MIDDLEBORO — Art created by local talent now lines the downtown streets.

At the unveiling of a public gallery on Friday, June 23, local young artists expressed how it felt to have their work on display in the center of town. The gallery is located in the downstairs windows of Peirce Block Apartments, 11 Center St., and is visible from the street.

Included among the displayed work are a collection of works from Nichols Middle School students, crocheted items by sisters Phoebe and Zoe Dora, work by aspiring animator Emarie Pantojas, and contributions from the Heart in Art program, which works to make art accessible to people with disabilities.

Pantojas has landscape artwork on display that was created digitally with the animation software Adobe AfterEffects. As a fan of animation with aspirations to enter the field, she said she created the work with the idea that it could be used in the background of an animated show or movie.

Rising Middleboro High School senior Ava Morgan drew still-life images of fruits with pops of color. She said she wanted to contribute something bright for summer.

“It’s nice to have my work seen,” she said. “I hope it makes someone’s day.”

Rising Nichols Middle School 8th grader Alison Carnes felt the same way. A fan of the beach, her displayed work is a beach scene made with her favorite mediums, watercolors and colored pencils.

Phoebe Dora, a rising 10th grader at Middleboro High School, needed a new hobby when Covid kept everyone inside, so she picked up crocheting from her mom. Her sister Zoe, a rising 11th grader at Middleboro High School, followed suit.

Zoe’s items on display are a bag with two crocheted creatures, and Phoebe’s are a Pride top, a bag, and a patchwork sweater.

“It’s great to be able to share our work,” Phoebe Dora said. She added that for both she and Zoe, it feels like a step up from having their work shared by their mom on Facebook.

Alannah Hardmon drew a clown face which is on display. A rising sixth grader about to enter Nichols Middle School, she said she wanted to commemorate how she and her best friend embrace their inner clown together.

Nina Paulin, a participant in the Heart in Art program, has six characters that she drew on display. She said she drew them digitally and that two are inspired by the game Dungeons & Dragons and that one was drawn at 3 a.m.

Heart in Art founder Melissa Oddi-Morrison said it feels great to see her students’ work on display, “especially for the kids who don’t realize how skilled they are.”

Rich Oakley, who owns the building where the gallery is hosted, wants to turn the downstairs space into a cultural center. He said he and his wife, Chelsea, are taking a step toward that end by promoting local art to complement the display across the street in the Town Hall Annex windows at 20 Center St.

Mac Sprague, whose business Mac Roofing helped sponsored the event, said that he wanted to help showcase Middleboro’s talent.

“I live in this town and I love this town,” Sprague said. “It’s so important to promote talent from within.”