Artists from all over the United States, Canada, Australia, and Wales will have their work displayed in The International Society of Experimental Artists 19th Annual Juried Exhibit (ISEA) at the Forest Hills Fine Art Center June 2–29.

An experimental artist is defined by exhibit co-chair Patti Sevensma as one who plays or experiments with different approaches, while keeping good design in mind.

"Take, say watercolor, but use it in a different way, maybe straight out of the tube," Sevensma said. "Or take photography and add paint and found objects to it."

Though the idea might sound simple enough, juror Edee Joppich chose just 68 pieces to appear in the exhibit out of the 357 that were submitted. Joppich is an 11-year member of the ISEA and a working artist herself. She has been accepted into every ISEA show she has entered, which led her to become this year's juror. Joppich holds a fine art degree and also teaches and lectures. This year, she set her focus on choosing the most varied collection of works to appear together in the exhibit.

Previous years have seen the show in locations from Chicago, Wales, UK, Fort Worth, TX, and Bethlehem, PA. But even after 18 years of shows, visitors can still expect to see something new this year, including artists.

Taking part in the show for the first time is Michigan artist Christine Young, with her piece titled ENTER. A self-taught designer who spent 25 years in the industry, Young switched gears and returned to school to focus on art. She started experimenting with painting and drawing and read books by ISEA founder Maxine Masterfield in hopes of a connection.

"I was thrilled to find someone to encourage my curiosities," Young said. "I am fascinated with experimenting. When I begin painting, many of my pieces often start as a loose and open adventure."

Through ENTER, Young invites viewers into a brightly colored sacred, intimate, and provocative environment with her use of inks, watercolors, oils, and found objects.

"My work attempts to express intimate connections and universal questions," she said. "In this piece, the shoes are tossed about in an abstracted bedroom environment- fishnet stocking, scarf, and camisole impressions."

Other Michigan artists whose work appears in the show are Dianne Wolter, Wanda Anderson, Sally Martin Stewart, Debra McCormick Shaffer, Cynthia Foley, Mary Ann Beckwith, and Kathleen Conover.

The International Society of Experimental Artists 19th Annual Juried Exhibit at the Forest Hills Fine Art Center is free and runs through June 29.