Sara Russell is a serendipitist – she finds value in things others might discard.  Throughout her life, she has serendipitously created art.

Mrs. Russell is exhibiting her art throughout the month of March at the Lee Dam Center for Fine Art, 201 South 9th, Marysville.

Her exhibition, Sarandipity, gives a nod to the word defined by Merriam-Webster, but with a whimsical twist added by Mrs. Russell.

The exhibition opens Saturday, March 4, and runs through Thursday, March 30.  The art center is open Sundays 12-3 p.m.; Tuesdays 4-6 p.m.; Thursdays 4-6 p.m.; and Saturdays 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

An artist reception will be Thursday, March 16, from 5-6:30 p.m.  Refreshments will be provided by the members of the Preceptor Zeta chapter of Beta Sigma Phi.

The exhibition is a collection of artworks from Russell’s imagination; she takes everyday items and reimagines the possibilities. Trinkets, mannequins and fabrics become pieces of art that repurpose the mundane into beauty.

“I take ordinary items and turn them into art,” she said.  “Most people throw this stuff away, but I see something in it.”

Now a house mom for the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity at the University of Kansas, Mrs. Russell called Marysville home for many years.  She and her husband raised their four children in Marysville, and all of them graduated from Marysville High School.  Russell’s children are Brad, Mike, Kate Barham and Kris Switzer.

“As long as I can remember, my mom has been creating,” Switzer, the youngest of the four Russell children, said.  “When I was little, I remember coming downstairs late at night and she would be creating.  Even today when I visit her, she has something new to show me.”

The exhibition takes a retrospective look at Russell’s diverse array of art.