Several well-known Manteca artists like Tom Olson, as well as up-and-coming local talents of various art disciplines will be showing and selling their best works today at the first ever art show hosted by the Manteca Historical Museum.

The event will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. in the parking lot. The public is invited. Admission is free.

Museum director Evelyn Prouty was not sure what kind of response would be getting when she first made the announcement about two months ago that she was looking for artists to sign up. To sweeten up the invitation, those who want to participate would not have to pay a fee for their booths.

The museum would even provide easels, tables and electricity connections for those who might need them.

Prouty was hoping to fill all 32 available spaces. As of last week, not only did she get all spaces reserved but had a waiting list of more than a dozen artists, enough to jumpstart the second annual event.

Among those who will be displaying their artistic creations is octogenarian Louis Tancredo, a perennial participant at the annual Lathrop Mayor’s Art Purchase Award Show and Sale. A former Mantecan who now makes his home in Ripon, Tancredo entered two of his original sculptures this year and sold one of them, a large decorative glazed bowl.

Another highlight of today’s event is a guided tour of the museum where a special display on the main stage features the work of local artists during the last 1980s and early 1900s such as oils, hand-painted jardinières including one made by the wife of Joshua Cowell known as the Father of Manteca, and portrait photographs. Prouty said some of the art pieces on display were loaned to the museum for today’s event by local families.