When Bajo El Sol art gallery at Mongoose Junction on St. John holds its next art reception on Friday, works by close to 20 Ivanna Eudora Kean High School art students will join those of St. John artists Karen Samuel and Bill Stelzer in the gallery.

“It’s where the students can experience what it’s like to have their art work exhibited with and among professional artists,” Kean art teacher and professional artist Lisa Etre said.

She said she expects most of the students, who hail from St. Thomas and St. John, to show up for the reception from 5 to 8 p.m. This will give those who attend the traditional art reception – with light beverages, appetizers and classical guitar music by David Laabs – a chance to chat with the artists.

“People get excited about talking to the artists,” she said.

Bajo El Sol owner Tom Hitchcock said the gallery hosts the student artists as a way to give back to the community and as a way to recognize the student artists in a professional venue.

The works will be for sale from about $100 to $400. Etre said that at last year’s show, the most expensive piece sold for $300.

Etre said most of the works are collages, mainly because Kean’s art classes include students in various grades and with numerous levels of artistic training. She said teaching collages work well in such mixed classes.

“Collage is a medium that just about anybody can do,” Etre said. “I chose the art work that was most professional looking and something I think is marketable.”

All the works are professionally framed at Bajo El Sol using donated and recycled frames.

Visit the gallery website at www.bajoelsolgallery.com.