FAIRHOPE, Ala. — “On the way over here, I saw something and made a quick U-turn,” Fairhope artist Bruce Larsen said Monday. “I got it. It was the base of an old fan. If you tell yourself you’ll come back for it later, when you get there, it’s gone.”

Larsen was at the Eastern Shore Art Center this week to help move some of his sculptures — like one that looks like a great blue heron made from driftwood with a rusted saw for its long beak — from one gallery to another.

The exhibit, “Brothers,” was a collaborative project with Alabama artist Charlie Lucas, and was inspired by the writings of students in local writer Suzanne Hudson’s creative writing class at Fairhope Middle School.

That show, together with the African American Artists show on display during February, have been extended for two more months.

“We haven’t held over a show in 10 years,” said Rebecca Webb, ESAC marketing director. “We’re really excited about them. I think you can tell by our enthusiasm why we kept them over.”

The African-American Artists exhibit had been in ESAC’s main gallery and the “Brothers” show in another gallery upstairs.

Larsen and ESAC staff were combining the two shows Monday in the large open two-story Courtyard Gallery.

“This is what goes on behind the scenes of putting together a show,” Webb said. “It takes a lot of hands.”

“And a lot of flexibility,” added Nancy Raia, ESAC Artists Bridging Creativity director.

Raia helped facilitate the collaboration between Larsen and Lucas one day not long ago when they were both at the art center.

“We’d been like ships passing in the night,” Larsen said. “We’d always talked about doing a show together.”

Raia read them some writings that day by students who had written short pieces inspired by the work of the two artists that had earlier been on display at the art center.

“Charlie put his hand on his chest and said ‘They get it,’” Raia said of that day. “He was so awed by it. They were both amazed at the details that the writers picked up on.”

That led to Raia and Larsen traveling in January to Pink Lily, Lucas’ farm near Prattville, for a collaborative project that would become the “Brothers” exhibit.

During that trip, Raia said she read aloud from the students’ writings and the two artists would find pieces of metal and other objects and start creating.

“Charlie made several right in front of my eyes,” she said.

The “Brothers” and the African-American Artists shows have an opening reception during the First Friday ArtWalk, from 6-8 p.m., March 7.

“We’ve had people coming in constantly asking about both shows,” Raia said. “What’ s really unique about the African-American Artists show …” “is that it’s the largest show of African-American icons in the area,” said Fairhope artist B.J. Cooper, finishing Raia’s sentence. “All these people are giants. It’s an awesome collection.”

Cooper said she moved to Fairhope a couple years ago.

“I wanted some of the artists that I was familiar with but couldn’t find them,” she said. “I planted that seed with the staff here. Last October, Robin (Fitzhugh, ESAC director) said it was a go.”

Some of the works by artists represented at the show are from private collections. Also it includes art by many artists whose works have become internationally known.

“Many of these artists had hard lives,” Cooper said. “But they use vibrant tones. Their art gave them joy.”

She said that art, with its colors and the joy it expresses, are some of the reasons why so many have turned out for the shows.

“People come in, look at the work, and go … ah,” she said. “They leave out happy.”