When Mount Bethel Cemetery hosts its annual art exhibit this year, a prolific local artist will be in the spotlight.

The work of Janette Toth-Musser will be showcased during Columbia's Fourth Friday, April 26, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the cottage on the cemetery grounds, 700 Locust St., Columbia. The exhibit, which is free to attend, and which will feature light refreshments, will also be open on Sunday, April 28, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Toth-Musser graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1981. Since then, she has worked in the field of advertising and other art-related employment in several capacities, including as a fashion illustrator, freelance artist and scenic painter. She has been exhibiting her work since 1992 in the Lancaster, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas.

The Mount Bethel exhibit will combine two of Toth-Musser's favorite mediums.

"This exhibit features an assortment of my paintings combined with photographs I recently rediscovered that I'd taken at Mount Bethel Cemetery," Toth-Musser shared. "They are photos of actors that were gathering for a dress rehearsal in the 2006 production of  'Ghosts of Columbia: A Haunted Lantern Tour,' produced and directed by Janet Wood."

Toth-Musser's original plan was to feature some of the photos in the exhibit, but as she was preparing the show, her husband, Jerry Musser, suggested displaying some of Toth-Musser's paintings alongside the photographs.

"The result is an interesting blend of color, texture and mystery," Toth-Musser said. "The exhibit is a mix of these newly combined visuals along with my traditional paintings."

Toth-Musser's artistic talent can be seen throughout central Pennsylvania. Her large-scale mural work includes nature-inspired scenes in the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum in Hershey as well as in several locations of Bass Pro Shops. In Columbia, she created a historically inspired mural at the rear of 301 Locust St. and a vintage-inspired mural for Hinkle's Restaurant, located at 261 Locust St.

Never one to shy away from unique painting experiences, Janette has also lent her creativity to two decorative painted pianos in Columbia, sponsored by Create Columbia. One features blue Delft folk patterns and can be found in the Columbia Market House, 15 S. Third St. The other highlights the timeline of Hinkle's Egg Dye and the restaurant. 

Toth-Musser works as a scenic artist for American Music Theatre in Lancaster. Her studio work is represented by Garth Gallery in Columbia. Several of Toth-Musser's paintings are in the collection of Lancaster General Hospital, the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute and Penn State Health Lancaster, as well as in numerous private collections.

Mount Bethel Cemetery dates to the 1720s and is the final resting place of many people who played key roles in Columbia's history. The nonprofit Friends of Mount Bethel Cemetery raise funds for maintenance and upkeep of the site. For more information, visit http://www.mtbethelcemetery.com.