The instructors at the Firehouse Art Center want to show the residents of Norman what they’re made of.

Through Aug. 7, the center, 444 S. Flood Ave., is displaying a faculty art show in its gallery.

“The show is works of art done by our faculty — the people that teach classes here,” said Firehouse spokeswoman Jennifer Skinner.

The exhibit includes many art mediums such as ceramic, photography, sculpture and painting.

“It’s special because people can come in and see what our teachers are capable of,” Skinner said.

Faculty member and participating artist Adam Stewart said the show is important for this reason.

“It gives you a different level of understanding of what is being offered,” Stewart said.

The faculty art show gives insight into what the teachers are doing on their own, which is important because a teacher’s style affects the classes they teach, he said.

Stewart teaches sketchbook classes at the Firehouse Art Center, offered to children ages 5 to 13. He started working at the center this year.

Stewart described his own art as mixed media with a lot of experimentation.

“I like the happy accidents,” he said.

Many of his sketchbook works are autobiographical and include new ideas he can tweak or build on in later pieces, Stewart said.

Included in the art show is Stewart’s piece called “Flight Plans,” which was made with acrylic paint on a wooden skateboard frame.

Another Firehouse Art Center teacher is Jane Lawson, who has three pieces in the show, one of which has been sold.

Lawson’s mixed media paintings in the show incorporate a lot of texture, she said.

“I look around and never see life as smooth anymore,” Lawson said. “Life is full of lumps and bumps and textures.”

This philosophy is apparent in “Three Ewes,” “Sunshine on a Rainy Day” and “Oklahoma Spring.”

Lawson also teaches a variety of classes at the art center to art enthusiasts of all ages.

“We’re really trying to raise the bar of art in Oklahoma,” she said. “It’s a wonderful team here, and we’re working hard to push the standards — our work is exciting.”

Lawson has been a faculty member at the Firehouse for about two years, but also has experience teaching in England, where she used to live, and other countries.

“The cultural diversity of those areas [where I lived] feeds into my artwork,” Lawson said.

Some of the other works in the show are Bill Boettcher’s stone carving; Elyse Bogart’s jewelry, including the humorous dog pharaoh piece titled “Sparky in Ancient Egypt IV”; Sheila Hunter’s ceramic dessert pieces; and Janey Crain’s mixed media and ceramic pieces called the “Silent Spring Series,” named after environmentalist Rachel Carson’s book.

The show also features pieces from nearly 20 other artists.

The faculty art show is free and open to the public 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday through Aug. 7.