Exploring the different meanings, influences and expressions of the concept of environments, the show brings together over 50 artists from across the country. Many of these artists are showing their work in the Kavanagh Gallery for the first time.

Sharon Mroz Hopek, an artist based in Florida, is one of the new artists. Her works are saturated in rich colors inspired by her travels around the world. She is especially drawn to the greens of the rainforest, which is evident in her paintings. Hopek has two pieces, Rain on the Mountain and Toucan Talk, in the show.

Artist Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry, originally from Elgin, now lives in Port Townsend, WA. Internationally recognized for her quilts, Bryer Fallert-Gentry's art has been displayed in national and international exhibitions, private collections, and various quilting publications. J Pod, Fallert-Gentry's piece, is about the effects of pollution and habitat loss on the resident Orca Whale population in the Puget Sound area of Washington State, where she lives. Numbers of Orcas have reached levels so low that experts fear they will soon be extinct.

One of the local artists whose work will be on display is Anke Korioth from West Chicago. Korioth is a storyteller, filling her paintings with rich, vibrant colors, varied depths, and striking lines. Working primarily with a palette knife, Korioth uses a blend of abstract and realistic photographic elements to create dreamscapes that convey the feeling of place, the suggestion of the inner voyage.

The Environments show is open to the public beginning March 30. The show is open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm through Friday, May 12. There is never an admission fee to see the art displayed at the Kavanagh Gallery.

A complimentary opening reception will take place on Thursday, March 30, from 6 -8 pm. The evening will include light refreshments and artist talks by those in attendance, beginning at 6.30 pm.