NCI ARTworks will host an opening reception for artists Douglas Dalrymple and Jeri Sparks from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 13, at the NCI ARTworks Gallery, Peru.

The Friday reception is free and open to the public.

Sparks is also offering a class in soft pastels from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 14 at the NCI ARTworks Gallery.

Dalrymple is a Chicago-based artist who has moved to the Illinois Valley and works with a variety of mediums. Here, his artistic repertoire expanded to embrace textiles, jewelry, and furniture design.

Sparks is a native Nebraskan who is living and working in Iowa. As a young artist, she began working in portraiture and her work has evolved into painting buildings, animals, and other subjects in styles that range from impressionism to realism.

People may register for Sparks’ class on her website: www.jerisparks.com or at www.nciartworks.com. The cost is $45 and includes all materials.