FACULTY, STUDENT ART IN EXHIBITION AT WICHITA CENTER FOR THE ARTS An exhibition at the Wichita Center for the Arts shows off the efforts of faculty and students.

One of the most popular and long-lived shows at the Wichita Center for the Arts showcases 300 works created by the center's faculty members and the students they teach.

The Student and Faculty Exhibition of 2010 opened last week and will close on Aug. 29.

This year, more than 1,200 students are enrolled in classes at the center, with 30 faculty members teaching everything from oil painting to jewelrymaking, sculpture to pottery.

The annual exhibition is often the first time that students have a chance to show their work in a gallery setting, says gallery director Jana Erwin Durfee.

"The experience of exhibiting their work to the public, many for the first time, may be the most important aspect of this type of exhibition," she says. "The students are required to have their work installation-ready, which means they must consider framing, three- dimensional presentation, titles and pricing."

The exhibition shows a wide range of subject matter, style and media. Faculty member Matthew Hilyard is showing three abstract panels painted in hot pink, black and white, each with a seemingly random dot of lime green on it.

Student Anita Blair, a student in Babs Mellor's sculpture class, is showing a sculpture of a basset hound flying through the air, ears back and legs outstretched in midair.

Daniel Bonham, a student in Mary Binford Miller's oil painting class, shows his skill with a brush and use of color in a work titled "Hopper's New and Used Cars." The painting of a 1950s car lot with neon lights illuminating chrome-accented cars and people doing business behind the showroom windows is reminiscent of the style of painter Edward Hopper.

In the center of the gallery are three enormous vessels created by ceramics instructor John McCluggage. At first glance, the vessels appear simple in form and style, but each is composed of up to 150 pounds of clay and is finished at the top with only a tiny opening.

Also included are prints by printmaking teacher Doug Billings, Cubist works by painting teacher Brian Hinkle, realist paintings, life drawings and even a video installation.

If you go

Student and Faculty Exhibition 2010

What: The Mary R. Koch School of Visual Arts 2010 Student and Faculty Exhibition

Where: Wichita Center for the Arts, 9112 E. Central

When: On view through Aug. 29. Gallery hours are 1-5 p.m. Tue.-Sun.

How much: Admission free. For more information, call 316-634-2787.