A juried exhibition of sculpture by 29 graduates of Temple's Tyler School of Art from around the nation — one of the most ambitious exhibitions of Tyler alumni art ever put on display — opens this Saturday evening at the Crane Building in North Philadelphia, just east of Tyler's new home on Temple's Main Campus.

"Victory for Tyler 2009: Sculpture" is the third in a series of biennial Tyler alumni art exhibitions to benefit the Tyler's Office of Exhibitions and Public Programs, each emphasizing a different artistic medium. The current exhibition will be on display at Crane Arts' Ice Box Project Space, one of Philadelphia's largest viewing rooms for art, from April 1 to 26.

"I'm proud that many of our brilliant alumni artists have agreed to participate in 'Victory for Tyler,'" said Therese Dolan, interim dean of Tyler. "Their work captures the exceptional breadth, depth and boldness that define the Tyler experience."

Works from more than 100 artists were considered by the show's juror, Sarina Basta, a curator at SculptureCenter in Long Island City, N.Y. Although the exhibition focuses on sculpture, the art selected for the exhibit also includes time-based video pieces and premieres of performance-based sculptures — works that Basta says "push the limits of performance and installation." Three juror's prizes funded by the Tyler Alumni Association will be awarded.

Among the 29 alumni artists represented at "Victory for Tyler" are Candace Depew M.F.A. '97, known for her deliciously colorful explorations of the domestic environment; Roxana Perez-Mendez M.F.A. '02, a multi-media/performance artist who investigates ethnic identity and Puerto Rican culture; Virginia Tyler M.F.A. '88, whose work engages pressing social issues such as child labor in Ghana; and the three young artists who founded Philadelphia's FLUXspace, a mecca of experimentation: Joseph Di Giuseppe B.F.A. '06, Chris Golas B.F.A. '06 and Josh Kerner B.F.A. '06.

"Victory for Tyler" was named for its primary sponsor, Victory Brewing Company, co-founded by Tyler alumnus William Covaleski. The exhibition's venue also has Tyler connections; two of the Ice Box Project Space's three owners are Tyler faculty members: Professor Nicholas Kripal, chair of the Crafts Department, and Richard Hricko, a printmaker and professor of art and art education.

Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. An opening reception hosted by the Tyler Alumni Association, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Saturday, April 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. Crane Arts will host a Second Thursday reception on Thursday, April 9, from 6 to 9 p.m. The Ice Box Project Space is located in the Crane Company Building at 1400 N. American St., Philadelphia.