July 22 through August 27, Gallery West presents a summer art show full of art great and small, by artists famed the world over and in your neighborhood. Located at 134 State Street in West Columbia, Gallery West’s “Treasures and Trifles” is an opportunity to discover a minor masterpiece from an earlier century, or a beautiful recent work by one of this city’s promising contemporary artists. In honor of how hot it is this summer, patrons will be allowed to make offers on select works with no reasonable offer refused. Now, that’s hot!

All are welcome to attend a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception in the gallery on Friday, July 22, 5:00-8:00 PM.

Have you heard of Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock? Of course you have. The South produced only a couple of artists who participated in Abstract Expressionism in the 1950s, and Warren Brandt is one. This show includes a 1954 painting of a boy reading, though the boy is lost in patches of pure color. Another exuberant 1950s painting is by James Tucker, a North Carolina artists also known for cool, hard-edged images of Hilton Head—find one of those here, too!

Along with paintings, “Treasures” includes fine examples of work by some of America’s best-known printmakers. There is Rockwell Kent’s iconic “Flame,” as well as a majestic figure by Reynold Weidenaar. European printmakers Eric Gill and Henri Fantin-Latour are also on the wall.

Among the contemporary art in “Treasures” are paintings and drawings by Tyrone Geter, Will South, Mackey Bane, Janet Oliver, Maryanna Williams and Pauline Majoli. And there are plenty of works of art by lesser-known and completely unknown artists, little gems of creativity that call out for a good home. Who knows—one person’s “trifle” is another person’s “treasure”! Come and decide for yourself at one of Columbia’s most surprising art shows of the summer, at Gallery West.