Local artist Sara Gray is the invited guest artist during the month of May and is exhibiting her impressionistic oils. The exhibit is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Art at the Market Place Gallery, located at 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst.

Each month the gallery invites local artists to exhibit along with their regular artists, Joan Williams, Cele Bryant, Fay Terry and Betty DiBartolomeo.

Gray made a career change from nursing to art several years ago, teaching pottery at the Bergstrom Art Museum in Neenah, Wis., the Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wis., and privately out of her studio.

Retiring to North Carolina, Gray resumed her teaching career at Sandhills Community College, where she taught watercolor. She is a founding member of the Artists League of the Sandhills in Aberdeen and a charter member and past president of the Appleton Art Center in Wisconsin. She studied with many notable artists, including Jean Dobie, William King, Judi Betts, Phil Austin, Frank Covino and Camille Prezwodik. Recently she learned to complete a painting using only a painting knife from Susan Sarback.

Gray, now 85, realized her dream, graduating with a fine arts degree at the age of 53. She has taken many student artists under her wing and is still mentoring many of them.

Her work also may be seen at "The Corner Studio," Artists League of the Sandhills, the Market Place Restaurant and Table on the Green.

For more information, call Joan Williams at (910) 215-5963.