On Saturday, Oct. 24, Omni Studio will be transformed into a one-of-a-kind “rejects gallery” when the Birmingham chapter of AIGA hosts a one-night exhibition of declined design. “Salon Des Refuses: An Exhibition of Heartbreak” showcases more than 100 examples of posters, logos, photographs, type treatments, ad campaigns and other design materials that graphic design professionals spent long hours on, only to have to clients reject them.

In fact, there’s a noble history to the term “Salon des Refusés.” French for “exhibition of rejects,” the phrase dates back to 1863, when the jury of the Paris Salon rejected more than 3,000 works. In response to the fierce outrage of hundreds of spurned artists, Emperor Napoleon III decreed that the rejected works could be shown in an annex to the regular Salon. Reviews were mixed — seems some Salon-goers saw the wisdom in the initial rejection — but the outsider art represented included Edouard Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass and Whistler’s Girl in White , both of which are now considered masterpieces.

Click here to see a gallery of the spurned works that will be in the running for best-worst recognition during the event. Perhaps there are future masterpieces here as well.

Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for AIGA members and $10 for students, with all proceeds benefiting AIGA Birmingham. Price includes drinks, food, live music and the opportunity to bid on silent-auction items. Omni Studio is located at 2309 First Ave. North. Doors open at 7 p.m. Find out more at www.exhibitionofheartbreak.com