To put together the "Image & Imagination" exhibit at the Hawai‘i State Art Museum, curator and museum educator Susan Hogan combed through more than 5,000 art pieces in the state’s Art in Public Places Collection.

"I was looking for works of art that really compelled the imagination," Hogan said.

The 38 pieces Hogan selected cover a variety of media, from pastel drawings and oil paintings to an orb-shaped "containment vessel" made of copper by Michael Tom, and a piece by Eli Baxter made from bicycle inner tubes.

Baxter’s piece, titled "Thrix," is made from repurposed manmade materials but takes on a plantlike form.

"It looks almost organic," Hogan said. "If you look closely, you can see the stems (tire valves) in the piece. Almost like ‘Where’s Waldo.’"

Hogan said Baxter’s use of an inorganic material to create something organic looking pushes the audience to ponder how the artist conceptualized the idea.

One of Hogan’s favorites is "Self Portrait," a series of three images created by different artists.

"None of them look like you sit down in front of a camera and take a picture," Hogan said.

Rather, one is a manipulated photograph created prior to the technology of Photoshop, another is a print, and the third, by a fiber artist, employs stitchery and a layering of techniques.

Hogan says this third piece suggests that the artist’s concept of a self-portrait conveys that people are multilayered.

Hogan wants visitors to share their thoughts after walking through the exhibit.

Central to the gallery space is a wall that posts questions — such as "Which artwork is the most memorable for you?" and "Are you more of a 2-D art lover, or do you prefer 3-D?"— to prompt discussion about the show.

Visitors can jot down their answers or ideas on colorful pieces of paper, then use magnets to stick them to a metal board.

"I wanted people to have a way to communicate their ideas beyond just walking through and thinking in their own heads or just talking to their companions," Hogan said. The board is "a communication tool. Interactive features in a gallery are very important. … This gives (people) a chance to connect with the art."

As part of her research, Hogan read through the records of each of the 38 pieces. She found that, in many cases, her thoughts about the messages of the artwork differed from the artists’ intentions.

But that is OK, she says.

Artists "really like to hear what other people think," Hogan said. "If it’s different (than what the artist was thinking), that’s great.

"You don’t have to ‘get it.’ … Enjoy art on your own terms."

The complete Art in Public Places Collection can be viewed online at sfca.hawaii.gov/art-in-public-places/art-in-public-places-collection.