PORT JERVIS, NY — The second annual Port Jervis Invitational Art Exhibit will hold an opening reception, free to the public, at the R.H. Smith Mercantile Building, 22 Jersey Ave., on Saturday, March 28, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Sponsored by Port Jervis Arts (PJA), the exhibition will feature the work of five outstanding artists who live or work in the tri-state area: Sean Addy, Bob Barnette, Wendy Kaplan-Friend, Kat Hamilton and Teddi Zelle.

Hamilton is a fine artist, illustrator and owner of Harikoa Art Supply in Port Jervis. Her work explores chance, movement and the joyful spontaneity of the inner child, PJA said. “Using bold color, expressive brushstrokes and contrasting elements, she creates mixed media pieces that reflect life’s layered and unpredictable beauty.” Her work is currently on view at Awakening NY and UpFront Exhibition Space in Port Jervis.

Barnett is a painter who lives in NYC and Sussex County, NJ. He is fascinated by the textures in the environment, and his work explores those textures through the layering of encaustic wax, sumi ink, oil pigments and natural fibers. He won top honors at the International Encaustic Artists’ exhibit in Cooperstown and has worked as a scenic artist in film and television.

Visit Port Jervis Arts on Facebook to learn about the other artists.

PJA presents community cultural events at no admission cost. Past programs include “Bach/Rock,” masterpieces by Bach along with classic rock songs; “Music in the Barn” at the Tamerlaine Sanctuary; and children’s art workshops.

The exhibit will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 25 and by appointment.