Whimsical sculptures. Pieces of tile that tell...

Whimsical sculptures. Pieces of tile that tell stories. Ceramic talking heads. A “conceptual couch.”

These are among 50 works of art by eight artists in a group show designed to honor Pasadena residents who in 1989 and 1990 won grants from the city’s Arts Commission.

The Armory Center for the Arts put together the show as a celebration of the high quality of art created by Pasadena artists, according to Armory gallery director Jay Belloli. This will be the first show to display the work of these artists as a group, he said.

“Even though there aren’t as many studio spaces in Pasadena as there used to be, artists like living here,” Belloli said. “It is nice to kind of recognize that and give them encouragement for being here. And it’s wonderful to live in a city that thinks artists are important.”

Since 1989, the Pasadena Arts Commission has awarded grants to performing and visual artists. The eight artists in the exhibit won $5,000 individual fellowships.

The Armory show, which opened Thursday, runs through Sept. 1.

The show features Walter Askin, who makes whimsical sculptures; Richard Bunkall, who uses architecture as a metaphor for his paintings and wall sculptures; Elaine Carhartt, whose ceramic tile pieces narrate fairy-tale, myth-like stories, and Philip Cornelius, whose exhibited work is large-scale, ceramic talking heads.

In addition, the show displays the work of Gifford Myers, whose paintings and wall sculptures are known for their social commentary and Southern California architectural themes; Linda Nishio, a performance artist and the creator of a “conceptual couch”; Sally Storch, whose paintings have a nostalgic quality, and Randy West, a photographer interested in peripheral vision.

The Armory gallery is at 145 N. Raymond Ave. Information is available by calling (818) 792-5101. Admission is free and the exhibit is open from noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.