Image by Leslie HintonImage by 20090523-claytharsis.jpg Yes, the show has paintings, but it also has more unusual pieces.

Charleston's certainly not lacking in any arts opportunities this weekend, but Jeffrey Day's preview of a solo exhibition in Columbia really caught my eye.

The show is a solo exhibition by Leslie Hinton titled "Claytharsis."

Here's a taste of Day's review:

When you enter Leslie Hinton's exhibition you really do ENTER it. The barrage of colorful, crazy stuff stuffed into Gallery 80808 embraces the visitor, although some of these funky creatures stacked on the floors and dripping off the walls have sharper fingernails than you'd think.

Intriguing stuff, go check out the whole piece.

And here's a bit more about the artist and show from Gallery 80808:

Leslie Hinton as spent the last three years as a Master of Fine Arts candidate at the University of South Carolina. Her major focus has been in ceramics with a minor in printmaking. Claytharsis represents her final thesis and has been compiled over the last two semesters. This terminal project provided Hinton with a uniquely creative experience. Her studio became her safety zone. Working with her materials became both meditative and a sort of emotional purging.

She worked with a new sense of purpose and urgency while finding the process to be a form of healing. Sources of inspiration came from places as diverse as Pets Plus, meeting self-taught topiary artist Pearl Frayer, knitting, cooking, and through explorations with otherwise mundane found objects. Hinton hopes that Claytharsis embodies the factors of optimism, birth, and growth. She says of her work, "I must keep my sights on these positive aspects of the human experience."

There's an artist's reception tonight, May 23, from 6 to 8; and the gallery will remain open through Tuesday the 26th.

The show is at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios at 808 Lady Street in downtown Columbia.