From its founding nearly two years ago, Provo art Gallery OneTen has done everything from hosting a bazaar for local artists, exhibiting local elementary school artwork and creating a letter-writing campaign for the conflict in Burma.

Overall, Gallery OneTen's agenda is to give back to the Provo area by creating a sanctuary for local artists to exhibit their work.

Running purely on donations, Gallery OneTen was founded by Raquel Smith Callis, a former BYU art major who wanted to create a venue in Provo that accepted alternative art forms.

"This is a gallery for the community," said Leland Rowley, one of Gallery OneTen's co-directors, from Moreno Valley, Calif., studying graphic design at UVSC. "Our focus is local artists and providing a place that accepts contemporary art."

Currently, a series of photographs titled "Coney Island" by local artist Zack Taylor is showcased. The exhibit runs through Oct. 30, with a closing reception at 7 p.m. today. This past Saturday night, Gallery OneTen hosted a "Goth Prom" party open to the public. A family art workshop event is planned for this Saturday.

"This is a place to create awareness about art and culture," said Ashley Christensen, gallery co-director. Christensen, a fine arts major emphasizing in painting, said the relationship between artists and members of the community should go hand in hand.

"Our goal is to create a symbiotic relationship between art and community," she said.

In efforts to create a series of monthly forum speakers, Gallery OneTen hosted local artist Fidalis Buehler on Oct. 11. Buehler, pursuing a master's in art at BYU, emphasized thematic elements of repetition, memory and impulse in his work. Citing Impressionist painters Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh as influences, Buehler said thematic patterns of his work reflect his childhood growing up in the cultural diversity of the Hawaiian Islands.

Buehler attended the University of Hawaii for his undergraduate studies in art. Prevalent in Buehler's abstract imageries are cultural themes of Western values and how he perceives them as clashing or assimilating with Hawaiian tradition.

"There are things about repetition that sometimes create emotion," Buehler said. "I allow the repetition of [creating art] to speak to me."

Buehler explained how his artwork is a product of his evolving thought process.

"My work is geared toward excavating my memory," Buehler said. "It's a visual journal that is resurrecting memory." It's fun to uncover the layers of memory."

Gallery OneTen is open to college and high school students wanting to display their work.

"This is a space where there can be lots of different kinds of art," Christensen said. "We are always trying to get a broader audience."

Gallery OneTen is located at 110 S. 300 West, Provo. For more information on upcoming events or instructions to submit art, visit www.galleryoneten.org.

Copyright Brigham Young University 18 Oct 2007