Submitted Photos “Gossamer” and “The Vitruvian Woman” by Jamie Azevedo are two pieces that will be on display starting June 28 at the walter Piehl Gallery in the lower level of the Gordon B. Olson Library at Minot State University.

Summer exhibits at the Northwest Arts Center showcase art with a female perspective, with photographs by Williston artist Jamie Azevedo plus a selection of 25 works by women represented in the Minot State University Permanent Art Collection. The exhibits will hang in the Walter Piehl Gallery in the lower level of the Gordon B. Olson Library.

The group exhibit, “Women’s Point of View,” will open June 18 with Azevedo’s solo offering, “The Female Gaze,” opening June 28 with a public reception with the artist from 4:30-6 p.m. Both exhibits run through August 3.

“Women’s Point of View” ranges greatly in medium and style, but is unified by groupings of common themes: portraits, scenes from nature, pop art, and abstract works.

“The MSU Art Department began a focused effort to develop a Permanent Art Collection in the early 1970’s,” said Northwest Arts Center Director Avis Veikley, “and the center now manages a collection of over 1,000 pieces. Works from the collection are used as a teaching resource, are displayed in offices around campus, and are occasionally toured to other galleries.”

Acquisition dates for the works in the current exhibit range from 1971 to 2017.

Jamie Azevedo’s “The Female Gaze” treats viewers to whispy, ephemeral images of the female form in motion.

“I hope these portraits remind you that we are resilient, creative energies capable of brilliance, transcendence, and grace,” writes Azevedo.

Azevedo says her work “explores what it feels like to inhabit the female form. All of us are wrapped up in fragile bodies subjected to abuse and annihilation. But we also possess creative minds which can empower and enlighten others.”

“As we females stand on the shoulders of the countless brave women who have helped pave the path towards our own insight and successes, let us remember that we are much more than our bodies. And we will not be contained,” states Azevedo.

For each piece sold from the exhibit, the artist will contribute $50 to an educational scholarship through the Williston State College Foundation to assist in funding a young woman’s studies.

Azevedo grew up in rural North Carolina. Her work has been shown in galleries throughout the United States. Currently, she lives North Dakota with her husband and chocolate lab, ZuZu.

The exhibits and reception are free and open to the public.