When word was out that the Johnson Center for the Arts was inviting “saints and sinners” to submit their artwork for an upcoming exhibit, a few question marks formed in the mind’s eyes of local artists.

Andrea Pack, JCA executive director, explained the idea for the “Saints & Southern Sinners” is to explore themes of faith, redemption, rebellion and contradiction through the lens of Southern identity.

“From the pious to the rebellious, from the revered to the reviled, the Southern experience is a tapestry ‘Saints & Southern Sinners’ seeks to explore themes of faith, redemption, rebellion, and of saints and sinners intertwined.”

When the curtain went up on “Saints & Sinners” Thursday night at the JCA, the response was often blurry lines between virtue and vice. But, either way, “Saints & Southern Sinners” should be a popular exhibition from opening to closing, Pack said.

One viewer reminded others that truth is in the eye of the beholder. “No,” said another, “art is in the eye of the beholder.” And, at “Saints & Southern Sinners” both could be debated.

The top “Saints & Southern Sinners,” recognized at the artists’ reception Thursday night were Mark Moseley, Amanda Smothers, and Susie Pieri.

The Johnson Center for the Arts is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free.