The brainchild of Brad Libenson, Sights Unscene is an eclectic collaboration of several local artists. The current exhibit incorporates diverse media, including his own coastal photography, the watercolors of Erin McFarland, oils from an artist who goes by "Ande" and from Kelly Jo Shows, paintings by Marshall Carbee and a handful of interesting pottery by Patrick Frazer.

It's an unassuming, small space for such story-ful art. On the right wall when you first walk in, there's a collection of tiny square canvases displayed in checkerboard style, each creating its own story. They are some of the 86 squares by Kelly Jo Shows, a Berwick artist whose influences include the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, whom she's depicted here in a life-like oil portrait. She utilizes the total surface space of each canvas, curving some of the creations around to the sides. Roosters, dogs, goldfish, hands, faces, flowers, boats and skeletons all parade among the squares, begging a second look. It seems each time that you see something different that wasn't there before. This is the magic of Shows' work: simple yet bold, obvious yet elusive.

On the wall on the left are the coastal photographs by Libenson, purple and blue, soft and stark. One piece stands out from the rest, a golden, glistening image of a vessel's journey home, seen from the bank of a river behind a leafless tree. The contrast is so unreal it seems to be an ink drawing rather than a photograph. Most of these pictures were taken in the Pacific Northwest, before Libenson came to New England. A family practitioner, his private office in Berwick previously served as a temporary gallery for his passion. Now that he has the opportunity to display his work and encourage other local artists to share their work, his dream of becoming part of the art community on the Seacoast has come to life.

For Erin McFarland, managing the gallery enables her to show the dozens of watercolors she has produced over the last few years. Her work has a strong feministic allure and maternal subject matter, yet her style is reminiscent of Gustav Klimt, with over-proportioned eyes and tilted heads on goddess-like female figures. The most interesting detail in the final product is the presence of math in her work. Actual equations and other phrases create the backdrop for her features.

The two largest canvases on display were dark and intimidating, unlike the open friendly demeanor of Ande, another Berwick artist. He said his influences include Picasso, Dali and Geiger, which can be seen in his use of swirling lines, dark muted color and anatomically puzzling positions. The pop-culture graffiti style of his self-portrait stood out against the impressionistic oil paintings in McFarland's collection set next to his.

Brad Libenson's hope for the gallery is that it will be self-sustaining through the support of the frame shop he has incorporated within. He hopes also to show some other local artists' work. The gallery has actually been open since February, but he decided to have a formal opening to create local interest. This current bright display will be on exhibit in downtown Dover at 5A Broadway Street through May.