Pictured is a piece of art by Alex Paat that will be part of an upcoming display in the Weeks Gallery at Jamestown Community College.

The Weeks Gallery at Jamestown Community College will host an opening reception and curator’s talk for its latest exhibition, “Decipher: Beck Lowry & Alex Paat,” starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3.

The evening will feature light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a curatorial talk at 6 p.m. led by JCC’s curator-in-residence, Erika Diamond, who organized the exhibition.

“Decipher” brings together the sculptural works of artists Beck Lowry and Alex Paat, whose practices explore the challenges of understanding and interpretation. Their compositions invite audiences to decode visual languages of connection, spirituality, ritual, and transformation. The works highlight the tension between dualities such as fear and joy, the tangible and intangible, and image versus object.

The exhibition will remain on view in the Weeks Gallery through Dec. 5. The gallery is open to the public Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free.

Lowry is a mixed-media artist whose detailed wall pieces explore themes of protection, work, and family history. Their art has been shown at Yossi Milo Gallery, Morgan Lehman Gallery, Elijah Wheat Showroom, Headstone Gallery, Lyman Allyn Art Museum, Ely Center for Contemporary Art, and Delaware Contemporary.

Lowry was a 2024-25 resident at the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program and has also taken part in residencies at Interlude and Millay Arts. Their work has been featured in Artforum, New American Paintings, Maake Magazine, Art Speil, and Galerie. Pieces by Lowry are in the public collections of Southern Connecticut State College and Gateway Community College.

Based in Connecticut, Lowry holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a certificate in African studies from Smith College.

Paat has taught college-level courses, worked as a designer for Mayco Colors, and has been active at craft schools across the United States. He is a Master of Fine Arts ceramics candidate at Rochester Institute of Technology and serves as the 2024-26 student director at large on the board of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts.

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Paat earned a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Cedarville University before completing a yearlong assistantship with potter Justin Rothshank in Goshen, Indiana.

Diamond, a textile-focused artist, curator, and educator, has exhibited nationally and internationally in venues including Contemporary Craft, Dinner Gallery, Form & Concept Gallery, and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. Her work is held in the permanent collections of the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles and Ally Bank. Diamond has been awarded residencies and grants from the McColl Center, Platte Forum, UNCA STEAM Studio, Virginia Commonwealth University Arts, and the Arts & Science Council of North Carolina.

Diamond, who holds degrees from Rhode Island School of Design and Virginia Commonwealth University, serves as Associate Director of Galleries at Chautauqua Institution.

For more information about the exhibition, contact the Weeks Gallery at 716-338-1300 or visit sunyjcc.edu/Galleries.