OCEAN CITY, MD — April 25, 2025 — The Art League of Ocean City invites the public to the First Friday art opening on May 2, 5-7 p.m. at the Ocean City Center for the Arts, 502 94th St. bayside. Admission is free, and guests will enjoy complimentary refreshments and live music by Billy Zee, known as “The Party Shaker,” on acoustic guitar.
The Thaler Gallery exhibits a one-person show by Jill Kohut of Berlin, Md., celebrated for large-scale floral paintings that explore the beauty and vitality of the natural world. Both a fine artist and arts educator who taught in the Wicomico Co. schools, Kohut brings an eye for detail to her work, blending bold composition with delicate nuance.
The Sisson Galleria hosts an all-media group show entitled “No. 5.” For May, the 5th month of the year, artists depicted the number five in their own unique way — five senses, five fingers, five-sided shapes and beyond. Jesse Halpern, assistant professor and coordinator commercial photography at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, judged the show, and winners will receive cash prizes.
Carla Bessette and Sari Jo Fox share Studio E in May. Bessette paints realism in oils that she feels best portrays her interpretation of the beauty of the local landscapes. Fox works natural elements into her work, giving the viewer an impression of sun, wind, wave, or a wet nose.
Carolyn Aberbach exhibits her paintings in the Schwab Spotlight Gallery in May. The artist works primarily in oil on canvas in a loose, impressionistic style blending harmonious color combinations with simplicity of design.
The “Portals” on-line exhibit that explores the theme of windows, doors, tunnels, gates, or a fictional doorway will show on monitors at the Arts Center through May.
The Burbage Staircase Gallery continues an exhibit by Abi Lightner.
Montgomery Financial is sponsoring the complimentary beverages during First Friday.
The Princess Royale satellite gallery, 9100 Coastal Hwy., continues an exhibit by photographer Angela Vinson, and The Coffee Beanery satellite gallery at 94th St. and Coastal Hwy. displays the work of Patricia Elmes Farley, a textile and paper artist.
The Arts Center shows will be on display through May 31; the satellite galleries, through June 28. More information is available at OCart.org or by calling 410-524-9433. A new Art League app is now available at no cost for all devices.
The Art League of Ocean City is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the visual arts to the community through education, exhibits, scholarship, programs and community art projects. Funding for this event is in part provided by the Worcester County Arts Council, Maryland State Arts Council and the National Endowment of the Arts, organizations dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive.
