“Monster Makeover” is back and will open on Oct. 4th, 2024, during First Friday at Harrison Galleries, 2315 University Blvd., in downtown Tuscaloosa from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. The exhibit will be on display throughout the month and will end on Oct. 30th when the artists’ works are auctioned off from 6 p.m.-8 p.m., benefitting The Community Foundation of West Alabama’s Arts in Education fund.

Originally established by staff at The Tuscaloosa News in 2010, “Monster Makeover” is an annual exhibit consisting of drawings of creepy creatures created by students from a local elementary school alongside the interpretation of the monsters by West Alabama visual artists. After the students completed their drawings and an accompanying written description, they were sent out to local artists who then chose the one that appealed to them the most. The artists could work in their chosen media for the project in two- or three-dimensional formats. This year’s exhibit will feature the work of 48 second grade students from Westwood Elementary in Coker, Ala., alongside 48 different local artists.