Certain exhibitions are on the schedule every year at the McDonough Museum of Art.

One thing McDonough Director Claudia Berlinski would like to do is include more exhibitions around those tent poles like the graduating BFA students exhibitions each semester. With that goal in mind, four separate exhibitions will open to the public Friday — “Zac Benson: Realizations,” “James Shawn Crum: Our Blood-soaked Land Is Haunted by My Muses,” “Amy Theiss Giese: The Absence of Light Within These Walls” and “Max Markwald: Skin.”

“One of the things we’re trying to do is build up shows so each separate gallery has a different artist,” Berlinski said. “Sometimes we’ll have an artist take up two galleries, but we’re trying to maximize the space here. We have four very distinct spaces and a lot of diversity in this particular show.”

Berlinski became aware of each of the artists in different ways. Crum is a Youngstown painter who is being featured as part of the McDonough’s emerging artists series.

“When I go to shows, I take photos of work I’m drawn to,” she said. “I’d taken photos of his work at various shows.”

She initially reached out to Crum through his Instagram account, but he thought it was a scam and ignored her. Berlinski said she had her daughter say something to him where he worked, and they ultimately made the connection.

Markwald, who lives in Akron, is another artist who was being considered for the emerging artist series.

“His work has exploded over the last year,” Berlinski said. “He’s a transgender artist, and a lot of his work chronicles his physical transformation and some of the psychological aspects of that. He also did a series of portraits of drag queens. I think the work is very strong, beautifully painted.”

Giese is a Boston-based photographer / artist who is displaying images she’s created at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Berlinski saw her work at a Society for Photographic Education Conference.

“They had an open session where curators can sign up to review photographers’ portfolios, and I was really struck with her work, so innovative, and she also has a sound component to it,” she said.

Benson is a South Carolina-based artist whose work has been shown throughout the United States. According to the artist, his gallery work deals with the relationship between his personal faith and beliefs and his engagement with society.

The work will be on display through April 2. Each of the artists will give lectures during the run of the show. Three of them will be available on the McDonough’s YouTube channel — Crum 6 p.m. Monday, Markwald at 12:30 p.m. March 16 and Benson at 9 a.m. March 23.

Giese will give an artist lecture via Zoom at 10 a.m. March 10 with a link available on the McDonough’s website.