in exhibits that run now through July 6. SAMA typically holds opening receptions so the public can meet the artists.

To attract new visitors and festivalgoers, Riner added the hands-on activity of “Seed Planting” from 11 a.m. to noon with a member of the Intermunicipal Recycling Committee. This free event will use recycled plastic cups and mulch created at the IRC’s facility from recycled plant materials to learn about recycling resources within the community and celebrate Earth Day, which was celebrated earlier in the week.

It also ties in with Peck’s nature-themed exhibit “Gravitas of the Sycamore.”

A Virginia resident, Peck’s series of oil paintings depicts a singular sycamore tree she discovered while walking near the Potomac River. “Her paintings serve as rich, artistic meditation on the themes of resilience, and the stabilizing ground around which our souls gravitate, as we attempt to live our lives amidst a chaotic and ever changing world,” he said.

A “Talk Back Session” with Peck is planned for 2 p.m. as she shares insights into her process, her work’s symbolism and the emotional journey of living in harmony with nature. No cost or registration is required and refreshments will be provided.

Luke is recognized for her photographs created with the Holga plastic toy camera. Luke has been exhibited nationally and internationally. In this exhibition, she visually displays the narrative of the children’s classic “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”

Both artists will be on hand for an opening reception which starts at 6 p.m. and goes to 8 p.m. Riner hopes festivalgoers will stop in as the festival ends at 7 p.m. Cost to attend is $15 per person and includes refreshments and light appetizers.

Mirror Staff Writer Patt Keith is at 814-949-7030.