Exhibitions Continue for Mary McAlister and Craig Johnson

The work of Mary McAlister and Craig Johnson has been getting a lot of exposure recently.

Currently, the two Anderson Artists Guild members have pieces on display in Cox Hall, which is part of the Clemson Little Theatre on the square in Pendleton. That exhibit opened on January 28 and continues through the end of April. “They approached me and asked if I was

interested in doing an exhibition,” said Johnson, who has known the theatre manager for many years and who

has exhibited there previously in a space specifically designed to be a visual art gallery.

The show is a fundraiser for the theatre, which needs to replace its roof. The organization takes 30 percent of the sales. McAlister and Johnson each put up 35 pieces and have hung replacements when pieces are purchased. So far, they’ve sold about 14 pieces between the two of them, and McAlister also received a commission for another piece.

One of McAlister’s pieces is a pastel called Resurrected Memories. She painted the dogwood blossoms over 50 years ago during one of her first art classes. She discovered it in the back of a closet while looking for frames and was going to throw it out until Johnson convinced her to put it in the show.

Johnson, a photographer inspired by travel to 54 countries, is also showing a few of his paintings inspired by Mandelbrot sets, a mathematical construct that allows natural beauty to be quantified. “It’s possible to manipulate equations to produce stunningly beautiful images,” he said. Using a special software, he manipulated equations on the computer and created a series of paintings, including one called Vision Quest.

After the Pendleton show ends, McAlister’s and Johnson’s work will be on display at the Anderson YMCA beginning the third week of May. For more information about Mary McAlister, visit https://www.facebook.com/mary.mcalister.790. For more information about Craig Johnson, visit https://www.facebook.com/craig.c.johnson.