FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The Eastern Shore Art Center, 401 Oak Ave. in Fairhope, will debut its August exhibits on Aug. 6, from 6-8 p.m., during First Friday ArtWalk.

•“Permutations in Clay,” artwork by Maria Spies, will be on display through Aug. 28.

Use of a unique firing technique, Saggar Firing, will be a part of Spies’ exhibit.

With this method, each vessel is thrown using the pottery wheel. It is burnished and wrapped in salted hay, then the piece is fired slowly in Spies' gas kiln.

The purity of the porcelain use in the Saggar technique brightens and enhances the natural colors. It also leaves a beautiful sheen on the surface of the Saggar-fired pot.

•“A River Runs Through It” runs through Sept. 25.

This exhibit is an environmental project that portrays the rivers of Alabama and how these are all connected and lead into our very own Mobile Bay.

Initially, the project was designed to capture the rivers and themes of clean water and environmental protection across the state. Students were to illustrate animals, birds, flowers, trees, lizards and fish that depend on the waters of our state.

Now with the oil spill coming ashore, other visuals were added to show all the creatures of the sea they wish they could rescue from the oil.

This project is supported by the Alabama Arts License Tag Grant Program.

•“It’s A Guy Thing, artwork by William Thompson, Ron Thomson and Casey Downing, will be open to the public through Aug. 28.

The exhibit brings together for the first time three of the area’s most revered visual artists: painters William “Bill” Thompson and Ron Thomson; and sculpture artist Casey Downing.

For more information about the exhibits, or to learn more about the Eastern Shore Art Center, call (251) 928-2228.