CAMBRIDGE – Main Street Gallery, the city’s only member-owned and operated cooperative, is turning 12 this summer and will celebrate with a champagne party on Second Saturday, Aug. 12, from 5-8 p.m. This is a free event and all are welcome to join the fun and meet artists.

The gallery will also celebrate its guest artist for the July/August exhibition, Karen Jury, a resident of Chester, whose show “Creating Texture with Photo Encaustic” will be on the walls for the event.

Ms. Jury explained photo encaustic, saying, “It all starts with a camera and a photograph and ends with wax and heat.” To make a photo encaustic image, an artist prints a photo onto paper and adheres the paper to a substrate.

Then comes the wax and heat part as the artist paints the photo with a heated wax mixture called encaustic. The many and varied results of this process can be seen in her arresting images of nature.

“My love of flowers, landscapes and textures is evident in my work” she said.

Ms. Jury didn’t start her career as a photo encaustic artist, however. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University, she worked as an art director for a number of companies and colleges until she decided to take time off to raise her family.

It was then that she rediscovered photography. Initially she photographed families, their pets and their significant events.

Later, she photographed performances during songwriter festivals in Miami and Key West. “I enjoyed the creative aspect of portrait photography,” she says, “… and the creative aspect of shooting talented musicians.”

Still, the artist wanted to figure out something more creative to do with her photography. It was a friend, who after listening to Ms. Jury speak about her past and her love of textures, suggested she try photo encaustics.

“Eureka!” she said. “I fell in love. I took courses online, a lot of trial and error, no injuries, and years later I am happy to share my encaustics.”

In addition to Main Street Gallery, Ms. Jury’s work can be seen at The Artist’s Gallery in Ellicott City. She has also shown her work at Kent Island Federation of Arts and the Maryland Federation of Art in Annapolis.

The show will open July 6 and run through Aug. 27. The public is invited to two artist receptions which will take place on Second Saturdays, July 8 and Aug. 12, from 5-8 p.m.

The receptions are free and light refreshments will be served. Ms. Jury will give a brief talk on the July 8 opening at 7 p.m. and the August reception will also be the champagne celebration of the gallery’s 12th anniversary.

Gallery hours are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Online shopping is always available on the gallery’s website at mainstgallery.net.

Main Street Gallery is at 518 Poplar St. in Cambridge. The gallery is currently reviewing work from prospective members and guest artists.

Artists interested in joining this community may contact the gallery through its website or by phoning 410-330-4659.