The “Friday Painters,”a local Shepherdstown group of artists, will hold an exhibit of their work at the Blanche Ames Gallery in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick from Sept. 6 -27. The church is located at 4880 Elmer Derr Rd. which is off of Route 340 west of Frederick.

The theme selected for the show is “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

Friday Painter spokesman Mike Austin said, “We are always struck by the results of our plein air work when after a painting session we come up with widely divergent impressions of the same subject. It makes the point that artists always look through different prisms and then add their unique mix of skills and techniques to interpret what they find. It is always enjoyable to see what we create. We learn from the discipline of each effort and from each other. Some of us have worked closely for many years in sharing the creative experience. You will appreciate the outcome and may recognize some of the objects in your own back yard.”

The Friday Painters roam the Eastern Panhandle and adjacent Maryland counties capturing the beauty of charm of the colorful countryside and numerous historic sites. The paintings and drawings of 13 artists will be included in this exhibit that make use of the full gamut of media and styles including: oils, acrylic, pastels, pen and ink and mixed media. Participating artists include Ronda Albright, Donna K. Ashbaugh, Mike Austin, Pat Barnes, Kathy Daywalt, Claudia T. Giannini, Dave Hutchins, Nancy Kautz, Monica Ann Wilkins, Virginia Winston, Mary Griffin Wirick, Joanna Morrison and Patricia Perry.

“The sixty or so paintings included in this show only represent approximately 10 percent of the Friday Painter efforts in the past year. We hope that viewers will be inspired, as we always are, to look harder and appreciate more fully, the beauty that surrounds us,” Austin concluded.

An opening reception for the show will be held at the gallery on Sunday, Sept. 6 from 12:30 until 2 p.m. For additional information about the exhibit, or the Friday Painters, contact Austin at 304-876-0589.