The Blue Cat Art Gallery, owned by Wayne State College professor Carolyn Albrect, will host a hot drinks and sweet treats reception for the gallery’s new display during the Festival of Lights celebration on Thursday, Nov. 21.

The reception will be a time for people to meet the artists participating in the gallery. The theme of the gallery is Under $200. It is an annual show where every item costs less than $200. To take part in the gallery, artists fill out a submission form for their work that costs under $200, and then send in the submissions. Most of the artists are local.

The Blue Cat Art Gallery advertises for submissions through postings around town, word of mouth and social media.

“It is a holiday gallery, so people can come and shop for the art people on their list,” Jenny Martin, WSC intern for the Blue Cat Art Gallery, said.

The Under $200 display is a way for local artists to have their work shown and purchased, since there aren’t many rural galleries nearby, according to Martin. The Under $200 art is for sale and can be taken the day of purchase.

Wayne State College professors like Francine Fox and Megan O’Connor are taking part in the show. Former WSC students Cole Beebe, Isaac Baker, Mackenzie Oliver and Abby Schademann also submitted work to the Under $200 gallery.

“My favorite artwork in this display is the photography by Isaac Baker,” Martin said.

According to Martin, about 80 pieces of art are being shown in the Under $200, including watercolor, print, fabric mosaics, jewelry, photography and more.

“My favorite pieces in the gallery were the abstract paintings,” WSC student Emma Stelling said.

Martin said the layout of the Under $200 gallery is salon style, which means the art is grouped, and the walls are crowded with all of the art in the show.

“The intimate atmosphere in the Blue Cat Art Gallery creates an artistic vibe that is hard to find,” Erin Beckman, a WSC junior, said.

The Under $200 display will be at the Blue Cat Art Gallery from Nov. 7 to Dec. 21. The gallery will close for the winter soon after and will reopen in the spring. The hours of operation at the Blue Cat Art Gallery are Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.