UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this 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 92618-2301
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
January 1997
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) 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
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
(X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
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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 Month |ect(I)| |
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<S> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Common stock |01/24/|P | |8,000 |A |6.375 |5,713 |D | |
|97 | | | | | | | | |
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Common stock |01/24/|S | |8,000 |D |13.875 |5,713 |D | |
|97 | | | | | | | | |
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Common stock |01/27/|P | |7,000 |A |6.375 |5,713 |D | |
|97 | | | | | | | | |
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Common stock |01/27/|S | |7,000 |D |13.750 |5,713 |D | |
|97 | | | | | | | | |
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Common stock |01/29/|P | |10,000 |A |6.375 |5,713 |D | |
|97 | | | | | | | | |
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Common stock |01/29/|S | |10,000 |D |13.750 |5,713 |D | |
|97 | | | | | | | | |
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Common stock |01/30/|P | |1,667 |A |6.375 |5,713 |D | |
|97 | | | | | | | | |
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Common stock |01/30/|S | |1,667 |D |13.750 |5,713 |D | |
|97 | | | | | | | | |
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Common stock |01/30/|P | |3,333 |A |7.000 |5,713 |D | |
|97 | | | | | | | | |
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Common stock |01/30/|S | |3,333 |D |13.750 |5,713 |D | |
|97 | | | | | | | | |
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Common stock |01/31/|P | |20,000 |A |7.000 |5,713 |D | |
|97 | | | | | | | | |
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Common stock |01/31/|S | |20,000 |D |13.750 |5,713 |D | |
|97 | | | | | | | | |
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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 | | | |Month |(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 |01/24|M | |8,000 |D |02/12|12/12|Common stock|1 |0 |18,333 |D | |
hase | |/97 | | | | |/96 |/99 | | | | | | |
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Option: right to purc|6.375 |01/27|M | |7,000 |D |06/12|12/12|Common stock|1 |0 |18,333 |D | |
hase | |/97 | | | | |/96 |/99 | | | | | | |
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Option: right to purc|6.375 |01/29|M | |10,000 |D |12/12|12/12|Common stock|1 |0 |18,333 |D | |
hase | |/97 | | | | |/96 |/99 | | | | | | |
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Option: right to purc|6.375 |01/30|M | |1,667 |D |01/12|12/12|Common stock|1 |0 |18,333 |D | |
hase | |/97 | | | | |/97 |/99 | | | | | | |
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Option: right to purc|7.000 |01/30|M | |3,333 |D |03/01|03/01|Common stock|1 |0 |16,667 |D | |
hase | |/97 | | | | |/94 |/00 | | | | | | |
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Option: right to purc|7.000 |01/31|M | |20,000 |D |03/01|03/01|Common stock|1 |0 |16,667 |D | |
hase | |/97 | | | | |/95 |/00 | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Explanation of Responses:
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
Joseph R. Armstrong
DATE
February 3, 1997
