CORVALLIS - This month, the walls and display spaces of Guistina Gallery and the Murdock Exhibit Area at LaSells Stewart Center are inhabited by a community of creativity.

The Fourth Annual Community Art Exhibit, a non-juried exhibit open to all who reside or work in Linn and Benton counties and surrounding communities, netted an impressive collection of art this year.

From the broad brushstrokes of a 5-year-old to the precision of professional artists and craftspeople to en plein air pieces created by retired folks, the space is a veritable "Who's Who" of the mid-valley arts scene with artists from Albany, Alsea, Blodgett, Corvallis and Philomath.

"This is our time to give back to the community," gallery curator Tina Green-Price said.

In the last year, more than 400 artists have shown their work at LaSells and about 170,000 visitors have attended events there, according to Green-Price.

A small sample of the art on display this year includes watercolors by Jeri Le, Bruce Tucker, Terry Tallis, Tom Allen and Shirley Wirth; acrylic paintings by Ginny Morse, Carol Chapel and Glenn Wilcox; pastels by Carol Murphy, Michael Moore and Karen Timm; pencil drawing by Luis Medina; oils by Beatrice Rubenfeld, Mio and Nolan Streitberger, Herbert Berman, Carol Seiberg and Paul Rickey; wood carvings by Richard Finster; gilded calligraphy by Matsue Richter; fiber arts by Barbara Gordon; wood block prints by Kevin Clark and Barbara Weber; digital art by Harold Wood; graphite and watercolor compositions by Jim Adams; ceramics by Lee Kitzman; assemblages by Michael Kinch; weathered barn wood art by Jepson Longquist; wood sculpture by David Pilotte; stoneware sculpture by Patricia Berman; and silk painting by Chinh T. Le.

Some works are for sale and some are not.

"We don't like to put caps on it," Green-Price said. "We just say bring your favorite piece in."

"Every piece in this exhibit has its own, what I consider, good attributes," Green-Price said.

CHECK IT OUT

WHAT: Community art exhibit reception.

WHEN: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 16.

WHERE: LaSells Stewart Center, Oregon State University.

TREATS: Complimentary hors d'oeuvres provided by OSU Catering and wine available for purchase by the glass from WineStyles.

INFO: 737-3116 or http://oregonstate.edu/lasells/gallery.html.

Click below for a sneak peek at some of the art on display at the Community Art Exhibit. The best way to view the images is by clicking the icon that expands the slide show to full-screen mode and selecting "show info." That way you get to see not only the art, but artist name and notes such as type of medium and price.