As exhibit chairman for the Middletown Arts Center for 20 years now, Jack Howard selects featured exhibits of local artists.

Now, it’s Howard’s turn for display.

On Friday, Jan. 11, through Feb. 2, about 18 paintings of the 79 year-old Middletown artist will be featured at the 5th Street Gallery in downtown Cincinnati, below the Hilton Netherland Plaza.

Howard uses watercolors, pen and ink and a combination of both to capture images of his past — from the tranquil foliage of the French countryside (as seen through his many travels) to the Georgian architecture of his alma mater Miami University.

Howard graduated college in 1963 with an architecture degree. That’s where the father of three learned to draw, using a T-square and pencil.

Ober-Rae Livingstone, founder and manager of the 5th Street Gallery, said Howard’s work is reminiscent of the famous realist painter Andrew Wyeth. The gallery is a co-op between 15 local artists, who select eight local guest artists to feature, per year, out of up to 50 requests.

“Usually we pick artists who have a number of collectors already, but we had to make an exception here,” said Livingstone. “We hope those from Middletown come to support their local artist.”

In the 1980s, Howard illustrated the Miami Album, a book featuring historic buildings on campus.

Then, in the 1990s, Howard used his 25 years of experience as Middletown city planner to draw scenes of the city from the 1950s. A Middletown company commissioned him to do so, and images were sold to the public.

He retired as city planner in 1992.

Howard had one other exhibit at the Middletown Arts Center, last November.

“This will be different than my past work, with more watercolors than pen and ink,” he said. “Showing in Cincinnati feels like the big time, and it’s a compliment to do so.”