February 24 – April 28, 2026
Jean Purnell, Curator
Arts Benicia Presents
Mary Parkerson at Happy Life Pottery
Mary Parkerson is an award-winning Bay Area artist and teacher recognized for her extensive range of oil and acrylic painting skills, from contemporary abstracts to representational pieces. Her coastal lifestyle in Carmel inspires many of her atmospheric land and seascapes.
Admirers and collectors of Mary’s paintings describe her work as serene, emotive, engaging and heartfelt. These qualities are evident whether she is capturing the interplay of light and color across a verdant garden, or evoking the windswept mistiness of her beloved California coast in an impressionistic abstract.
One of a family of artists and art appreciators/collectors in New Orleans, creativity and art have always played an essential role in Mary’s self-expression. Her development as an artist was fostered during studies at Tulane University and colleges in Silicon Valley, and later by extensive tutorage by the renowned late artist, Michael Linstrom. Mary’s life-long commitment to art has also been evidenced in her teaching of numerous students throughout her career.
Happy Life Pottery
632 First Street, Benicia
Wednesday – Saturday: 10am to 6pm
Sunday: 11am to 5pm
To participate as an artist in Arts Benicia Presents, you must be a member of Arts Benicia.
For more information, email info@artsbenicia.org
Artwork: Mary Parkerson