The exhibition-opening reception is from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3 at Amarillo College’s Downtown Campus, 1314 S. Polk St., where the artwork will be on display through Nov. 11.

The event coincides with an open house at the Downtown Campus, an added attraction to which the public also is invited.

Apple of My Eye is a collaboration between AC’s School of Creative Arts and the Continuing Education Division. In August, these partners invited Panhandle-area artists to submit two-dimensional works featuring APPLES as the subject or symbol.

Judges viewed 51 submissions from 28 artists and selected 33 pieces of art for the exhibition – everything from paintings and photography to digital art and inks.

Cash prizes for the top three entries and one honorable mention will be announced at 6 p.m. Each item in the exhibition will be priced for sale, and a portion of the proceeds will go to support AC’s Food Pantry and the Mardy Lemmons scholarship fund for AC students.

“Because it is our first attempt at a competition of this nature, we really had no idea what to expect,” said Victoria Taylor-Gore, dean of AC’s School of Creative Arts. “The submissions far exceeded our expectations.

“The artwork ranges from very graphic abstracts to detailed representational works,” she said. “The jurors were so pleased that they insisted on adding an honorable mention award that was not part of the original plan. I think people are going to be wowed by this exhibition."

Apple of My Eye is co-sponsored by Center City Amarillo and Panhandle PBS, which plans to do a feature story about the artist who captures the $500 first-place prize.

How do you like them apples?