U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C.
FORM 4
ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Armstrong, Joseph R.
56 Technology Drive
Irvine, California 92718-2301
United States
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
State of the Art, Inc., a California corporation
SOTA
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
May 1996
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer (Check all applicable)
( ) Director ( ) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, and Vice President of Finance
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Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
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1. Title of Security |2. |3. |4.Securities Acquired (A) |5.Amount of |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect |
| Transaction | or Disposed of (D) | Securities |ect | Beneficial Ownership |
| | | | Beneficially |(D)or | |
| | | | | A/| | Owned at |Indir | |
| Date |Code|V| Amount | D | Price | End of Year |ect(I)| |
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<S> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Common stock |5/31/9|P | |5000 |A |6.375 |5713 |D | |
|6 | | | | | | | | |
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Common stock |5/31/9|S | |5000 |D |18.375 |5713 |D | |
|6 | | | | | | | | |
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Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
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1.Title of Derivative |2.Con- |3. |4. |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount |8.Price|9.Number |10.|11.Nature of|
Security |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and| of Underlying |of Deri|of Deriva |Dir|Indirect |
|or Exer | | | rities Acqui |Expiration | Securities |vative |tive |ect|Beneficial |
|cise | | | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/| |Secu |Securities |(D)|Ownership |
|Price of| | | posed of(D) |Day/Year) | |rity |Benefi |or | |
|Deriva- | | | |Date |Expir| | |ficially |Ind| |
|tive | | | | A/|Exer-|ation| Title and Number | |Owned at |ire| |
|Secu- | | | | | D |cisa-|Date | of Shares | |End of |ct | |
|rity |Date |Code|V| Amount | |ble | | | |Year |(I)| |
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<S> <C> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Option: right to purc|6.375 |5/31/|M | |5000 |D |6/1/9|12/12|Common stock|1 |0 |50000 |D | |
hase | |96 | | | | |5 |/99 | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Explanation of Responses:
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
Joseph R. Armstrong
DATE
June 4, 1996
