Part of the Crary Art Gallery’s three-day exhibit featuring the Allegheny National Forest is pictured.

Opening on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m., the Crary Art Gallery will join the US Forest Service in celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the Allegheny National Forest.

Dozens of artists from Warren County to Washington State and other places in between will exhibit artwork in a variety of mediums that was inspired by the Allegheny National Forest. The pieces on display for this juried art exhibition were selected from more than 100 submissions by Laura Domencic, executive director of the Erie Art Museum. Some of the activities at the opening will include an open art activity (no registration needed), presentations by Allegheny National Forest and Crary Art Gallery representatives, and more.

President Calvin Coolidge established the Allegheny National Forest in 1923 to protect the headwaters of navigable rivers in the eastern United States after most of Pennsylvania was harshly over-logged. Through sustainable reforestation practices, the Allegheny National Forest has grown into a healthy, diverse ecosystem that is home to almost 400 species of fish and more than 1,200 species of plants. It is the mission of the US Forest Service to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

In addition to the pieces of the juried exhibition, banners depicting the inspiration and beauty of the Allegheny National Forest have been designed by local high school students and will also be on display. Also, art and science meet to produce the works of art by artists in residence who spent time with U.S. Forest Service employees to learn about the history of the Allegheny National Forest and restoration and conservation practices that have created the national forest people see today. Friday’s event is a free catered event and is open to the public.

The exhibit will remain available for viewing through this weekend only on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.