The Buchanan Art Center galleries open three new exhibits June 1 which will continue through June 30.

Those exhibits include Susan K. Johnston, Connections, photographs in the Roti Roti Gallery;  Glenda Cobb Bixby, Inner Vision, oils and watercolors in the Show Place Gallery; and J. Marie, Architecture: Human and Divine, pastels in the Hess Gallery.

A public reception for all  three artists will be held on Saturday, June 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Art Center located at 117 W. Front Street in Buchanan.

Johnston, of Stevensville, is a retired corporate executive at General Motors, and considers photography another career path.

“Life is intersected with people-to-people connections,” she said. “Some are only for that moment; others are long-term while others are treasures from the past. Each one has a story.”

Johnston became interested in historical photographs taken by her father and uncle in the 1940s and 1950s. She used Photoshop to add her “own interpretation to these captured moments.” Her exhibit is organized into four themes of love, family, friends, and changes.

Bixby was born and studied in Great Britain, then moved to the U.S. after marrying an American and now resides in South Bend.

She studied at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art in Oxford, England and with many notable artists in the South Bend area.

Bixby said every artist paints from inner vision as a child but becomes more cautious after being exposed to life experiences, classes, great art, and books; those influences aid artists in developing their own style.
After going through many changes “I found myself more and more returning to my ‘inner vision’ whose only limitations are self imposed,” she said.

J. Marie started painting seriously “in her 50s” and specializes in the architecture of landscapes and cityscapes, preferring the medium of soft pastels.

Born in and now residing in South Bend, she attended Indiana University and lived in the eastern U.S. Her travels to Europe are often depicted in her art, as are her dog and three kittens.

J. Marie is also a cancer survivor.

“Life is fragile,” she said. “I have a God-given talent for art and I should pursue it.”

She presently studies under Cathy McCormick.

Hours are Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, call 697-4005 or visit the website at  www.buchananartcenter.org