As a former professor at Lycoming College and a longtime artist in the area, Roger Shipley is well-known amongst art lovers in the region for his use of wide-ranging mediums.

Now Shipley, who creates sculptures, drawings, oil paintings, prints and watercolors, will be putting works on display for his “Nature’s Complexities” exhibit at Gallery 425, 425 Market St., from Wednesday until Oct. 3. The official opening for the exhibit, which Shipley will be in attendance for, is being held from 6 to 9 p.m. during First Friday.

“Roger is one of our long-term artists and he is a very exciting artist because he works in so many mediums,” said Judy Olinsky, gallery owner and curator. “He is also one of our natural artists, and he does a lot of different things with land. Those are all exciting things for the people who live here.

“This is my third gallery I have shown of his work over the years,” she added. “I particularly have liked the beautiful seascapes he does with oils over the last few years. They are really very beautiful.”

Olinsky said that she isn’t sure which mediums Shipley plans to put on display for the “Nature’s Complexities” exhibit, as she trusts him enough to pick out the right pieces to fit her gallery.

“He is such a professional artist that I sort of do whatever he wants,” she said. “He doesn’t need to run it by me first.

“Roger will make the selections for this and I will be a surprised as you are,” added Olinsky.

Shipley is expected to fill two of the three rooms at the gallery. Since Gallery 425 has smaller walls than most other galleries, as it was converted from an office space, its exhibits often times feel more intimate. That will likely be the case with Shipley’s exhibit, too.

“This gallery shows art more like the way we live with art,” Olinsky said.

Shipley is expected to bring somewhere between 15 to 20 works to his exhibit.

Olinsky, who has worked for decades to help raise community interest in the arts, is happy that Gallery 425 is able to help showcase the talents of a staple in the local arts community like Shipley. It is because of the efforts area artists like him, that downtown Williamsport has enjoyed the renaissance that it has over recent years, she said.

“I love art and I feel that it makes our lives better in so many different ways, so it really is an incredible pleasure to bring art to the community and have them appreciate it as much as they do,” she said. “One of the things I think we have been really successful with, is that Williamsport has become a place where young people really like art and that is so gratifying.

“The younger people really like the way the city has developed its cultural life — that is really important to them,” she added. “That is very, very exciting.”