Many may have had the chance to see the Bejing 2008 Olympics, but not many have had the opportunity to watch the events up close.

Thanks to the Johnson Center for the Arts’ latest exhibit, all of Pike County now has that chance.

The “Sharing Dreams and Glory” exhibit kicked off at the local art center Tuesday night, but those who didn’t get a chance to attend will have until the end of June to catch a glimpse.

“Some may have watched the Olympics on TV and some may have not,” said Wiley White, development director for the Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center. “Even if you saw the activities as they were happening, these freeze little moments in time, and you can take your time and go through and relive the athleticism.”

The 70-photograph exhibit, which features a variety of photographs taken from the 2008 Olympic events, came as collaboration between Troy University and the Johnson Center. “We’re really fortunate we have a working relationship with Troy University and the Confucius Institute,” said Richard Metzger, executive director of the Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center.

The Confucius Institute, a part of the university focused on integrating Chinese and American culture, provided the photographs for the exhibit from Xinhaua photography.

Metzger said the photography exhibit helps capture a different perspective on the world. “One reason I like the photographs so much is it makes the world so much smaller for young children,” Metzger said. But also on exhibit are several paintings, which come from one of the Confucius Institute’s own.

Chenghao Li, a visiting professor at Troy University, has several works on exhibit in what is his first time displaying his art in America. Li’s oil paintings, he said, are made in an attempt to integrate Chinese and Western culture.

“I tried to combine Chinese technique with the Western technique of oil paintings,” Li said.