Nasser Turns Geography Into Art

Mary C. Nasser is on an artistic journey. If you'd like to come along, she's providing the maps.

Nasser, of Manchester, is an art teacher at. An exhibit of her paintings will be on display June 3 through July 15 at O’Fallon’s Cultural Arts Gallery in the , 2650 Tri Sports Circle, O’Fallon.

"I'll bring out more than we'll hang," she said. "I'll probably bring 20 but we'll see whatever fits. Last time we put maybe 12 up."

This is Nasser's third exhibition at the O'Fallon Cultural Arts Gallery. "One thing I like about her work is it's constantly evolving," said Darren Granaas, the city's cultural arts coordinator.

"For her first show in 2001 it was all landscapes. Now it's completely changed," Granaas said. "Four years ago she was more involved with maps and cartography. Now it's evolved again. It's the same artist but it's like putting up a different show every time."

Nasser's path to a career in art began in high school. "I got interested in art in high school and wanted to be an art teacher," she said. "My painting instructor in college asked if I'd consider  majoring in painting, and I've pursed both a teaching career and a professional artist's career since college."

Nasser specializes in mixed-media work using paint, colored pencils, ink, encaustic wax and even road maps and scientific illustrations to create her landscapes. "I became interested in landscapes 15 years ago," she said.

The inspiration came during the 10 summers Nasser taught in northern Michigan.  "Every time I would return, the people would be different but the landscape would be the same," she said. "It's beautiful up there with the sand dunes and the lake."

But as she took an interest in geology and began to study it she realized that she was wrong. "The more I investigated, I learned that it did change and I found that interesting," Nasser said. "The change is very gradual. You couldn't see it."

Her fascination with turning geology into art has led her to places like Mammoth Cave National Park and the volcanoes of Hawaii. "As time went on I was interested in witnessing geological changes," she said. "Right now I'm interested in volcanic activity where you can actually witness geological changes."

Nasser has completed Artist-in-Residence programs at Prairie Center of the Arts in Illinois, Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, Rockmirth in New Mexico and Red Cinder Creativity Center in Hawaii.  It was at Red Cinder where Nasser had the opportunity to live near active volcanoes and observe as they recreated the landscape.

"I had seen extinct volcanoes but I was interested in seeing how active ones affect the earth," she said. "They're not dangerous. The flow of lava is slow."

 Admission and parking at the O'Fallon Cultural Arts Gallery are free. The gallery is open during the Spirit Center's regular business hours: 5:15 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

For more information visit www.renaudspiritcenter.com or call 636-474-2732. Mary Nasser's website is at www.marycnasser.com.