Art is a reflection of our society, and any art that is popular gives us a view into what our society is like at any given time. Art can include music, theatre, visual arts, film, architecture and even crafts, fashion and furniture. With that in mind, Bozarts Gallery has decided to install a show dedicated to furniture and art that goes along with it.

The Sofa Show: Art that Matches is an exhibition that breaks the mold of traditional art exhibits. Much discussion went into developing this show. The Bozarts Alliance, which is a co-op of artists who help run the gallery, were originally considering riffing on the idea that good art does not have to match your sofa. It is a well-known dilemma for many artists who get bewildered by the fact that some customers are looking for pieces of art that will go with their couch. Artists don’t always work with matching furniture in their minds which leads to the question, “Does art need to match your couch?”

There are many answers to this question, and the artists in this show have chosen many different ways to address the issue. Some of the members are creating their own vignettes of living spaces including traditional and untraditional versions. Others have taken a more different approach to the theme and have made artistic renderings of couches and chairs.

Some have transformed the furniture itself into works of art using them as a canvas for their chosen media. Still more have decided to focus on items that accompany a sofa such as small tables, stools, lamps, pillows and more.

As the members are all very different in personality and artistic style, the individual installations will be diverse in their style and aesthetic.

Expect to see a show that is as much installation as it is pictures hanging on a wall. Actual furniture will be set up in the space and there will be lots of little artistic rooms and nooks created in the gallery to spotlight domestic creativity. Each artist has his own aesthetic and so each space will reflect that.

Some artists are working together to create spaces that combine more than one member’s work. This works particularly well for some since they each have different specialties. For example, while one artist might be transforming a couch or chair, another might be making art that they want to feature over the furniture or an accessory that will complement the other pieces in the vignette.

The show opens on the night of the Water Valley Studio Crawl which I will cover in more detail next week. This annual event has become a highlight of the area arts scene drawing large crowds of people who travel from all over North Mississippi to enjoy the festivities. Bozarts Gallery is located at 403 North Main Street in Water Valley.

Opening festivities begin on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 5:30 p.m., and the exhibit will be up until Nov. 21.