In May, two unique Continuing Education art classes at Brookhaven College will celebrate their work by displaying more than 100 paintings.

The classes are taught by Hyun Chu, who received her BA from Seoul University in Korea and her MFS from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia. Her paintings have appeared in many group and solo shows around the world and are included in several museums and private collections.

The painting classes are loosely structured around themes and techniques with plenty of inspiration for everyone. These appreciative students have been given unusual freedom to explore their own individual subjects and styles.

The paintings, done over the past five years in either acrylic or oil, are varying sizes of canvas and include the traditional mix of portraits, still lifes and landscapes. This engaging exhibit runs the full gamut from relation to abstract, from impressionism to expressionism.

The general educational backgrounds of the entire group are diverse but none are fine art majors. What all of these amazingly different people have in common is a longstanding attraction to the visual arts, which they minimally satisfied for years by visiting art shows or museums, reading about art and even sometimes by sketching.

Now these alternative artists have finally and happily found welcoming classes where their fundamental interest is being encouraged and nourished.

This distinctive art show runs from May 1-31 at the Farmers Branch Manske Library Gallery, at 13613 Webb Chapel Road. Please check with the library at 972-247-2511 for hours of operation.

You are also invited to a general reception 2-5 p.m. May 6.

– Mary Pawlowicz