stLouISTArtist of the Month Mary Berry Connects Through Creativity
ALTON - Artist Mary Berry has rediscovered color. Berry, who experiments with sculpture, prints, paint and photography, has her art on display at Milton Schoolhouse through the end of May. She shared that her decision to pursue art was an act of self-care, and she is “exhilarated” to find that her work is resonating with others. “Creativity has helped define another side of myself at this stage of life,” she said. “Before, it was being a wife and mother, then a career in real estate. Retirement gives us an opportunity to explore the side of ourselves we sometimes push aside in order to meet life’s many obligations." The Jerseyville-based artist recently returned to the Riverbend area after years on the East Coast. She worked as a real estate agent and now serves as a caregiver to her mother. In 2022, her friend Darla Cavins introduced her to art and encouraged her to use it as “therapy, because it feels good to get your emotions ou
