Expect the unexpected from Danforth's 'Community of Artists'

Most visitors go to museums to look at art.   Leslie Hammond knew she was seeing something special when “Giulio’s Eyes, 2’’ looked back at her at the Danforth Museum and School of Art.

“It’s like a mosaic, maybe from the Mediterranean or Italy,’’ said the nurse practitioner from Woburn, approaching the striking pointillist image of gazing, multi-colored eyes by Nina Fletcher of Essex. She stopped just in front of it and did a double take. “It’s buttons. Thousands of buttons. All different.’’

Several visitors cited similar surprises, excitement, even amazement on viewing “Community of Artists,’’ a deeply satisfying exhibition juried by Danforth Director Katherine French into subtly cohesive groupings within four differently sized galleries that tantalize the eyes and senses in singular ways.

“I am just amazed at the variety, imagination and real talent of the art I’m seeing here,’’ said first time visitor Mary Hoffmann of Arlington. “I didn’t know what to expect. It’s exciting and fun to be surprised.’’

Visitors can see 153 works by 136 artists in varied media, including numerous pieces by local artists, ranging from traditionally realistic paintings and photos to abstract images in both genres all the way to several striking boundary-busting sculptures and installations.

French chose the works in “Community of Artists’’ from more than 1,200 works submitted by more than 400 artists for the companion exhibit, “Off the Wall,’’ which was juried by Cody Hartley, of the Museum of Fine Arts.

“In no way are the works in (Community of Artists) second tier. I looked at everything with a fresh eye,’’ said French. “There is a range and breadth in this show that reveals the technical expertise of members who submitted works.’’

While Hartley broadly chose works that explored the connections between people and places, French said she chose work that “explores the vision of a growing number of diverse artists’’ who are Danforth members.

Organizing the show, French placed by hand individual works throughout the galleries to “create conversations’’ among pieces in widely varying media that shared — or revealed contrasting — themes, imagery or styles.

“Today’s artists challenge the viewer to look beyond mere categories to consider the work itself,’’ she said.

Like decoding the Rosetta Stone, part of this show’s fun is trying to decipher French’s reasons for showing works in groupings within the separate galleries.

Many visitors will enter the exhibit through the smaller Landman Gallery which usually holds works by African-American sculptress Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller who lived in Framingham.