Photographs, paintings, sculptures, colors and even some music filled the Shippensburg Arts Programming & Education (SHAPE) Gallery Sept. 2.

This was the 14th year SHAPE has held its annual abstract art gallery. This year’s theme was PARADOX, bringing in several community members, as well as college students to the opening.

As people studied the artwork, mingled with friends and even bought artwork, the board members of SHAPE were all smiles.

“[It’s a] pretty good turnout,” Josh Rosetta, president of SHAPE, said. Rosetta also mentioned, like many of the board members, in February the gallery moved from 20 W. King St. to their current location, 19 E. King St. He said since the gallery moved, he has seen a 25-30 percent increase in gallery opening attendance.

Bridget Palmer-Rosetta, gallery director and Josh’s wife, also said she enjoyed the space. Palmer-Rosetta had been involved with SHAPE years ago, but moved to Washington, D.C. for business. Since her and Rosetta moved back to the area, she got involved in the gallery again.

Palmer-Rosetta said she was having fun and she could not wait to see how the gallery went.

Mark Wojciechowski, a board member as well as an artist, had many people walk up to him and congratulate him on his work. Wojciechowski explained the mangled looking wood with wires and other objects sticking out was part of repurposing objects.

“Most of mine [artwork] doesn’t have meaning, but this does,” Wojciechowski said. He said his artwork was specifically placed to look like it was teetering, just so balancing. He wanted to show a balance between life and death.

Wojciechowski also explained how a majority of his inspiration comes from nature. He talked about the wire he found had similar lines and shapes to branches reaching for the sun, while objects such as the skull were given to him.

And while Wojciechowski talked about his work, he was also one of many to say how excited he was for the new space. Wojciechowski wanted members of the community to know SHAPE offers classes for children and adults at the new location.

But the same sentiment was the same between Palmer-Rosetta, Rosetta and Wojciechowski— they wanted members of the community, as well as students of the university, to know SHAPE is in Shippensburg.

“We really want people to check out the space,” Palmer-Rosetta said. Rosetta encourages students and the community to come down and socialize, as well as check out what Shippensburg’s downtown has to offer.

PARADOX runs until Sept. 24 and the gallery is open from Wednesday to Friday, 4-7 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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