Sarah Hlusko Photo: The Friends of Mercy art show is housed on the first floor of Old Main and features an extensive collection of art, including this painting created by James Vredevoogd.

As you walk through the ground floor of Old Main you will notice that from end to end the walls hold a vast amount of artwork. These are all part of the “Friends of Mercyhurst” Art Show, now in its seventh showing.

Each artist participating in the exhibition has a connection with the University, ten of which are former students and seven are Mercyhurst faculty members.

Many of the artists have participated in the show in previous years, donating works to the Mercyhurst College Permanent Art Collection, which is graced with works from the “Friends” exhibits.

A featured work in the show is “Raku Place: The Bamboo Rock,” a mixed media installation by Governor’s Artist of the Year Award Recipient Susan Kemenyffy.

Raku Place is a 47-acre botanical art garden run by Susan Kemenyffy and an Edinboro University art professor. “Raku Place: The Bamboo Rock” is modeled after a bamboo grove within the garden with a prominent large rock in the middle of the grove.

The display takes up the entirety of the alcove adjacent to the financial aid office, comprised of bamboo stalks along the walls, short cordgrass covering the floor, and a cutout of the boulder in the center.

Another interesting work is a mobile by David Seitzinger titled, “Healing.” Seitzinger is an Erie metal artist who also collaborated with Gary Cacchione on the Giant Quacker, which is the large duck seen around the campus. The metal mobile hangs in the center of the hallway, and is comprised of colorful geometric shapes on each arm of the mobile.

One Mercyhurst alumnus, Scott Rispin, has three works in the program. Two of them are small gauche paintings depicting French Creek, with dark tones in “French Creek Shade Prequel” and the impression of water ripples in “French Creek Saegertown.” Dispersed throughout the hallway are pieces of driftwood art by Brian Pardini.

Near the doors to Preston Hall resides the Guardian of the Steppe, resembling a bust of a man with a long face, and the Rising figure, which looks like a standing person with arms stretched out to embrace an unknown thing. This exhibition is a display of the wonderful talent that Erie has to offer and will come to an end on Saturday, March 30, 2013.

Be sure to take a stroll through the first floor of Old Main to check out this truly one-of-a-kind works from artists that help give Erie a creative atmosphere we can all be proud of. Looks like “The Quacker” isn’t the only piece of art to take notice of.