Got art? If so, it's likely you know every nook and cranny of Gallery Row on Prince Street in downtown Lancaster.

But sometimes it pays to wander off the beaten path — in this case to West Chestnut Street, the location of DogStar Books & Gallery.

Beginning today, the used book store will give collectors a chance to sift through some rare items that have been out of circulation for years.

DogStar's proprietor, Brain Frailey, said this batch of must-see art came to him via a pair of local collectors.

"Charles Tandy and Catherine Morrison have been buyers at several DogStar exhibits," he said. "And they are well known among Lancaster's gallery owners and artists.

"Not too long ago, they came in with a lot of books for us, and they told me about their pending move to Baltimore," Frailey said. "We got to talking about how they needed to downsize their collection of art. More or less on a whim, I suggested we hang the pieces in the store."

The exhibit, "From Our House to Yours" will open with a reception today from 5 to 9 p.m. The art will be displayed through June 28.

Frailey pointed out that Morrison and Tandy have "excellent taste" and have accumulated a large collection of art over the course of 20 years.

You can expect work from local and not-so-local artists.

There will be paintings by Greg Dean (co-founder of the former Troupe & Co. art gallery on Prince Street), as well as Jeff Geib's spot-on portraits ("Charles Darwin" and "Copernicus.").

There also are compelling photographs by Bruce Fry and the bold work of local art educator Tina Zavitsanos.

Out-of-towners featured in the show include mixed-media artist Cat Schwenk of Maine, Lisa Burge of New Mexico and Canadian Claude Guertin.

"When I talk to customers and artists, they often mention the lack of a proper secondary market for art in Lancaster — both local and extra-local," Frailey said. "So, I'd like to think DogStar can help with that a bit.

"This show was put together quickly," he said. "I hoped to make better plans — but I think (Tandy and Morrison) have exceptionally good taste and hope that it is the first of future events."

And there are worse places to browse for art than the nifty used book store that once housed the former Scared Heart Academy.

The store's selection of books is eclectic in the best possible way. You can find tomes like "Book of the Damned" by Charles Fort, a rare edition of Jon Milton's "Paradise Lost" and the published diary of erotica writer Anaïs Nin.

Those who still have great affection for vinyl can find records by the infamous Princeton Triangle Club and a "Lolita" album on which writer Vladmir Nabokov reads poetry.

 On Wednesday, Frailey said he was still working out some of the details for today's reception, though he said shoppers can keep updated by visiting www.dogstarbooks.com.

"Charles and Catherine will be here," Frailey said. "Their focus in collecting has been very personal and they have a lot to offer in regard to the background information of the artists and work that they have bought over the years."

In a statement, Morrison wrote that parting with her beloved art is bittersweet — though she revels in passing on the stories behind each piece.

"Each time I look at a piece that holds a story my eye takes in the work while my mind recounts the story," she wrote. "Assembling the pieces for this show brought back lots of memories."

From Our House to Yours, exhibition from the art collections of Charles Tandy and Catherine Morrison, reception today 5-8:30 p.m., featuring live jazz guitar by Matt Underhill and a reading by Lancaster poet Jeff Rath, Dogstar Books and Gallery, 529 W. Chestnut St., free, 823-6605.

E-mail: cdifonzo@lnpnews.com