Art is meant to be thought-provoking.

So imagine the thoughts that come to mind at the sight of a cotton swab, big enough to be used by an elephant, that is topped with a chunk of brown "wax."

It's just one of 209 pieces of artwork on display at the Bismarck Arts and Galleries Association, 422 E. Front Ave. Some pieces, like the cotton swab, leave you wondering, while others have you stopping to take a closer look.

Take the pencil drawings. Each is a study in light. In the absence of color, it is light and its absence that gives shape and texture. The combination of dense and feathery strokes, with the occasional absences of lead, gives life to a variety of still lifes, including people, trees and buildings.

Punctuating the gray of the drawings are brightly colored paintings, and filling the corners and tables are sculptures. The exhibit is by Bismarck, Century and South Central high school students in art II, III and IV classes. The exhibit will be up through April 25.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@bismarcktribune.com.)