Poetic collage, screen printing and contemporary sculpture will all be included in an art exhibition opening Friday at Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St.

The downtown gallery will feature work from local artists Skip Hill and Curtis Jones, as well as sculptures from Los Angeles-based artist Xvala. The exhibit will run Friday through Nov. 29.

Christian Pitt, Mainsite managing director and curator, said the gallery has provided opportunities for artists to showcase their work for almost 10 years.

“Our primary focus is to provide contemporary art to Oklahoma,” she said. “We show both local and national artists, and international artists when we can.”

Skip Hill, a former fine arts student at OU, will exhibit collage-based art that mixes language and text from around the world.

Hill said his art is heavily influenced by his travels and studies.

“I’ve lived in Oklahoma off-and-on since I was 12 and I’ve traveled a lot,” he said. “I’ve lived primarily in Europe and I’ve also lived in Bangkok, Thailand. When I came back to the States I kinda drifted around before I decided to go back to school, and I was here in Oklahoma at the time so I went to OU.”

Hill said he incorporates text from across the globe because of an admiration for the poetic feel that language can instill in a person.

“My main technique is collage and language,” he said. “My influences are just as much African as they are Asian, and I enjoy art history so I make a lot of references to art history in my work. It’s always amazing when I run into someone that recognizes their language in the work. It’s not necessarily important that you understand every language. Just the visual appeal of the different languages enhances the appreciation of other cultures.”

OU printmaking professor Curtis Jones will also have works featured in the upcoming exhibit. His installations include combinations of ink, watercolors and printing.

Jones said that while he is passionate about his career, he wants students to understand the commitment required for pursuing art as a degree.

“It’s not an applied degree,” he said. “You’re not necessarily gonna have a job waiting for you when you get out. It’s something that takes a lot of patience and figuring out as you go. You never know when an opportunity is going to come up and you always have to be open to it.”

Los Angeles artist Xvala will have contemporary sculptures featured in Mainsite’s library and project room.

The exhibition’s opening reception is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday.

Mainsite Contemporary Art is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. For more information on the gallery, visit http://mainsite-art.com/ or call 292-8095.