Students of the Strawn showcase drawings, paintings and pottery in Jacksonville exhibit

The David Strawn Art Gallery put student work front and center in Jacksonville over the weekend, giving children and adults enrolled in its classes a public stage for drawings, paintings and pottery at 331 W. College Ave.

The exhibit, Students of the Strawn, opened with a reception Saturday evening and includes a gallery talk at 6:30 p.m. introducing the instructors and students. The show runs through May 24, with gallery hours Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m. and Tuesdays through Saturdays from 4 to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

For Morgan County families, the show is more than a display of finished projects. It is a public recognition of local students who completed work through a gallery that teaches as well as exhibits, and it gives neighbors a chance to see what comes out of hands-on instruction in drawing, painting and ceramic or pottery work. The variety on display underscores how broad the Strawn’s teaching program has become.

That educational role fits a long institutional history. The Art Association of Jacksonville was formed in 1873, and the David Strawn home was deeded to the association on Feb. 19, 1915, to be used as an art gallery. The gallery says it has held continuous art exhibits from 1915 to the present, making the current student show part of a tradition that has lasted more than a century.

The association says its mission is to increase awareness and appreciation of visual art through exhibits, classes and workshops while maintaining the historic building. Recent education flyers show classes for both children and adults, with projects that include painting, drawing and ceramic work. That helps explain why the current exhibit spans several media instead of staying in one lane.

The gallery also has the audience to turn a student exhibition into a community event. The Art Association of Jacksonville says it has more than 430 members, and opening nights commonly draw 125 people or more. In a city the size of Jacksonville, that kind of turnout gives student artists a meaningful public audience and puts their work in front of families, teachers and longtime supporters of the arts.

Students of the Strawn now stands as both a seasonal exhibit and a reminder of what the gallery does best: train, showcase and celebrate local talent in a building that has served as an art home for generations.