With this weekend's opening of its National Juried Exhibition 2010, the Lancaster County Art Association belies its own name.

The community-minded arts organization located in Strasburg most often showcases local and sometimes regional talent.

But this exhibit will feature works from artists across the country.

"This is our 6th annual national juried show," says Carol Herr, gallery director.

"It has definitely grown each year. We've been getting things in from all over the country. We've been really pleased. It's been very well received."

The exhibit includes works in oils, watercolors, mixed media, pastels and acrylics, as well as papercutting, sculpture, photography, fiber art and more.

One artist even used wire mesh as a medium.

Katharine T. Carter, an award-winning artist in her own right and president and CEO of Katharine T. Carter Associates, juried the show, accepting 77 pieces from 449 entries.

Submissions came from as far away as Washington and Florida.

And with geographic diversity, often artistic diversity follows.

"I think with the national show we get a wider range of things, because its coming from all over the country," says Herr. "You have different styles, kind of different viewpoints from artists."

"I was also very pleased and impressed with the juror's selections. She picked a wide range of things, subject matter and style."

Variety is the catchword at the show.

Sometimes it's the subject matter that varies so much.

Nancy Palermo's large and fanciful "Saturday Night" portrays a 1950s family in the midst of a crab feast at the kitchen table.

Coke bottle glasses, baseball caps, junior working a paddle ball and a boxy television all convey a whimsical nostalgia.

Contrast that with Peter Smythe's charcoal "Apparition," a study in shades of gray depicting a nude man crouching in a near-fetal position under a table, on which sits a foreboding canine, perhaps a wolf.

James V. Freeman's "Heart of the Glen" is a stylized landscape that seems to take the viewer to a secret place deep within an enchanted wood.

In contrast, Madelaine Gray's photograph "Lavender Field and Tree" takes the viewer to a real, albeit beautiful place, with its rolling, ribbonlike field of purple, topped off with a sun-soaked tree.

Variety is also found in the mediums chosen.

Those intrigued by the art of scherenschnitte shouldn't miss Mary Graynier's "How Many Does It Take To Change a Light Bulb?"

Dozens of intricately cut men climb ladders, insert plugs, and reach for the lightbulb that always eludes them.

Bonnie Shanas' "The Dive" creates a remarkably life-like human torso out of wire mesh.

Nan Thompson chose hemp and botanicals to create her "Mute Poem," a handmade paper bowl with twigs.

Some pieces will surprise you.

For instance, it would be easy to mistake Katrina Mortorff's "Be The One" oil and acrylic on wood for an intricately designed quilt square.

And to find either bunny or man in Miles Halpern's boldly designed and brightly colored "Bunny Man" is a playful exercise in futility.

"The Redemption of Judas" by Sharon McGinley uses turquoises and oranges to depict what she says is the possibility that Christ redeemed Judas when he visited the underworld.

The scene features icon-like angular figures, including Adam and Eve, Jesus and Judas, and a written explanation that continues right onto the back of the work.

The exhibition opens with a reception Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m., during which Carter will return to select the winners and awards will be presented.

Many artists will be present, Herr says.

If folks can't make the opening, the association will host a Summer Evening Social on June 18 from 7 to 8:30, during which visitors can enjoy refreshments and learn about the show and the jurying process.

But art lovers can stop by anytime to see the exhibit, which runs through July 22.

"It's a wonderful opportunity here in Lancaster to see a national show," says Herr.

"We're the only gallery around that hosts a national juried show. I think a lot of people don't know about it so we want to get the word out."

National Juried Exhibition 2010

Opening reception, Sun. 1-5 p.m.

Cont. through July 22

Wed.-Sun. 1-5 p.m. Free

149 Precision Ave., Strasburg

687-7061. www.lcaaonline.org