Appalachian Brewing Co. (ABC)  hosted the King West Art Collaborative as part of the Ship First Fridays series on Oct. 2. 

The collection included works from six local artists being sold ranging anywhere from $10 to $800. There were a lot of different mediums expressed in the show including photography, acrylic, oil, watercolor, alcohol ink and digital paint. 

Hazel Thompson’s collection of digital prints were members of various K-Pop groups. Several artists focused on nature for their pieces, with multiple pieces depicting flowers.

One artist, Jane Offner,  used places in Shippensburg and surrounding towns as her muse.

One piece depicted Old Main, one of the oldest buildings on Shippensburg University’s campus. The acrylic painting showed the building with the iconic fountain at the center of the canvas. The colors used were realistic and drew viewers into the landscape.  The painting  offered a sense of serenity and respect, as Old Main is a significant historical location to both the university and the town. 

The space on the second floor of ABC is a nice location to host an art show because of its large and well-lit space.

The walls were also very plain with minimal decoration, which allows the art to really stand out. The size of the space helped in maintaining social distancing while still getting to experience art in person. The show ran for three hours and guests were invited to walk through at their own pace to look at the art. 

The COVID-19 coronavirus can sometimes make it seem like all events are dangerous and should not be happening until the world is safer. However,  this event proved that events like this can still happen safely and give everyone a small sense of normalcy among the chaos. 

The event in the Ship First Fridays series was a great way to celebrate the town and those in it by featuring local artists in a local business. When communities come together to support their members, it is a truly beautiful thing. There is always a way to support local businesses and artists. 

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