Beautiful opening

Hamilton, Ohio - Big ideas. Big pieces. Big crowds.

Nearly 350 people attended the February 1 gallery-opening celebration for the Beauty and the Beast exhibition at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts.

Four exhibiting artists - Kat Dienno, Stephanie Berrie, Brandon Clay Smith and Tonja Torgerson - offered guests alluring figures, vistas and forms filled with hidden meaning and contradictory moods in a gorgeous display of printmaking, painting and three-dimensional installations. Dienno, Berrie and Smith were able to attend the event and share their work in person.

In addition, students from Butler Tech School of the Arts and Miami University Hamilton had the closing reception for their work on display in the Community Gallery.

Beauty and the Beast remains on view through March 21. The exhibition is FREE and open to the public during regular building hours (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 10-5 Fridays) or when the building is open for evening and weekend events. Tour groups and field trips may arrange additional viewing times with Director of Exhibitions Cathy Mayhugh at 513-863-8873, ext. 122.

Next up in the Community Gallery is Color Outside the Lines, an exhibition featuring more than 30 artworks created by students ages 6 to 16 from the Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton.

The opening celebration is 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, February 7, in conjunction with the Fitton Family Fridays performance BPO: Meet the Music 2.

The opening celebration is FREE and open to the public. Tickets to Fitton Family Fridays are available online here, by phone at 513-863-8873 ext. 110 or in person at the Fitton Center box office.