The Quarryville Library will showcase the works of some of the area's top painters.

An Open Painting Show exhibit, sponsored by the Quarryville Library Art Committee, will be featured in the C.X. Carlson Gallery at the library, 357 Buck Road, Quarryville.

The opening reception will be held Saturday, March 28, from 1 to 3 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided. "The opening reception is open to the public," said Chris Waite, who is the chairman of the committee. "We're inviting everybody to come and see it."

Judging will be done by someone who is not affiliated with the library. Awards will be announced at 2 p.m. Cash prizes will be presented in the following categories: nature, earthscape, humanity, and abstraction.

Professional or amateur painters age 16 and older can submit one or two paintings at the library on Saturday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Works should be framed or mounted and ready to put on the wall and are expected to hang throughout the exhibit. Paintings must be appropriate for public viewing in a gallery that is also used for children's programs.

The exhibit will be featured during regular library hours through Friday, May 1. Entries should be picked up Saturday, May 2, between noon and 3 p.m.

Email library@quarryvillelibrary.org for additional information.

"This is the second (open painting exhibit) we've had where we invited people to submit works and create a show," said Mark Phillips, who is a retired Solanco art teacher and a member of the Quarryville Library Art Committee. "It gives people a chance to enter their work and to compete and at least to have them exhibited. Lancaster County seems to have a real interest in artwork on downtown Lancaster Gallery Row and so on. We are doing our little end-of-the-county version of that."

Art committee member Cinda Showalter plans to participate. "I think I'm going to submit two paintings," she said. "I think it helps us to drive us to do better in our painting, so we can feel like we want to submit something."

"This is a chance for local artists to display their work, and most of the time when we have an art show like what we have hanging in (the library) now, it's an artist or two artists," said art committee member Deborah Waite. "This is the only one that we're doing this year where there are monetary prizes awarded."

Chris noted that the Open Painting Show will also be beneficial for the Quarryville Library. "It's to encourage the community that we serve, which is nine different townships and the borough, to be part of this and see what a community center we have here," he said. "Some people haven't ever been in here, and it draws people in and gives good exposure (to the library)."

The Carlson Gallery will also host an exhibit featuring works by the Octoraro Art Association, starting with an opening reception Saturday, May 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. and running through Friday, June 12.