Person of Interest: Blending Talents

PATRONS OF SOUTH END HOT SPOT STELLA KNOW WILSON PARRY as the outgoing, slightly boyish bartender who pours a mean cantaloupe martini. But it turns out he's as accomplished with a paintbrush as he is a cocktail shaker. Combining pop iconography with classical technique (yielding images like the Marlboro Man and a bottle of Jack Daniel's floating through an explosion of color), this School of the Museum of Fine Arts alum has built a reputation as a gifted mixed-media artist among the city's gallery owners and collectors. Now, after stints at Galerie Swanström and the Copley Society of Art, the 30-year-old Parry is set to be one of the premiere exhibiting artists at Gallery Benoit, opening this month in SoWa. "I've been following Wilson's career and have always been amazed by his abstract representations," owner Audra Benoit says of the rising star. But don't expect Parry, who spends up to four months creating a single painting, to throw in his bar towel just yet. "The connections I've made with my customers at Stella have helped me market myself," he says. "Talent with a shot of luck—that's the ticket." wilsonparryart.com.