Woodturner Jack Brown of Middlesex Township will demonstrate the making of these Spin Tops on his lathe during the opening reception Friday evening for the next exhibit at the Art Center, 344 S. Main St.

Jack Brown of Middlesex Township will provide a wood turning demonstration during the opening reception Friday night of the new exhibit at The Art Center, 344 S. Main St.

The Associated Artists of Butler County are hosting the "South Beach Art Exhibit" opening from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday. Caribbean music is planned. Light refreshments will be served.

Art entries include paintings and photography celebrating the "South Beach" theme, namely surf and sand, palm trees and art deco hotels, and Caribbean culture and music.

Brown has been active with the Turners Anonymous of Pittsburgh and the Indiana County Woodturners Association.

He is a member of the American Association of Woodturners and has exhibited at the galleries of the group's symposiums held in various cities, including in Orlando, Fla., in 2004. He has also exhibited with the Society for Contemporary Crafts in Pittsburgh.

During the demonstration Friday, he will be using spindle and skew gouges and, to add texture, a chatter tool. To add color to the work, magic markers are used.

He will demonstrate the making of little finger tops that are used as toys and Christmas ornaments.

To go along with the "South Beach" exhibit, The Art Center was to be the site of a social and networking party planned by the Butler County Young Professionals, but that gathering had to be canceled.

The next show at The Art Center will be the annual Nature & Wildlife Exhibit, opening Sept. 11.

Center admission is free. Regular gallery hours are noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon to 9 p.m. Fridays, and noon to 6 p.m. Saturdays.

Call 724-283-6922 or visit the Web site, www.TheArtCenterButlerPA.org.