Tattooed hucksters, herding dogs, gold teeth, cowboy hats, cow manure, roaring engines, spotless sheep, winning goldfish, losing money, champion pigs, biggest pumpkins, tallest corn, choir hymns, funnel cakes, most beautiful babies, and mud. The county fair, a distinctly American tradition, blends these into a unique event that celebrates the end of summer and the harvest with exhibits of prize-winning fruits, vegetables and farm crops.

Children are introduced to the pleasures and responsibilities of raising and showing livestock at the fair. The kids bring pigs, cows or horses to show and spend the duration of the event hanging out with their animals.

But county fairs have evolved into a peculiar provincial and modern entertainment event as well. Demolition derbies, games of chance, amusement rides and country western concerts round out the agricultural offerings.

This mix of agricultural exhibits and carnival rides, livestock judging and country music, horse pulling contests and demolition derbies inspires photographers Ivana Pavelka, Rolfe Ross and Michael Poster to return to county fairs every year to make pictures. And though the scenes each photographer observes may be similar, the pictures reflect the individual photographer's unique style and viewpoint.

The exhibit, County Fair, celebrates these rural events and launches Camerawork, Scranton's only full-time gallery dedicated to documentary and fine art photography. This new venue is in the recently renovated Casey Laundry building and is hosted by the Marquis Gallery. The show opens Saturday October 23, 2004 with an afternoon reception from 1PM until 5PM and continues through December 14, 2004. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday 10:00AM - 6:00PM, Saturday 10:00AM.- 5:00PM. The Casey Laundry Building is at 515 Center Street, Scranton, PA