Contact: Teri Elgersma, Alpha Omega Academy, 800-682-7391

ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa, Feb. 4, 2015  /Christian Newswire/ -- Sam Gesch, a Spanish and art teacher at Alpha Omega Academy, is hosting an art show this month at Exposure Gallery & Studios in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Gesch's exhibit will open to the public on Friday, February 6, in conjunction with First Friday, a downtown revival project in Sioux Falls that focuses on shopping, art, and entertainment. The online teacher's work is heavily influenced by growing up in the Amazon of Peru, where his parents were missionaries involved in Bible translation. His gallery features 40-50 pieces for sale, including original paintings, printed digital pieces, leather bracelets, and leather cell phone cases.

"Overall, I call it third culture art and craft," said Gesch, referencing a term used to describe children raised in a culture outside of their parents' culture for a significant part of their development years. "I call it that because of who I am, and a lot of my artwork is multi-cultural or cross-cultural and brings in those themes."

One of his favorite pieces in the collection is a painting of a white buffalo, modeled after art from the Pacific Northwest. To make the buffalo, Gesch used a stencil and scraped through a couple layers of paint to create a background effect. To add extra depth, Gesch included additional textures to the painting like feathers.

With his diverse cultural background, Gesch especially enjoys seeing how God's will can be seen and expressed through different cultures, languages, and art.

"When I'm teaching art, it's not just how do we do it, but how should we do it as Christians?" Gesch said. "I'm hitting not just on technique but biblical worldview as well."

Gesch's artwork will be on display through the end of February. Exposure Gallery & Studios has weekend business hours and is located at 401 N. Philips Avenue in downtown Sioux Falls.

About Alpha Omega Academy
Accredited by NCA CASI, Alpha Omega Academy is the K-12 online school of Alpha Omega Publications. Founded in 1977, Alpha Omega Publications is a leading provider of award-winning PreK-12 Christian curriculum, educational resources, and services to Christian schools and homeschool families worldwide. Visit Alpha Omega Academy online or call 800-682-7396.