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In January, the Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, will open two new exhibitions featuring artwork from the permanent collection.

In the Upper Preview Gallery, “The Shape of Things: Op Art and Geometric Abstraction” will be on view Jan. 14-April 9, 2023. Drawn from the permanent collection, this exhibition includes vibrant and visually fun paintings and prints. Short for Optical Art, Op Art began in the 1960s and uses shape, color and repetition to create optical illusions. Related, Geometric Abstraction is a form of abstract art that relies on shape, color and pattern to create nonrepresentational images. Many artists working in this genre look to mathematics for inspiration, each creating their own artistic, visual vocabulary. Highlights include serigraphs by Richard Anuszkiewicz (1930-2020) and a screen print by Victor Vasarely (1906-1997).

In the Lower Preview Gallery, “Focus on the Essence: The Photography of Anne Noggle” will be on view Jan. 28-April 9. Selected from more than 100 photographs donated to the museum by the Anne Noggle Foundation, this exhibition highlights self-portraits and portraits of friends and family, and displays her incredible eye for composition and lighting. A native of Evanston, Illinois, Noggle (1922-2005) learned to pilot planes in her teens and earned her career stripes as a captain in the U.S. Air Force (Women’s Air Force Service Pilot (WASP), Korean War pilot, private pilot instructor, agricultural crop duster and air show stunt pilot. It wasn’t until she was in her 40s that she began taking photos, influenced by the work of photography pioneers like Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) and Diane Arbus (1923-1971).

See these exhibitions for free on Free First Saturdays. Held the first Saturday of each month and sponsored in part by Marion Cultural Alliance, visitors can enjoy the permanent collection galleries, special exhibitions, Artspace, and more — all free of charge. Visit for details about each Free First Saturday.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Admission is free on the first Saturday of each month. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit