Censorship has taken the main stage in Gainesville art circles recently and now is the focus of the latest exhibit at the North Georgia College & State University.

The Bob Owens Art Gallery at 315 Hoag Student Center in Dahlonega, is currently displaying the Hal B. Rhodes III Student Exhibition: "Bars & Blurs, Censorship vs. Freedom of Speech."

The works for the exhibit where created by North Georgia visual arts students.

For the show, the students were encouraged to explore how society faces censorship on a daily basis. They were challenged to question if censorship is right and to determine how it impacts First Amendment rights to freedom of religion, speech, press and assembly.

The exhibit is part of North Georgia's Liberty Tree Initiative and one of many events planned as part of the national "1 for All" campaign to raise awareness of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

"Bars & Blurs" will be on display through March 25, during regular gallery hours. Artists Stanley Bermudez and Erin Riley willtalk about controversy and censorship in their art at 6 p.m. on March 23 in the Hoag Student Center.

The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

Admission to the gallery is free. For more information, call 706-867-2746.