South Bay painters, photographers and other artists...

South Bay painters, photographers and other artists competing in the Open Artists Group Sixth Annual Art Exhibit and Competition will be on hand to discuss their works today at the South Bay Contemporary Museum of Art in Torrance.

The exhibit features about 40 pieces of art, including watercolors, oils, photographs and mixed-media works. While the museum is usually known for its contemporary exhibits of abstract art, this exhibit features several types of non-juried works by professional and amateur artists who are members of the nonprofit Open Artists Group.

“A lot of our artists aren’t in the juried shows. You’d be amazed at some of the beautiful things we received for this show,” said Phyllis Friel, one of the group’s members.

Painter Davis Miller, whose works have been shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, will judge the competition.

During this afternoon’s ceremony and reception, recipients of two special awards will be named in addition to the exhibit winners. The Gina Somerlock Award, named after the group’s first president, will be given for the best animal or wildlife scene, and the Grethel Manlief Memorial Award, named for the group’s second president who died of cancer, will be given for the best Southwestern scene.

The Sixth Annual Open Artists Group exhibit reception is open to the public from 4 to 6 p.m. at the South Bay Museum of Contemporary Art, 5029 Pacific Coast Highway (in the Pacific Shopping Plaza), Torrance.

The exhibit will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. today through Dec. 31, except for Christmas Day.