art

Three new art shows opened at GO ART! in Batavia on Thursday evening, with Lorie Longhany drawing the spotlight with a collection of work she calls, "happy paintings." 

She paints small works in her living room to tap into themes of solitude, contentment, and nostalgia. 

Also in the opening were works by Bryan Wright (who was unable to attend the opening), drawing inspiration from his enjoyment of oceans. The coastal-themed exhibition featured ocean creatures sculpted with basic metal fabrication.

On the third floor is a showcase called African Heritage through Arts and Crafts. The exhibition has a special focus on Jamaican arts and crafts alongside select pieces from Africa. This multi-artist show highlights African and Jamaican artists' rich cultural heritage and artistic vibrancy. It also contributes to the celebration of Black History Month at GO ART!

Photos by Howard Owens

When Thea Anderson was working through her recovery program more than a year ago, she wasn’t thinking about claiming an award for the art. She was learning to relieve stress.

Yet Zentangle — a structured drawing method of creating repetitive patterns and intricate designs — served the purpose of helping her relax, focus and produce something that others have come to appreciate. In fact, her piece, “Recovery Tryptic,” won the People’s Choice Award at a new GO ART! Members/Staff Exhibit.

“These pieces kind of represent how far I’ve come in my life,” Anderson said during an interview with The Batavian. “And it’s pretty amazing to have been chosen by a lot of people.”

Anderson is one of three artists to be presented with an award this weekend. The public is invited for a free closing reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday to view the artwork, meet her and artists Rebecca Graham and Jodi Fisher, and help celebrate their awards. This event is at GO ART!, 201 E. Main St., Batavia. Refreshments will be served.

A resident of Batavia, Anderson decided to enter a 28-day rehab program, and during that time, she rediscovered her love of art. While she had pursued acrylics previously, she said her latest medium is pen-and-ink. This three-piece work, the tryptic, fits together in one matted frame of a large white flower against a Zentangle background design. 

“So I discovered Zentangle. It’s a form of art and meditation, and I really liked that because I was going through the recovery process, which I’m still doing. So these pieces kind of helped me with my anxiety and depression. I was an alcoholic. So it was an addiction. I was in a program to get well, and I've been sober for about, I think, 15 months now. I didn't do art for a really long time when I was sick in my addiction, and then as I got better, I started to realize how it was helping me with my anxiety and with dealing with a mental health disorder.”

She wants to share some of her story with hope that it might encourage others to seek help if they are struggling as she did. Anderson is proud of her sobriety as she remembers how she felt 15 months ago. It’s also how to describe her artwork.

“A blank white flower is how I felt,” she said. “It was like I was rediscovering and also creating a new me.”

It took her 20 hours per individual piece, for a total of 60 hours working at her makeshift studio space at her dining room table. She became a GO ART! member a year ago and also volunteered along with her fiancé, Kyle Moore. They befriended Executive Director Gregory Hallock, she said.

Visitors to the exhibit were asked to vote on a favorite for the People’s Choice from Dec. 12 to Jan. 31. Anderson was “honored” to be selected out of several pieces, she said. 

“So many opportunities have opened for us because of GO ART!,” she said. “We’re very grateful for Gregory, for taking a chance on us. I was shocked, I was so happy to have created something that I wanted to share with people. I had no thoughts of winning anything.

“Like I said, it represents how far I've come, and to have a tangible creation to show for the time that I spent kind of doing the work, the inner work, all the stuff that you have to go through and explore when you're in the process of recovery,” she said. “Even to have something to show was such an amazing accomplishment for me, and then winning. It's just, it's amazing.”

She and Moore have a work in progress on the second floor of the nonprofit, she said. They are painting a small ceiling area with a floral scene that will eventually be lit. Since beginning recovery, she has strengthened confidence, stronger focus and steadier hands, she said. 

“When people are in addiction, they try to fix the problem with substance,” she said. “Sometimes, it was an undiagnosed mental health disorder. I chose to medicate. I think that’s what people need to understand, that people who are in recovery or addicts, you have to address all those mental health issues … the person is just trying to get through life.”

