Masked Men, Women and Children at the Gulfport Arts Center

The Gulfport Arts Center wants to bring art into everyday life and for everyone to realize they can be part of creating art in Gulfport. In that spirit, the center hosted a hands-on mask making party on Oct. 15. Beginning this month, a free make-it and take-it time will be offered the third Saturday of each month.

This past Saturday people drew inspiration from about a dozen masks. They used wooden tribal masks and intricate, jeweled masks as muses for their own art work. Plus, the masks worked great as models to help the homemade masks fit.

Mask collector Pete Shepherd said he was drawn to African art because he liked the graphic and raw nature of it. Shepherd's first masks came from the Ivory Coast through a foreign exchange his family hosted.

The Gulfport Arts Center merged last year with the City of Imagination. Tucked between the dog parks on 54th Street South, the center offers classes and programs. The building has had some upgrades since 2010 including: air conditioning, track lighting, acoustic panels to absorb sound, and art strips for hanging works, said Marlene Shaw, President of the City of Imagination.

November's third Saturday program will give free pet photography tips. Plus, provide people the opportunity for a professional pet photo for a fee. December's program, just in time for the holidays, will offer an ornament exchange.