John Wangendo's favorite piece in "Stories from Africa" took longer to create than any other work in the exhibition. Called "Africa 54," it lists all 54 African countries alongside a greeting in each country's national language. It's the only piece not for sale.

Wangendo's show is one of two new exhibitions that opened Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Evanston Art Center, 1717 Central St. The Kenya-born, Chicago-based artist's 10 charcoal and acrylic portraits celebrate the African continent through scenes drawn from photographs and the stories behind them.

"Much of my work is based on the stories behind photographs I see, and some of those stories really hit my heart," Wangendo said at the opening reception Sunday, Aug. 9. "This one was based on these two boys who were running away from the Civil War in the Congo. I saw the photograph, and I liked it. I reached out, and they gave me the story about it. And then I put it into art."

That piece depicts two young boys whispering to each other while sitting atop the only luggage they own. Other portraits include a mother and son gazing off to the side and a dancer. Wangendo is not a full-time artist; he rediscovered a childhood love of art during the COVID-19 pandemic and has sold around 15 pieces since 2021, The Daily Northwestern reported.

The second exhibition, "Place and Passing," pairs mixed-media artist Paula Menchen with painter Ellen Holtzblatt. The Evanston Art Center matched the two artists for the show, which takes up much of the center's first floor.

Most pieces are for sale.

Menchen, who began as an oil painter and printmaker, now combines those mediums by cutting through layers of textiles and paints with a power tool. She has lived in England and Spain, and those experiences shape her landscapes and collage-style works. One piece, "Floorboards," shows the back of a canvas and represents a concept Menchen is exploring: that the fronts and backs of art pieces are equally important.

Holtzblatt's oil paintings and ink drawings explore shared human vulnerabilities through landscapes that move between the recognizable and the abstract.

Art enthusiast Carol Coven Grannick attended the reception specifically to see "Abyss 1," a largely blue painting with hints of greens, grays and whites. She purchased it from Holtzblatt, a close friend, after first seeing it unfinished in Holtzblatt's studio.

"Stories from Africa" runs through Sept. 13. "Place and Passing" closes Sept. 6. Both exhibitions are free. The center is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.