An exhibition spotlighting the influence of art teachers opens Friday at the Art Outreach Gallery at Eastwood Mall.
''Art and the Art of Mentoring, Those Who Can, Teach'' will feature the work of Suzanne Bort Gray, a visual artist with a diverse body of work. Her paintings, photographs, digital images and fiber arts hang in private and public collections in the United States and abroad.
Many years of extensive travel have inspired Gray to combine her love of the creative process with her desire to involve others in that process. To that end, she has worked with orphanages, public schools, non-profit organizations, and major corporations around the world, injecting local talent into her vision. Gray is active in the Global Art Project for Peace, a program that partners people from around the world in a biennial art exchange. She is a vocal advocate for the positive impact that art has not only on how we learn, but also how we live.
As part of the exhibition's theme, Gray pays homage to her own mentor, retired Youngstown State University art professor and artist Al Bright. And the exhibition will include paintings by some of Gray's adult art students at the Davis Family YMCA.
The exhibition runs Friday through Nov. 11 at the gallery located inside the Eastwood Mall, 5555 Youngstown-Warren Road, Niles. Gray and Bright will attend an opening reception at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Gallery hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.