It's that time again when the art professors at Northwest Missouri State University get to strut their stuff. The once-a-year event allows students to see what all the instruction is all about and gives the community an opportunity to view work that normally is shipped off to exhibits around the country.

"We have some remarkably good artists here with national reputations," says Anthony Brown, Northwest's news bureau manager. "People think of us as a teaching and business school, so you don't expect us to have a top-line art program, but we do."

The Department of Art Faculty Exhibit opens Jan. 12 and runs through Jan. 30. In general, the art displayed represents the media area that each faculty member teaches, Mr. Brown says. So in any given show visitors might see painting, large or small sculpture, graphic design, print making, paper or fiber art, assemblage, ceramics, photography, drawing or digital media. And although there is some continuity, visitors can expect to see something different every year.

"We have a great faculty and a productive faculty," says Phil Laber, professor of fine arts. "So that means annually there is a fair amount of change that occurs in one person's work. They are very exploratory."

A case in point, Mr. Laber teaches photography, print making and drawing and has won awards for his large-scale drawings and etchings. But for this exhibit, he's breaking new ground with prints he's made using traditional engravings and printed on top of digital prints.

"It's combining 500-year-old technology with new stuff," he says.

The exhibit will be held in the DeLuce Gallery on the Northwest campus in Maryville. The hours are 6 to 9 p.m. on Monday; 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. A reception will be held at 7 p.m. on Jan. 26. Although the purpose of the exhibit is for education, most of the works may be purchased by contacting the artist directly. For more information, call (660) 562-1323.