Community members and visitors view the “Sugar Swept” exhibit in the Art of Cake Gallery on Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — This past Saturday with a Meet the Artists Reception, Sugar Whipped Cupcake Shop’s The Art of Cake Gallery unveiled its first curated art exhibit by Shepherd University art students, faculty and alumni, “Sugar Swept.”

The dessert-themed art exhibit, which features paintings and sculptural work, will be on display in the shop through March 18.

According to Sugar Whipped Cupcake Shop’s Danie Armstrong, who co-owns the business with Emily Hooper, the idea for the exhibit was developed by Shepherd University Professor of Art Sonya Evanisko last November.

“She saw what we wanted to do, featuring local art here, when she popped in soon after we first opened,” Armstrong said, referring to her and Hooper’s desire to feature the dessert-themed works of local artists, including those from Shepherd University. “I said, ‘By all means, let us know when you want to do an exhibit!'”

About 25 individuals created art for inclusion in this exhibit, with some of them submitting more than one piece. Considering Saturday was its opening day, Armstrong was pleased with the community’s positive response to the exhibit.

Shepherd University Professor of Art Sonya Evanisko, right, stands in front of a portion of the “Sugar Swept” exhibit with two of the exhibit’s featured artists, Shepherd University seniors Ashley Cox (left) and Charlotte Puttock (center) at the artists reception on Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston

“I’m excited for the kids, because they’ve already sold three pieces on the first day!” Armstrong said, noting she anticipated the artwork being used to decorate kitchens, primarily. “When you’re trying to buy art for your house, you want to buy stuff that evokes the right feel in each room. So in your kitchen, decorating it with food art makes total sense to me!”

Throughout the day, pairs of artists revolved from manning the exhibit, chatting with community members both inside and outside of the shop. One of those pairs, Shepherd University senior painting majors Ashley Cox and Charlotte Puttock, agreed on the benefit of being given an opportunity to produce work for an event like this.

“It was a fun exhibit to create art for! I love how many different artistic styles are in there — everyone with their own approach to creating art around this theme,” Puttock said, mentioning her submission, which was one of the pieces to sell on Saturday, was inspired by Dutch Golden Age painting. “It was in the first hour of our exhibit that it sold — I was pretty surprised by that! I feel like sometimes my style isn’t very commercial or sellable, so it was very exciting to learn that someone else liked my work.”

Cox’s own painting, titled “I’ve got my eye on you,” took a unique approach to the dessert theme, picturing a pet dog gazing up at a slice of strawberry shortcake.

“I was inspired by all of my dogs,” Cox said. “They always do that when I’m eating, peer up at the table like they think the food is for them!”

Three cakes, made of piped silicone on canvas, were some of the items adding a sculptural aspect to the “Sugar Swept” exhibit in the Art of Cake Gallery on Saturday. The cakes were created by Shepherd University art student Alizah Lathrop. Tabitha Johnston

The success of her first exhibit at the gallery, according to Evanisko, made her confident in her decision to continue organizing a similar exhibit to be held in the gallery every school semester.

“We already talked about doing a fall-themed one before Thanksgiving, centered around pie!” Evanisko said, before pointing out a painting of a tarantula on top of a cupcake, whose painter will be using the Art of Cake Gallery to hold her capstone project in this April.

“Having public exhibits like this is wonderful, where people come out and give students ideas for future art that they might want to create!” Evanisko said. “There’s a large group of painting majors — Shepherd may have 150 art students total, and about 60 of them are painting majors. I try some, even in their very first year, to get them involved in some of these public art projects or exhibiting.”

Participating in events like this one, Evanisko said, helps her students to prepare for the future.

“There’s that old saying, ‘The art should speak for itself,’ but if you want a career as an artist, you need to be able to interface with the public — to do commission work and to explain your style,” Evanisko said.

The Art of Cake Gallery, located 104 South King Street, is open on Saturdays to the public.