Former Penn State player Matt Rice to display paintings in York
(Article Last Updated: 07/30/2008 11:02:33 AM EDT)

Former Penn State defensive end Matt Rice, a key member of the 2005, 11-1 Orange Bowl champion team, will display several of his paintings at the 23rd annual Phil Grosz Banquet, sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association, York Chapter.

The banquet is 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, at the Valencia Ballroom, 142 N. George St., York.

Grosz is the longtime publisher of Blue White Illustrated. He'll provide fans with his take on the upcoming Nittany Lion season. He'll also give an update on recruiting and offer his thoughts on how long Joe Paterno will coach.

A three-year starter, Rice graduated in 2005 with a bachelor degree in integrative arts and African-American studies. He played in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions and in NFL Europe.

Rice is now devoting his time to painting, with the debut of his personal art business, Mateo Blu.

"I want to expose people to different things that aren't seen on a daily basis through my art," Rice said in a new release. "The thing I love about my art is that it's not put into a box, it's not defined."

Rice's work can be seen on his Web site, www.mateoblu.com.

Also at this year's event, fans will see a 2007 Penn State football highlight video. A pair of tickets to the Michigan contest will be auctioned and a set of season tickets will be raffled off.

Tickets for the banquet are available for $26 for Penn State York Club members, and $30 for non-members, by calling 843-1061, or mailing your check to: The Penn

State Alumni Association, York County Chapter, Attention: Ricki Hevner, 780 Glendale Road, York, Pa., 17403.

Club membership forms will also be available at the event. Deadline for reservations is Aug. 11.

FORMER PSU PLAYER TO HOLD ART EXHIBIT AT THE PENN STATE ALL SPORTS MUSEUM
Matthew Rice to showcase his paintings, hold an Artist Talk, and Autograph Session during Arts Fest

Matthew Rice, former Penn State Defensive End of the 2005 Champion Season, will be returning to Penn State during this month’s Festival of the Arts celebration (http://www.arts-festival.com) on July 10 – 13, 2008. Throughout the weekend he will be promoting his company MateoBlu (www.mateoblu.com), which he has created to sell his art.

Saturday, July 12th from 12PM – 4PM, he will be at the Penn State All Sports Museum to hold an event focused on Penn State Football and his art. The event will include an open gallery and live painting exhibit, Artist Talk session, and an autograph session with current and former Penn State Football players, Jay Alford, Aaron Maybin, Derrick Williams, Josh Gaines, and Matthew Rice. Please see the schedule below:

   * 12PM – 2PM: Open Gallery & Live Painting
   * 2PM – 3PM: Artist Talk Session
   * 3PM – 4PM: Autograph Session

The All Sports Museum is located at the southwest corner of Beaver Stadium opposite the Bryce Jordan Center. A long canopy leading from Curtin Road marks the Museum entrance. Doors will open at 12PM.

###

If you would like more information about MateoBlu, please contact Allison Tibbs at 814-883-6460 or atibbs@excell2excellence.com. For more information about the All Sports Museum, please contact Ken Hickman at 814-865-5577.

Rice’s paintings to be exhibited at DC Art Gallery
For the remainder of the calendar year, Matthew Rice will be one of five artists with his work displayed in Georgetown’s DC Art Gallery, located at 1259 Wisconsin Ave. in Washington, D.C.
The exhibit, which opens on Saturday, Dec. 8, will be the first of a series of exhibits leading up to the D.C. International Fine Art Expo in fall 2008. Along with Rice, four artists from the New York and D.C. areas — Shannon Elkins, Lynn Foster, Lisa Jones and Gina Melton — will present their work, which will hang at the gallery through the end of December.
Rice will display some of his new pieces for the first time, including components of his abstract and monochromatic Mateo Blu series.
The opening event, held between 8 and 11 p.m., will be accompanied by hors d’oeuvres and wine tasting. Admission is $5, and valet parking will be available.

Nov. 12th, 2007
Two years after helping to lead Penn State to an 11-1 record and Orange Bowl championship, former defensive end Matthew Rice will be a special guest on the Penn State Gamenight radio show to talk about the football team, past and present.

The show, hosted by 1981 Penn State graduate Ron Ruman, will air on Monday, Nov. 12 from 7 to 8 p.m. on York County's ESPN Radio Affiliate, ESPN 1350/WOYK. Rice is the latest former player selected to do a live interview for the weekly Penn State Gamenight, joining Scott Fitzkee and Brad Scovill, players on the 1979 Sugar Bowl team, John Greene from the 1986 national title team and Stephen Pitts of 1994's undefeated Rose Bowl champions.

On the program, which is broadcast live from Hooters in York, Pa., Rice will help preview Penn State's final regular-season game against Michigan State this Saturday and also look back on the redemptive 2005 season, during which he was a senior.

Matthew Rice, Former Penn State Defensive End and Artist, to Sign Autographs at Northern Lebanon's Sixth Grade Challenge Cup Silent Auction
Matthew Rice, a starter on the Penn State football team at defensive end from 2003-2005 and contributor to Penn State's highly successful 2005 campaign, will sign autographs for donations at the Silent Auction to be held in conjunction with Northern Lebanon's Sixth Grade Challenge Cup event Tuesday evening, October 24, 2006. The Silent Auction and signings will take place in the Northern Lebanon Middle School Cafeteria from 5:30 - 6:30 PM.

Mr. Rice, also well known for his painting "Bluprint", which became the 2005 Penn State football poster, will exhibit his art work at the Auction. Mr. Rice created "Bluprint" to represent the unity between the students and the players on game day in Beaver Stadium. The piece was based on the energy he felt before going to battle on the football field.

Admission to the Silent Auction and signing with Mr. Rice is free. The Sixth Grade Challenge Cup Finals will begin at 7:00 PM. Admission to the finals is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for senior citizens and students. All proceeds from the Sixth Grade Challenge Cup activities will be presented to Penn State Football Lift for Life which supports the Kidney Cancer Association and raised more than $50,000 for the Association this year.

CONTACT:
Sally Bair
Northern Lebanon School District
(717) 865-0541 ext. 2516
(717) 865-0606 (Fax)
sbair@norleb.k12.pa.us