"The whole concept the show comes from the artist’s heart, to express themselves through their artwork," Sandra Sleight-Brennan, producer for the HerART fashion show, said. "There were really no boundaries, no restrictions, except that [the artwork] had to be from the heart. And because of that, we have a lot of different interpretations."

"In 2007, we collaborated with artists, many who are also creating pieces for the HerART* show, to promote breast cancer awareness," Heidi Anderson, education and special events coordinator with WellWorks and an advisor for the HerART organization, said. "The Bra Project, ‘No Two are Alike,’ also combined art with health education, and it was a huge success. It only seemed natural to do it again with the same concept, but promoting women's heart health."

HerART has more than 40 artists participating in the event. "The artists for this project all have Athens County connections," Sleight-Brennan said. "Most of us live here [while] others have lived in Athens [before] and still have connections here. Marcia [Shubert, artistic director for the show,] placed ads in local newspapers and the artists responded."

The participating artists found inspiration for their wearable artwork and accessories by searching their own hearts to find the feelings and emotions that needed to be expressed. "[One artist] was inspired by walking outside her house one day and seeing a bunch of bees all over her hydrangea bush," Sleight-Brennan said. "People got their inspirations from all different kinds of places."

Tickets for both shows are $5 and are available at WellWorks, Blue Eagle and Passionworks. As an added bonus, WellWorks will be offering free heart health screenings to anyone with a ticket.

"Sometimes, when you work on a project like this it takes a huge amount of effort and struggle to make all the pieces fall together," Sleight-Brennan said. "This one has been one of those effortless projects, where all the pieces seem to fall into place naturally. It has flowed amazingly well."