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The artist’s reception at the Johnson Center for the Arts Thursday night will be a homecoming of sorts for Mary Ann Casey.

The former Troy resident and director of the Colley Senior Complex, is now a resident artist in Auburn but Casey said her heartstrings are tied to Troy.’

So, prior to the artist’s reception in her honor, Casey has set aside an hour, from 5 until 6 p.m., for a time of personal visitation for those who would like to share time with her.

“There are so many of us who need that kind of time with one who shares their spiritual principles or just wants to share their thoughts and cares,” Casey said. “Just to be together for a few minutes to reflect and to move forward in thought and hope will be uplifting.

“Somewhere in each of us is the desire to care for others, to love others and to be loved. My heart theme in all the world is love. I feel a deep sense of connection to all life and people. We must see, hear, and honor all life on this amazing planet. Our survival depends on it.”

The canvases and creations in Casey’s exhibition, “Dimensions,” speak of the resiliency of the Alabama landscape and her people.

“The African influenced masks come through a portal of my being that resonated through much of my work with the dance, music and mythology of Africa,” she said. “My abstracts are an energy all their own, stories that I honor and surrender on canvas.”

At the artist’s reception, Thursday night, Casey will share her surrenderings on canvas between 6 and 7:30 p.m. Ray Smith on saxophone and John Jinright on piano with create the mood for the night.

Everyone is invited to attend this special reception for Mary Ann Casey.