Valerie Patterson is pictured with one of her paintings that will be on exhibit at the Crary Art Gallery.

Two exhibitions will open at the Crary Art Gallery on Saturday, Aug. 5, and continue until Sunday, Sept. 3.

The opening begins at 3 p.m. and one of the artists, Charles Guay, will speak at 4 p.m. The large watercolor paintings of Valerie Patterson in “Art to Start the Conversation” and Guay’s small oil paintings in “Little Somethings” are two contrasting displays that gallery officials said will inspire deep thoughts and spark conversations one wouldn’t normally have with friends over coffee.

Being an excruciatingly shy child, Valerie Patterson was encouraged in her artwork by a junior high school teacher. She knew she could not communicate effectively face-to-face and she discovered that visual arts gave her a voice.

Listening to her inner voice led her to create images that were meaningful to her and she began to focus on socially and politically themed work.

“Because of the reactions of others to this new work, I immediately realized the tremendous power that images have to make people comfortable or uncomfortable, joyful or disconsolate, settled or unsettled,” she said.

So, during the late 1990s, Patterson consciously decided to use her voice to encourage people to see, think, feel and experience their emotions through her paintings.

The concept of creating “art to start the conversation” evolved over several years as Patterson was influenced and inspired by divisions between people, social, political and personal events, experiences and ideas.

“I believe that when we talk to one another, with open minds, we sometimes discover new and different perspectives on issues,” Patterson said. “Often, we are not as isolated and far apart as our thoughts, or the media, lead us to believe. Through open, honest conversation, we may be reminded that we are one. We are human. I hope that my work may help narrow some of the divisions between us and inspire people to become active in efforts that promote human welfare.”

Guay has a contrasting theme to his exhibition titled, “Little Somethings.” The display will show a sense of nostalgia over childhood toys.

“I have done art since before I could talk. I had always drawn, painted, built things. In grade school I decided I wanted to be an artist and have always seen myself as one,” Guay said.

The idea of painting real-life, three-dimensional, objects and toys from his childhood is something Guay had been working on before he decided to apply for an exhibition at the Crary Art Gallery. Once his application was accepted, he decided to continue with this theme.

While in grad school, the Dean of Theory told him to, “make paintings of importance.” This advice has influenced Guay in his work. Guay said he has a sense of humor he likes to express, be it in the titles of the pieces or the objects themselves. He hopes this adds a sense of levity. It is his ultimate goal that people go away with a sense of joy, levity, or happiness after looking at his work.

The opening reception for both exhibitions is from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5. The Crary Art Gallery is open to visitors from noon to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays during exhibitions. Admission is free. For more information, visit craryartgallery.org.