Cheap items like toothbrushes and razors aren’t things one would expect to find in a downtown art gallery. But one grad student is changing this view on art.

Corey Ackelmire, third-year graduate student of the Jewelry, Metals and Enameling Department, has her art thesis, “Everyday Objects,” on display at the Downtown Gallery on Water Street. She uses everyday objects to point out their significance and make people see them in a way they normally wouldn’t.

Ackelmire said she likes to demonstrate a wide variety of design styles without fashion being involved.

“Most people think it’s funny to look at these normal things in this way,” she said. “The response so far is people telling me they’ll never look at their toothbrush the same way again.”

Ackelmire doesn’t consider her art to be abstract because it has reference to an already existing thing. She said she is continuing a train of thought by reconfiguring these everyday objects so people see them in different lights.

“(Her art) makes you think about everyday objects in life, and it makes you pay attention to the way things are designed,” said art gallery employee Bob Schultz. “The bells and whistles, like comfort grips and various bristle formations, are becoming a selling point on these everyday things and she shows this. I mean, you can’t really change a toothbrush.”

Ackelmire’s past art shows have had similar themes, but she has never attempted anything like this, she said.

Contact visual arts reporter Megan Rozsa at [email protected].