Artists aspire for their work to be seen, despite what some may claim — and especially the beginner.

Indeed it is the raison d’être of a painting or sculpture to be viewed and communicate the artist’s thought and an idea; the first members’ show of the year at the BSoA is the ideal public stage.

The show unites artists of all levels of ability and includes a huge range of styles and mediums.

The inclusivity offered by the City Hall gallery combined with its central location mark its success.

However, a move towards some selection — even through the gentlest of jurying processes — would be beneficial.

It is a point that could equally be applied across the island’s art galleries. In the past, for example, the BSoA was well known for having at least one juried show a year. The juror was often from overseas and it served to strengthen the visual arts in Bermuda.

Jessie Moniz Hardy takes her exhibiting bow with four graphite studies.

Snit combines compositional strength with good technique, expressing the fall of light and shadow across the child’s figure. Often the beginner can make the mistake of producing work where the subject appears to float. Here though, the artist employs a heavy cast shadow to ground the figure definitively.

The large-scale charcoal studies pictures by Michael Pitcher have decent technique, too. His oil Black Dress possesses a graceful “S” line curve of the recumbent figure. It gives fresh direction to the show by adding portrait work.

It would be strengthened with some anatomical correction to the drawing together with a change in colour identity between the subject and background.

Caroline Carrington uses the simplicity of a line drawing without linear perspective to celebrate the architectural gems in two panoramic prints of Front Street East and West.

Professional artists exhibit some good work. Rhona Emmerson’s several small oils — intimate views and strong compositions — extract the most from the reduced format.

Far from constraining the artist it sharpens her skill. St George’s Yellow is a zesty painting with neatly integrated and varied mark making that has maximum painterly impact.

Kok Wan Lee exhibits abstract work with his oil pastel trio The Edge. His work is always evolving and offers much to the viewer who is willing to invest time in their contemplation. His limited palette explores yellow with a complementary shift to red-violet in a band towards the outer edge of the piece over an intricately patterned background.

Natalie Dyrli’s magnificent close-up photograph of a longtail captures the majestic beauty and star quality of the often elusive visitor to the island’s shores.

Louisa Bermingham exhibits a few decorative acrylics featuring flower motifs with flattened perspective. Roses in Jar is like a detail from a post-Impressionist painting.

The enjoyable botanical work by Allison Conyers pays close attention to composition as well as drawing.

Colourful and decorative mixed-media Indian pieces by Saloni Mittal Jain round off an appealing show.

The show runs at BSoA until June 13