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GREENSBORO - She's only 18 months old, but Nicole Walker's daughter had no difficulty picking her favorite artist from among the 26 who exhibited at the African American Atelier's 18th Founding Members Invitational Show on Sunday.

The little girl's interest - reaching tiny, pink-sleeved arms toward a set of three panels by LeAnder Canady - drew Walker's attention. She wheeled the stroller over for a closer look. Walker found herself agreeing with her daughter.

"I like to be challenged, so definitely, these are my favorite," Walker said.

The panels were "scratchboard" pieces where an image - in this case, male forms - is formed by a black substance being scratched off its white base.

Walker attends every exhibit at the Atelier to expose her children to art and because she likes the feeling of casual community with the other people who attend.

"We were in the elevator and we bumped into the mayor," Walker said.

The exhibit marked the atelier's 18th year and kicked off the city's 22nd Annual African American Arts Festival.

Mayor Yvonne Johnson characterized this year as the gallery's first year of adulthood in remarks greeting those attending the event.

"You're at adulthood now," Johnson said, "so we only expect greater and more extraordinary things."

Alma Adams, co-founder and curator of the Atelier, said in its 18 years the gallery has become larger and more diverse and provides more services to the area.

The Founding Members Invitational Show started as a low-budget affair displaying the work of the six founders, said Adams, a Bennett College art professor and a Guilford County state representative.

This year the show included 26 artists.

"When we started, we just wanted a place where we could bring some visibility to some artists," Adams said. "We have expanded our knowledge base, our vision; we have just expanded our circle."

The founding members show runs through Feb. 28 at the
Cultural Arts Center at 200 N. Davie St. in Greensboro. The African American Arts Festival runs through March 31. The events are free. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Contact Sonja Elmquist at 373-7090 or sonja.elmquist@news-record.com