Linda Jacobson gets most excited about the younger visitors to the Keizer Art Association.

"It's great to see a high school students walk through the door and they've just started taking their first steps into the world of art. They want to know how to get their art into a gallery, how to price it, and all of those things that aren't taught in most art classes," said Jacobson, KAA vice president and a textile and mixed media artist. “Helping them through that process is incredibly rewarding.”

Established in 1977, KAA recently got a shot in the arm with former president Jonathan Boys who shook things up and gave the group a sense of youthfulness that had been missing for several years. Robert Selby, Boys’ successor as president, is hoping to capitalize on the energy of the crowd Boys attracted to the longtime Keizer institution.

“We want to continue our strong slate of community education courses, but we want to broaden it and seek out partnerships with the local schools to find the ways we can help inspire interest in the arts early on,” said Selby, a graphic designer and glasswork artist.

A recently-completed course, “Rhythms of the Stone,” focused on the intricacies of stone sculpture.

“It was incredible to watch the course unfold,” said Jacobson. “I found myself going back to the studio again and again just to see how it was progressing, said Jacobson.

KAA organizers are gearing up for the annual Back, White and Gray Show that features work from artists throughout the state in the colors of the show title. Entries for the November show are still being accepted and a full prospectus is available online at www.keizerarts.org.

Early next year, the association hosts the first Mayor’s Invitational, a show from which city leaders select a single piece for purchase to be permanently housed in the new Keizer City Hall.

“This is a vital group committed to creating a strong artistic presence in Keizer and the larger community. Art is an important part of every life,” Selby said.

Jacobson said the association’s group of about 110 is ready and eager to see KAA grow.

“It’s so much more than just a group of artists,” said Jacobson. “We’ve got the gallery, a small retail shop with reasonably-priced items, and a lot of access points for anyone hoping to try something new.”

Keizer Art Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.