How many artists does it take to wow a jaded reviewer? Four out of six, if this past weekend's multi-media exhibition of work by a sextet of local artists -- appropriately entitled "Seeds'' -- is anything to go by.

Creatively presented in the main hall of the Admiralty House Community Centre -- which, with its elegant hardwood floors and store of natural sunlight, makes one wonder why the Spanish Point building isn't used for such purposes on a more regular basis -- the three-day exhibit, a presentation of the work of artists Will Collieson, Antoine Hunt, Paul Clinton, Fiona Rodriguez and Christine and David Wellman, was a visual and visceral treat, a breath of winter freshness on a humid summer's day.

And it was, not coincidentally, a big hit too.

During the exhibition's Friday night opening, for example, droves of dedicated art lovers braved torrential rain and the allure of no less than three other major art openings to take in the show, which reportedly stayed open well beyond its closing time.

And it's no small wonder when one comes right down to it.

Encompassing a wide range of styles and materials, including everything from photography to various genres of sculpture to free-standing set pieces that were made out of twig, the exhibition constituted a refreshing free-for-all of innovation and skill, and therefore something rare within Bermuda's artistic context.

Will Collieson, for one, led the proceedings with his usual blend of wit and visual panache. And although some of his contributions to "Seeds'' -- namely "A Head Of The Game'' and "Skin Deep'' -- have been seen before in other shows, they more than deserved a second look or two (and indeed a third or fourth).

The innovative artist's newer works, moreover, continued to uphold his reputation for excellence, his "Bite The Bullet'' (a pseudo-bovine mask with gold metallic lips) combining humour with myth and folklore, his "Head of Apollo'' (a riveting stone/clay depiction of the god) forming a rich and haunting work.

Antoine Hunt, meanwhile, carried on with his wonderful "Nature's Children: Man'' series with some lovely and atypical photograms on canvas (each of which was bordered by evocative wooden poles), while Paul Clinton, a photographer and sculptor, branded his mark on the exhibition with some eye-catching black and white prints ("Mickey Mouse,'' "Alicia's Horse''), some liquidly beautiful cedar sculptures (one in particular practically floated on its pedestal) and some multi-dimensional "constructs'' of polished wood.

In one corner of the hall, Fiona Rodriguez nearly stole the entire show with the main part of her "twig collection and bronzes'' -- a wonderfully clever twig "vacuum cleaner'' in the process of sucking up a sea of scattered leaves.

With regard to their contributions, however, Christine and David Wellman made up the weakest links in the show, his untitled acrylic on paper constituting a so-so attempt at visual depth, her various Omax ceramic works (on which a green lizard repeatedly appeared) of questionable "artistic'' value.

On the whole, however, the exhibition was of considerable value as a form of public service.

If, for example, the "seeds'' that were planted at Admiralty House this weekend indicate the direction that art has taken on the Island, all Bermudians can only hope that they eventually bear some fruit.

DANNY SINOPOLI ART REVIEW