When photographs of flowers taken by an artist who specializes in nude Bible stills become part of the landscape of downtown Moscow, community members won’t want to miss out.

Beginning today, several businesses will host the works of local and regional artists this month in Moscow’s monthly First Thursday event.

Moscow First Thursday is a walking art exhibit, where businesses work with artists to display creations on the first Thursday of every month. The art will stay on display for a length of time that varies depending on the business presenting the work.

The creations on display include banners, photographs, illustrations, sculptures, and Palouse Patchers’ quilts. Businesses also have maps of other spots for viewers to find more pieces.

One of the places holding artwork is BookPeople of Moscow, a 40-year-old Moscow bookstore that sells new and used books and gifts. The store will show photography from Lance Luschnig and illustrations from Dan Stiles, which will stay up at BookPeople until the second week of March.

Luschnig has been involved with photography since he was a child, and in 2000 the Italian journal Arte Cristiana Conemporanea recognized him for his work in nude Bible stills such as “Death of Virgin Mary.”

Recently, he photographed various scenes of Moscow flowers from his garden and the area near his home. His flower pictures will be on display for Moscow First Thursday.

“I thought flowers would be nice for the middle of winter,” Luschnig said. “Bring in some color.”

Stiles is an illustrator and graphic designer who did a lot of work with making promotional posters and album covers for bands. Some of his posters will be on display for First Thursday, but the bulk of his artwork will be illustrations to promote his new book “Put on Your Shoes,” which is based on real life experiences with his own children.

“It’s tough but fun,” Stiles said. “You start with an empty piece of paper and end with something people want to look at.”

For Jesica DeHart, the assistant manager of BookPeople, having artwork shared in businesses through Moscow is a great way to add diversity to the area.

“I think it’s really neat to have (First Thursday),” DeHart said. “It’s fun to have some art and culture, and it can be really hard for an emerging artist to show their work.” DeHart also coordinates four major art shows at the bookstore every year.

The University of Idaho’s Prichard Art Gallery will feature more than 80 artists who have connections with the art gallery or have exhibited work there before. The artwork ranges from drawings and paintings to sculptural forms and blown glass.

“Choosing an artist is almost like hunting,” said Roger Rowley, the gallery director. “I spend time in other galleries, finding stuff that would look good in our gallery.”

Moscow First Thursday is not as largely attended as the summer art walk event in June, DeHart and Rowley said. Most of the advertising is word-of-mouth, but over time there has been more organization and a joint effort by businesses in Moscow to spread the word.

“I think my favorite part is the businesses coming together in support of the arts,” Rowley said.

The Moscow First Thursday opening event will be held from 5 – 8 p.m. today in downtown Moscow. An auction, refreshments, and the art walk will be available. More information can be found on the event’s Facebook page.