Anyone who lives in Troy and doesn’t go to see the “Celebrating the Contemporary Arts in Alabama: The Biennial” exhibition at the Johnson Center for the Arts is doing a disservice to themselves.

That’s what Greg Skaggs of the Troy University Art Department thinks and the people who attended the artists’ reception on Sunday afternoon agreed with him.

Mack Gibson, president of the Troy-Pike Center for the Arts, said. “It is a great achievement for the Johnston Center to be able to host such an outstanding exhibit.

“The exhibit is comparable to exhibits anywhere in the country,” Gibson said. “But you don’t have to go anywhere else to see an exhibition like this. You can see it right here in Troy.”

Gibson said that Richard Metzger, Johnson Center executive director, and his staff have done an excellent job in putting the exhibition together.

“I’m just so impressed with what they have done and so proud to have an exhibit of this quality in Troy,” he said. “We should have people standing in line to get in to see this exhibit.”

“Celebrating the Contemporary Arts in Alabama: The Biennial” brings together 55 Alabama artists who are recipients of prestigious Individual Visual Art and Fine Craft Fellowships from the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

Georgine Clarke, visual arts program manager for the Alabama State Council on the Arts, said the exhibition brings together the best contemporary artists in the state.

“This exhibition is a unique opportunity to see the whole range on artwork being done by Alabama artists in one exhibit. This exhibit brings together a good cross section of artwork from all across the state,” Clarke said. “It is an outstanding show.”

Metzger said that he was very pleased with the turnout from the community for the artists reception.

“I was also pleased with the number of artists who attended,” Metzger said. “The Biennial is a strong exhibition and speaks highly of the quality of work produced in Alabama. The Johnson Center is a wonderful venue to showcase these talented artists to the community and the region.”