The mission of Baton Rouge Gallery - center for contemporary art ("BRG") is to advance local and national contemporary artists while engaging Louisiana's capital city through unique cultural programming. What began in the mid-1960s as an artist cooperative of eight artists has become a central fixture of Baton Rouge's arts community and home to 60 artist members who explore a vast array of subject matter through many different media. Today the organization - thanks to its donors, members, and a 30+ year partnership with BREC (the Parks & Recreation Commission of East Baton Rouge) - provides experiences with contemporary art for more than 18,000 visitors annually. Every month, the gallery offers a new exhibition, typically featuring three to four Louisiana-based artists. These exhibitions are open to the public, free of charge, during gallery hours (Tue-Sun, 12 - 6p.m.). They are also accentuated by the popular 'First Wednesday' Opening Receptions and ARTiculate Artist Talk series. In addition to monthly exhibitions of work by its artist members, the gallery also hosts special juried exhibitions in January and April annually. In January, the gallery opens its walls up to artists the world over for Surreal Salon, an international juried exhibition focused on pop-surrealist and lowbrow art. Meanwhile, each April, the gallery spotlights the work being done by artists in high school classrooms across East Baton Rouge Parish with The REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCE. To learn more about these and other BRG programs/offerings, visit batonrougegallery.org.