Loading the Work, a new exhibit at the Palmer Museum of Art, includes paintings that are loaded with personal meaning and literary references.

But artist G. Daniel Massad hopes viewers can find their own meanings in his work.

"If my work is like a house, I want the front door to be open," Massad said of his exhibit, which opened on Sunday and will run through May 25. "I'm not very interested in art that keeps me out and uninvolved. Although I love complexity, I like accessible work."

Dana Kletchka, curator of education at the museum, said she liked the freedom of interpretation found in Massad's work.

"The interesting thing is whether or not you know the personal significance, you can attach your own ideas," Kletchka said. "You think of your own memories and thoughts. They might not be the same thing as he was thinking about, but they can still be personally relevant."

Loading the Work is Palmer's third and final new exhibit for the spring semester, Kletchka said. The museum usually features three exhibits per semester and three during the summer, she said.

Kletchka said the title of the exhibition is fitting.

"The title is just so appropriate," Kletchka said. "Massad's work is so labor-intensive. I like that he used the word 'work.' His attention to detail is really apparent."

Leo Mazow, curator of American art for the museum, said Massad's work can be seen in many "influential" museums around the country. Some of Massad's pieces have been exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the National Museum of American Art.

"He's one of the best-known artists in pastel in the United States," he said.

Massad is currently an artist in residence at Lebanon Valley College, where his responsibilities include giving guest lectures and demonstrations while continuing to work on his art.

"It's a fun job and gets me out of my studio," said Massad, who usually spends up to six hours per day at the easel.

Kletchka said Massad's work was part of a traveling exhibit at Palmer years ago. She said many people picked his work out of the entire collection and commented on it.

"A lot of our volunteers talked about his work because it was so beautiful," Kletchka said. "And I think his work is staggeringly beautiful. It invites you to savor it and look at it and pay attention."

Museum goers willing to look closely will find paintings filled with details. Massad's medium, pastels, allows him to work closely.

"They all look so linear and precise, but when you're up close, you can see initials, symbols and emblems that he's added in," Mazow said.

This detail probably comes from long hours spent at the easel. Massad said he might spend four months on the bigger pieces.

Kletchka also praised Massad for his use of pastels.

"Pastels are particularly difficult to work with, so for him to master that is amazing," she said.

Though the paintings are loaded with meaning, Massad doesn't plan the references in advance.

"The process has a life of its own. I almost never start with a theme or a text. These other things happen later," he said.