The Marion Art Center was packed Friday night for the opening reception to Mitton and McCord Paintings: 2001 - 2011, a new exhibit at the art center that will run until August 24.

The exhibit showcases the past 10 years of paintings by Nancy Dyer Mitton and Alan Houghton McCord.

Mitton and McCord are both long-time Marion residents who have known each other for decades.  Both artists have made reputations for themselves in the art world with exhibits in New York and elsewhere.

"I've lived in Marion on and off since I was five," said Mitton as she buzzed through the crowd, introducing old friends of hers to each other and passing most of the credit for the exhibit to Alan.

"Alan's family has been in Marion for at least 150 years," said Mitton, who found out several of McCord's relatives were prominent throughout Marion's history while she was researching her book "A Romantic Art Colony: Marion Massachusetts," published in 2000.

"Marion is my favorite place in the world," said McCord, far more subdued about his lineage than Mitton.  "This building was actually the school I went to in 1951. Now it's an art center."

"I'm very atmospheric," said McCord, explaining his paintings. "There's no field that color, but the painting has even values. It's like a black-and-white painting, but in shades of pink."

"We're fortunate to have two painters here with almost 30 years experience apiece," said Neil Alexander, an attendee and co-founder of Gallery 65 in New Bedford.

"We have a large work of hers in our house," said Dean Whitla, another attendee about Mitton.

"Things are going great," said Deborah Bokelkamp, Executive Director of the Marion Art Center.  "People are out of the heat and enjoying the great food, music and paintings."

The Mitton and McCord exhibit will be on display from July 22 until August 24 at the Marion Art Center.  For more information contact the Marion Art Center at 508-748-1266 or marionartcenter@verizon.net.