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The Firehouse Arts Center was bustling this past Thursday evening as a crowd had gathered for the gallery’s latest exhibition. Guests chatted, ate hors d’oeuvres and sipped wine as they looked at works by regional artist Kenneth Reshard.

Reshard, a native of Tallahassee, works in many different art mediums, including painting, drawing, pottery/ceramics, graphics and collage. He has positions on several art committees in Tallahassee, including the board of the 621 Art Gallery, and the Artopia Committee, where he serves in art acquisitions.

According to Reshard, his interest in art had mundane beginnings, with trips to his grandparent’s house. “Me and my sister, my cousins, my grandmother and grandfather usually kept us during the summer time when school was out and our parents were at work,” he recounted. “So they had this clay, this really thick red clay, at their house. I always loved doing stuff with my hands; my grandfather was a builder, my father is a builder, mother and grandmother all cooked… and I just started building stuff with clay. The first thing I made was a snowman.” He would go on to delve into the other mediums he still practices today, from drawing and painting to ceramics.

When asked what prompted him to come display and sell his art in Bainbridge, Reshard responded, “My friend Mike Inlow gave me a buzz, and asked me if I could show some work here. So I was like ‘Sure!’” He also expressed interest in Bainbridge, saying, “Plus, every time I’ve come, I’ve driven through here, and I never stopped here. I’m so glad I did a couple of years ago, because what you guys are doing here, downtown and everything, fantastic.”

“Art is my first love,” Reshard said. “Without art, we wouldn’t have much of anything in this world, because everything is interconnected. Without artists, basically, we wouldn’t have cars, shoes, houses, iPhones, without a person with an artistic or designer’s mind.”