The 35th annual Mississippi Artist Exhibit, hosted by the Vicksburg Art Association will kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday with a reception at the Old Constitution Firehouse Gallery at the corner of Main and Openwood streets.

More than 85 pieces of art have been submitted for the adjudicated show.

“I was impressed with the turnout,” co-chairman of the fall show, Mollie Glass said. “We have 35 artists that have submitted artwork for this year’s show and each artist was allowed to enter up to three pieces.”

The VAA sponsors art shows throughout the year, and this is the group’s annual fall show.

“To enter artwork in the show you have to be a current member of the VAA. Our memberships runs from Sept.1 to Aug. 30 each year, so most artists renew their membership when entering their artwork for the fall show so that they are eligible to participate. There are no requirements to be a member of the VAA other than paying your annual membership fee at whatever level you choose,” Glass said.

In addition to entering the adjudicated show, artists must also agree to place their artwork up for sale.

They are allowed to assign their own price, but 20 percent of the proceeds will go to the VAA, Glass said.

At 6 p.m., prior to Saturday’s reception, VAA patrons and purchase award sponsors will get first dibs at purchasing the artwork, Glass said,

All remaining pieces will be available to the public for the rest of the evening and until the end of the show, which runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 16 through 18.

Adjudication will take place Saturday morning, and the judge for the show will be DeAnna Douglas.

Douglas, was born in Illinois, but raised on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, where she received her B.F.A. in graphic design from the University of Southern Mississippi and an M.F.A. in design from the University of Mississippi. Her work has been in more than 94 national juried exhibitions since 1973 with work being shown at museums and galleries including the Bibliothéque Nationale in Paris, National Museum of Umbria, Italy, the Paris City Hall, France, the Tampa Museum of Art, the Montgomery Art Center in West Palm Beach and the Lancaster Museum in Lancaster, California.

Douglas is presently a professor of art and design and at the University of Southern Mississippi where she has taught for the past 19 years.

First second and third place ribbons will be awarded along with an honorable mention and best in show, Glass said.

A brown bag lunch is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday at the gallery and Ann Biedenharn Jones will be the featured artist. For more information, call 601-638-9221 or email mglass@maycpa.com.