The Bristol Art Museum and Rogers Free Library are displaying a new juried community exhibit, “Knock on Wood,” through the month of October in the Community Galleries of the library. The unique exhibit showcases the work of artists who explore the themes of the eerie, the lucky, and the uncanny, drawing inspiration from the shadowy realms between light and dark, reality and illusion. Printmaker and painter Stephen Fisher served as the juror.

The exhibit’s title draws upon the haunting words of The Raven, written by one-time Providence resident Edgar Allan Poe: “But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, That I scarce was sure I heard you—here I opened wide the door; — Darkness there and nothing more.”

“A collaboration such as Knock on Wood showcases the depth of creativity in our community and engages the cultural spirit of the Rogers Free Library,” said Amy Carreiro, museum member and co-coordinator of the library’s exhibits. “Through this exhibit, the library will share with the community the various interpretations of the themes of mystery, luck, and the unknown. Each piece invites viewers to step beyond the ordinary and experience something truly imaginative.”

“As a long-time art educator, I come with a strong formalist bias,” said Fisher. “Design fundamentals and mastery of medium figure strongly in my decisions. I am unapologetically seduced by the evocative power of light. I naturally favor the poetic and the well-crafted. I am particularly taken with the haunting noir quality of the black and white photography included in this exhibition.”

Artwork selected by the juror for awards include:

• First place: Bonnie Jaffe, photo, Still
• Second place: Marc Jaffe, photo, Fractured Self
• Third place, Lisa Bergeron, photo, Where Darkness Dwells

Honorable Mentions were awarded to:

• Kimberly Arthurs, cyanotype, Dreaming of Crows on a Super Blue Moon
• Robin Hogg, acrylic painting, Shoebill Stork

“The top three awards reflect my favorites. The space, the light, and a quietly eerie foreboding edge to the imagery resonate with me,” said Fisher. “On a different note, I also want to specifically recognize a beautifully crafted, elegant talisman as well as the bravura painterly rendition of a bird with serious attitude.”

Fisher, the juror, is a professor of Art at Rhode Island College and renowned for his expertise in printmaking and drawing.