Hope Werness, an arts professor at California State University, Stanislaus and an artist specializing in works that represent the wry and humorous, is exhibiting her latest collection at the First Street Gallery.

“Hope Werness: The House Of …” exhibit is showcasing her collection of houses. She uses items found, collected and made to assemble her homes, including postage stamps, Scrabble tiles, and fishing lures. She also has included representations of the homes of famous writers and artists.

The entire collection ranges from the literal to the conceptual and feature ceramics, collages and mixed media.

Werness describes herself as “a bit of a magpie,” who “loves shiny things, old stuff, with wryly humorous art historical references.”

The First Street Gallery will hold an opening reception for Werness from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at the gallery.

The First Street Gallery is located at 226 N. First Street. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. The gallery is closed on Sundays.

To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.