This Tuesday began the Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art’s 8th annual Surreal Salon exhibition, which aims to highlight the increasing quality and popularity of pop-surrealist and lowbrow art in the American contemporary art scene.

Lowbrow art as a movement arose only recently, emerging in Los Angeles in the 1970s with roots in comics, punk, and street culture. This year’s show features more artists than ever—60 artists from 23 states. The event’s special guest juror, artist Elizabeth McGrath, sifted through over 670 works from all over the country in a blind jury process. Of the chosen artists, one will have his or her piece named “Best in Show” and earn a feature in Juxtapoz Magazine.

McGrath’s own art—models of surreal chimeras from darker corners of the imagination—has been exhibited in 13 states plus Barcelona, Berlin, Rome, Paris, Tokyo and London.

The gallery’s companion event, the Surreal Salon Soirée, will happen on Jan. 22 and will again host hundreds of costumed guests for an evening of art, fashion, music, food and interactive experiences created by the artist collective known as Elevator Projects. Advanced tickets for the Soirée can be purchased at batonrougegallery.org or at the door.

The exhibition will run from Jan. 5 to Jan. 28 with no admission charge. For gallery hours and the chance to preview all of the featured artists, visit batonrougegallery.org. And for an insider view of the exhibition from gallery director Jason Andreasen, check out the article in inRegister’s January issue; the story is the first installment in our new “On Exhibit” department.