MOSES LAKE — The works of Moses Lake photographer Justin Alaniz will be featured in an exhibit opening Friday at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center.

The opening reception for “Casually Capturing Life” will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday at the museum, 401 S. Balsam St. The exhibit will be on display through Jan. 5.

Alaniz is a Moses Lake native and a 1996 graduate of Moses Lake High School. He started experimenting with photography in the late 1990s, he said.

This is his first solo exhibit. But his work is visible around town, featured on the billboards for Samaritan Healthcare. He’s also done commercial projects for the Moses Lake School District.

His day job is as a registered nurse, according to a timeline accompanying the exhibit. His “On the Road” series grew out of his work as a hospice nurse, he said.

Museum director Freya Liggett said she saw Alaniz’ work on a Moses Lake group social media page. “I think the thing that caught my attention was the Strangers series,” a series of casual portraits of people Alaniz did not know.

“My subjects are passionate about life. I wish to capture that passion,” Alaniz wrote. The museum show features portraits from that series, as well as Alaniz’ landscapes.

“For years I’ve admired imagery that captured human character and emotion,” Alaniz wrote. “It was my experience that these types of images created feelings within myself when viewing them, the effect of which drove me to better understand the many complexities of a camera. Years later I would realize a greater interest in candid work, as well as learning more about the people I photographed, which led to many opportunities.”

The reception is being held in conjunction with the museum’s annual “Feed the Mammoth” party. That’s the fundraiser for the museum’s educational program.

Refreshments will be served; hors d’oeuvres are by Nicky Krost, Rockun Hog BBQ, and a no-host bar is sponsored by Camas Cove Cellars. There’s an opening-night discount on all artwork: 20 percent for museum members, 10 percent for non-members.

People who want more information can contact the museum, 509-764-3830, or during museum hours, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].