From November 8-28, art lovers of Southwest Michigan won't need to travel all the way to New York City to see exhibits from the OK Harris Art Gallery. The Andrews University Art & Design Gallery will be hosting "Artworks on Paper," an exhibit featuring the works of thirteen artists from the OK Harris Gallery. There will be an opening reception for the exhibit, located in Smith Hall, on Thursday, Nov. 8, from 7-8:30 pm. Free admission.

Founded and run by the renowned art dealer Ivan Karp, the OK Harris Gallery sells works of art by the some of the finest talent in the country. Among the artists it represents is Greg Constantine, professor emeritus of art at Andrews University. In 2006, Constantine retired after having taught in the art department for 43 years. But he didn’t quite retire altogether--in exchange for retaining his office and studio space, he agreed to direct the Art and Design Department’s gallery and exhibition schedule.
 
"I’m just doing this one day a month," Constantine says, and adds with a chuckle, "it’s cutting into my golf time."

The exhibit gets its name from a common element shared by the works: they are all done on paper. Technically speaking, any work of art done on paper (as opposed to canvas, for example) is considered a "drawing." The title was broadened to more clearly indicate the broad range of mediums represented in the exhibit, which includes works done in pencil, ink, acrylic, gouache, pastel and watercolor.

"We do our part to bring a little culture to the campus," Constantine says. "I do it primarily for our campus, for the benefit of the students, like the Howard Performing Arts Center. And I do it because I want to share the kind of stuff I see all the time when I go to New York."