The opening exhibitions of the season at the Oakland University Art Gallery take visitors through the work of two artists who have absolutely nothing in common.

The exhibitions opened on Saturday, Sept. 6 and will continue through to Sunday, Oct. 5.

“We have around 100 people a day come in here,” Dick Goody, director of the Oakland University Art Gallery, said.

While walking through the OUAG, one encounters two completely different styles of work. Starting with “Kaiho,” photographs by Susan E. Evans, it then transitions into “Memory Palace,” consisting of paintings and codices by Sally Schluter Tardella. Both of the artists are faculty from the Department of Art and Art History.

Entering the gallery, you first come across Evans’s photographs. In discovering her maternal ancestors came from Finland, she was inspired to capture shots of the Finnish countryside. These snapshots create a sense of longing for a place, because they appear as if you are looking through a window into the scenery.

As you step deeper into the gallery, one notices the colorful paintings by Tardella. They appear almost like a floor plan hanging on the wall. Looking closely, you realize the thick layer of paint built up on her work.

“I would like people to look a bit differently at the ordinary and every day of their surroundings,” Tardella said. “Even the most mundane aspects of a building, such as an air vent, floor, or room can resonate with meaning.”

Laid out in the middle of the exhibition are her codices filled with drawings.

“I am both excited and honored to have my work in this exhibition,” Tardella said.

However, the artists are not the only ones who can take credit for creating a masterpiece, but also those in charge of putting together the exhibitions as well.

Preparing for the debuting exhibitions of the season was not an easy task. It took time, planning and a lot of thought to make everything flow together. Due to both artists’ work being so different, it was challenging to figure out the best ways to display each piece.

“The trouble is that if you are doing an exhibition of two people who really have nothing to do with each other, other than they are both artists, the best thing to do is to build them separately because each experience is different from the other,” Goody said.

Walking through the gallery, you notice a point where the exhibitions transition into one another. Placing pieces with similar colors near each other helped to make the two experiences flow together.

Now that the gallery is open for the season, visitors are welcome to unwind in a relaxed environment.  Additional events include Evans speaking about her work on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at noon.

“The experience is calm and serene, and I think it is an experience that should be shared,” Goody said.