An opening reception for “Melby’s Wanderings,” an exhibition of artwork by Scott Melby, will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, in the lobby of Leach Theatre in Castleman Hall on the Missouri University of Science and Technology campus.

The show will feature works by Melby, a senior in geology and geophysics who first began painting after a 2011 Missouri S&T art class. His work will hang in Castleman Hall through December 2012.

“This is Missouri S&T’s first student one-man show,” says Luce Myers, a lecturer in art at Missouri S&T. “In the art world of this campus, this is a milestone.”

Melby prefers a style of painting called “plein air,” which means painting a subject outdoors on location. But he also has a studio in his Steelville, Mo., farmhouse. Formerly a utility room, the space has windows on nearly every wall.

“I like to paint looking off the back of my farmhouse,” he says. “It’s where I like to sit and think. It has a personal connection.”

Melby sold his first painting, Serenity, which depicts a girl on the beach, in October 2011. He has sold 30 pieces since then, including a painting of the New York City skyline — sold to a New Yorker.

Landscapes are Melby’s favorite subject. “I love wide open spaces, distance and expanse,” he says. “These are places I identify with.”

Melby was the Arts Rolla “Artist of the Month” and his works were displayed at The Centre in Rolla.

The reception and exhibition are sponsored by the Missouri S&T Campus Art Committee. For more information, call 573-341-4185.