Here’s a test: try to think of a Furman academic building where a diverse population of around 3,000 students take courses each year; where top-notch instructors from a variety of backgrounds offer classes on different subjects; where students gain enriching academic experiences and valuable opportunities.

You might be thinking of Furman Hall, or maybe Townes Science Center, or any of the other buildings frequented by undergraduates, but the fact is that this is all true of the Herring Center for Continuing Education. More students attend classes at Furman’s Herring Center on a yearly basis than do regular day students in Furman’s normal undergraduate courses, and the center offers hundreds of classes.

The Herring Center’s students participate in one of three main programs: Bridges to a Brighter Future, a program providing opportunities in higher education to high school students whose “potential outdistances their means;” Learning for You, a program offering a variety of educational classes and trips for children, youth, and adults; and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, a program offering educational classes specifically for senior adults.

This fall, from Sept. 5 to Oct. 31, the Herring Center is putting on an art show, exhibiting the work of artists involved in the many visual arts classes offered at the center.

The show includes photography from high school students who participated in the Bridges to a Brighter Future 2013 summer program and a selection of paintings and drawings from OLLI students and experienced art instructors in the Learning For You program.

For those interested in getting to know the other 3,000 students attending Furman’s campus each year, the art show is a perfect time and place to start. This Monday, Sept. 9, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., the center will be holding a reception honoring the artists, and undergraduate students are welcome to attend. The art show itself is open for viewing during the Herring Center’s usual hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.