"Two years ago, I got a call from Annie Prince, who said, 'Did you ever think about having an exhibit of Greg's [Weaver] work?'" recalls Ann Lalik, Ronald K. De Long Gallery Director and Arts Coordinator, Penn State Lehigh Valley.

An auction of the exhibited work in "Greg Weaver: Urban American Folk Artist," is 6 p.m. Dec. 12, Ronald K. De Long Gallery, Penn State Lehigh Valley, Center Valley.

"She [Prince] started to talk about Greg's work in terms of soon it would be the 20th anniversary of his passing," Lalik says of Prince, a Lehigh Valley arts supporter.

"She [Prince] also brought up the fact that Greg went to Penn State," Lalik continues.

Weaver, born in 1945 in Allentown, received a bachelor's in political science from The Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor of fine arts in painting from Carnegie Mellon University.

Last month marked the 20th anniversary of Weaver's death in 1994. Weaver was a leader in the downtown Allentown arts scene during the 1970s and '80s, maintaining a gallery-studio along 10th Street, Allentown.

Lalik contacted Rook Jones, who became administrator of Weaver's art work following Weaver's death and continued following the death of Weaver's widow, Fran Metcalf, in 2008.

"We [Lalik and Jones] started going through his work. I really wanted to show work that had not been shown," says Lalik.

Approximately 35 of the 45 works in the PSU LV exhibition are available for auction. Jones is to donate a portion of auction sales to PSU LV

"I don't think you can have a Greg Weaver show without his cows," Lalik adds.

"I see Greg [Weaver's work] in such a different way before I had the opportunity to curate this show. His work is so much deeper than the Greg that I had seen.

"Just seeing his use of color in a nonrepresentational style. I am so much more of a Greg Weaver fan. I really have a new respect for Greg's work since doing this show," Lalik says

Jones, a friend of Weaver's since their days hanging out at Lehigh Country Club, rescued hundreds of Weaver's work from a water-damaged warehouse along Court Street, between Hamilton and Linden streets, Allentown.

"I had told Fran [Metcalf] at the funeral service that if she ever needed help with Greg's work just to call me," says Jones.

"The enormity of the task was such that I needed legal permission. We [Jones and Metcalf] sat down with an attorney and agreed it would be simplest if everything was to be transferred into my name."

Jones, a retired real estate investor, moved Weaver's art to the former Schoen's furniture building, Allentown, then to a former silk mill in Bethlehem, then to his family home.

He says he's been in regular communication with Weaver's sister and brother: "I was willing to turn it [the Weaver art collection] over to them. They took some pieces for themselves. They were very happy that someone took over the task.

"It's been a burden, but a burden I've been willing to do," says Jones, estimating he's catalogued 300 of the some 600 Weaver art pieces. He's looking for a permanent gallery space for Weaver's work.

"That's kind of my goal. My New Year's resolution. And that's really the plan all along," says Jones.

Information: www.lv.psu.edu, 610-285-5000