Five long years have passed since Lindsey Baker first came to Southeast Missouri State University to study art.

Over those years she's not been the stereotypical art student. She's studious, and to hear art department mentor Pat Reagan tell it, Baker is a rare find among art students.

"It's not typical to have students like this," said Reagan, a fiber art specialist, like Baker. "To have a fiber artist who's that good, that excellent, is a real treat, and I'm going to miss her very much."

Baker is distinguished from all of the art students who have graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in several decades. When she takes the walk May 13, she'll graduate magna cum laude, with honors, and be the first art department graduate in recent memory to graduate with distinction.

"I think there may have been a couple in the distant past," Reagan said of Baker's distinction.

To get that honor, Baker had to go above and beyond the normal strenuous schedule all bachelor of fine arts students go through in their final semester.

"She's done three times as much work as students would normally do," Reagan said.

She had to write a thesis and create a special exhibition of her work, a solo exhibition from 5 to 10 p.m. today and Saturday at Gallery 1.2.5 in downtown Cape Girardeau.

The theme of Baker's show is "The Abuse of Beauty," a 25-piece mixed-media show that explores our perceptions of beauty, ugliness, their similarities and their contrasts, largely through the vehicle of the fleur-de-lis.

Baker's work is striking and original, and was created simply for this solo exhibition. Tonight will mark the first time she's shown her work in a solo show -- most of her exhibitions have been with the contemporary arts group Integrated Counterbalance over the past year-and-a-half. After the show and her graduation, the lifelong Scott City resident will get ready to head to Philadelphia University to study interior design.

"It's a really good feeling to finish with this large culmination of a body of work," said Baker, who has worked on the pieces for "The Abuse of Beauty" since December.

To Baker, it feels like she's "purging" her time spent here, getting ready to continue her life.

And she's not the only one. Twenty-one students will graduate with BFAs from Southeast this month, and all of them have their pieces now on display at the Southeast Missouri Regional Museum on campus.

Reagan said this class is one of the finest that have gone through the art department in a long time.

"We're going to miss them, they're all really good," said Reagan. "What we always hope is that students just take over their own artistic development and ... become individual thinkers, and these students have."

Many of the students have already become prominent in the local art world, displaying their works in local galleries like the Fountain Street Gallery.

Tonight Fountain Street will host an exhibition by three of those seniors -- Hannah Hart, Rachel Martin and Becky Winkler -- with an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Their work will be mostly paintings, with a few drawings and prints.

At the Southeast museum show each student will display two pieces -- works which include everything from sculpture to painting to animation from the burgeoning graphic design program.

But university students aren't the only ones showing the fruits of an entire school year's labor this weekend. Local elementary and secondary schools are also exhibiting the work their students have created.

The largest show is Jackson's school-wide "Art Expressions 2006," a show with literally thousands of pieces from students at all grade levels in the Jackson school district.

The show runs Saturday and Sunday at Jackson High School's Multipurpose Building. South Elementary art teacher and show organizer Carol Horst said the building will be packed wall-to-wall with art from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Now over 10 years old, Horst said the all-encompassing art show is very well-attended, which helps teach students the value of the arts. Having these events also emphasizes the importance of art education to students, parents and teachers, she said.

"Art is a way of expressing what students think and feel," said Horst. "And we make sure to integrate our art education with other subject matters."

The Scott City school district will host a high-school-only art show this weekend as well. Art teacher Matt Miller said the show is part of his effort to try and revitalize the school's art program.

Miller said allowing art students to have these shows, and selecting their pieces for exhibition, gives them the same kind of satisfaction athletes get for their sports accolades.

"I tried to represent as many students as I could, because it's something they're really proud of," said Miller.

This year's Scott City High School art show will be held at Schock's on East Hickory Street from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Miller said last year about 300 people came to the event -- a better-than-expected turnout he's hoping to repeat this year.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182

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Other First Friday events

* Arts Council of Southeast Missouri

The galleries of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, 32 N. Main St., is holding an opening reception tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. for exhibitions by Murphysboro, Ill., artist Mary Pachikara, Marble Hill artist Jeanie Eddleman and Cape Girardeau photographer Shannon Randol. For more information, call 334-9233.

* The Artist Studio

The Artist Studio, 38A N. Main St., presents an exhibition from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. of abstract acrylic paintings made in its workshops. Signups will also be taken for summer workshops on acrylics, watercolor, basketry, weaving and papermaking. For more information, call 651-4464.

* Edward Bernard Gallery

The Edward Bernard Gallery, 107 West Drive, celebrates Cinco de Mayo with margaritas, quesadillas and art this Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. New original glass art pieces will be on display. Call 332-7733 for more information.

* Jars of Clay Pottery/ Fusion Glassworks Studio

The Jars of Clay Pottery Studio and Fusion Glassworks Studio, 823 Broadway, is having a First Friday reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Jars of Clay will sell pottery by the Common Ground Potters and take signups for the Gardens in Clay workshop the first week of June. Fusion Glassworks' Michael Gard will demonstrate glass beadmaking and take sign-ups for beadmaking classes. For more information, call Pam Duncan at 332-8408.

* Garden Gallery

The Garden Gallery, 835 Broadway, features a First Friday exhibition with Cape Girardeau pastel artist Carol Rhodes from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information, call 332-7123.