Mary Porter lives in the Boulevard neighborhood of Athens, Georgia: a vibrant, dynamic and eclectic area that has inspired her paintings for many years. Initially Mary’s work was motivated by the animated domestic chaos of her home: piles of unresolved dirty dishes, overambitious stove tops, and toy strewn living rooms. After a while, when that wasn’t fun anymore, she escaped to surrounding nature areas, alive with plants and animals, which is a different sort of home. For a period, her subject matter became the humorous landscape of ridiculously large supermarkets and the ironic food products they feature. Now approaching her 7th decade, after a year of herbalism studies to add to the perspective, Mary is reflecting on the past and integrating life experiences. “Artistically, I have no idea where this will lead.”

Eons ago, Mary earned Bachelors and Masters degrees in Art from the University of Georgia, where she later taught painting and color theory classes. She has received a National Foundation for the Arts Regional fellowship and two Georgia Council for the Arts grants. Her nationally exhibited watercolor, oil and acrylic paintings are represented in numerous public and private collections, including King and Spalding, Atlanta, GA; Department of Labor, Washington, DC; and in Athens: Clarke County Courthouse, the Classic Center, the University of Georgia, and Morris Communications Building. Porter’s work has appeared in media publications such as the Georgia Review, The New Art Examiner, Art Papers, Athens Magazine, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.