The Artists Collective | Spartanburg will celebrate America’s upcoming birthday with a new exhibition, “Spirit of America: A 250th Birthday Celebration,” June 30 through July 25 in Galleries II and III featuring works by various member artists in a wide range of media.

An artists’ reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 16, as part of Spartanburg ArtWalk. The reception and exhibition viewing are free and open to the public.

“All of the Artists Collective’s members were invited to participate in the creation of the celebration,” says Gayle Caregnato, who coordinated the exhibit. “The artworks represent the flavors of American life, including scenic views, colorful presentations and thoughtful works capturing that American Spirit from a Spartanburg artists’ point of view.”

Paintings, photographs, sculptures and other art interpreting the “Spirit of America” will be featured in the two galleries with a back wall in Gallery II being the home of a special “Liberty Tree” sculpture. “The tree will hold messages from the general public imprinted on leaves gathered over April, May and June as our community project,” Caregnato says.

The Liberty Tree is a symbol of the founding colonial days in America and was a gathering place for colonials to speak and share the Revolutionary spirit of 1776, she adds. “The USA is still an outstanding experiment in civil life.”

Participating artists include Patrick DeCrane, Janis McElligott, Gary Turpin, Carol Story, Thomas Koenig, Becky Dodrill, John Lever, Rosemary McLeod, Dave Sawyer, Hope Way Seddon and Gayle Caregnato.