GO ART! President Linda Knipe chose Rebecca Graham’s black and white portrait of “Indian Girl” for the President’s Award. A page filled largely with a child’s eyes and rounded cheeks, this genre is challenging, Graham said.

“Children are especially hard to get that child look to them without looking alien,” she said. 

She won a few awards in high school, and that fueled her continued interest in the arts, with an affinity for graphite, charcoal or colored pencil, and trying to get more comfortable with mixed media, including paints. 

She won an award in school also for a pen-and-ink of a sports car, and enjoys that kind of three-dimensional detail work, she said. A respiratory therapist who has enjoyed the healthcare field for the last 30 years, Graham looks forward to having her artwork as a “nice hobby” at some point in semi-retirement. 

“I am able to challenge myself to see if you practice enough, you’ll get better,” she said. “It’s a challenging thing to see how good I can get. Once I’m able to spend more time, I’ll be able to take commissions.”

A resident of Le Roy, she likes to do people and pet portraits and would like to get back to those eventually while exploring various mediums, she said. The competition was stiff with some amazing members for this exhibit, she said. 

“You’re hopeful, and you think it’s good, but it’s like the lottery,” she said. “My sister has been a big inspiration. Some of the work I had done when I was in high school, she’s confiscated it and it hangs in her house. It’s sort of like, well, she definitely thinks I do good, and she’s intelligent, so I thought it’s worth continuing, right? It validates that feeling of its worthiness.” 

The Curator’s Award went to Jodi Fisher of Batavia, who is both a member and GO ART!’s program director and statewide regrant co-coordinator. 

Fisher’s work was yet in another medium — photography. She captured the scene two years ago while at Genesee Country Village Museum during a yuletide dinner and tour by candlelight. The scenario depicted a Scottish American home with no electricity, which provided the luminescent glow and shadows that Fisher is drawn to, she said. 

“So that was really exciting, I got to see a place that I hadn't been in, but they were talking about their Scottish celebration for New Year's Eve, and I saw the shadows on the table with the lanterns. And it just was, I don't know, it really resonated with me,” she said. “When I put in I didn’t realize it was going to be judged, I just brought in some of my work because it was a staff and member show. So it was actually a surprise to me when (staff) told me that I had won an award.”

Her main art is in the literary field, with poetry and prose, and she only more recently began snapping photos with her iPhone 13 mini. 

“I really love the vibrancy of nature. I would consider myself mostly a nature photographer. I love light and shadows and color, and when I see something to me that looks very vibrant and alive, I like to try and capture that and share that with other people,” she said, describing why the table scene drew her attention. “The shadows and the simplicity of pre-electricity there’s a lot of depth and meaning in it.”

The photo is simple enough, but also with details that strike against the darkness and a smooth linen tablecloth set with two lanterns. Shadows emerge from varying positions around the lanterns and a coffee mug, and there seems to be a faint stream of light possibly from a nearby window. 

Fisher had a show two years ago combining both of her passions, prose and photos, and would “love to show my work more,” she said. There may also be a book of her poems in the future. 

Press Release:

The Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery is kicking off 2025 with an exciting new sculptural exhibit! The Bennington Concrete Collective features artwork by Ed Hallborg and J. Brian Pfeiffer. Hallborg and Pfeiffer both use concrete/cement as the foundation of their pieces. 

Hallborg creates relief sculptures by spreading layers of cements onto wood, and then carving into it. Recently, he has been experimenting with color in his artwork by layering chalk pastels onto the dried cement for added dimension. Take note of the colorful strokes used in Collaboration Piece, which consists of many interlocking sculptures on display together for the first time. 

Pfeiffer creates stone blocks out of concrete and marble dust, which he then carves into to create his free-standing sculptures. In contrast to his smaller pieces on display, Pfeiffer also creates large scale sculptures, some of which you'll find permanently displayed around Western NY. This requires him to weld metal armatures to create a stable base, which he then covers in concrete. 

Pfeiffer says most of his sculptures are built for interaction, and he encourages viewers to get up close to his artwork. Feel free to take a seat on Sitting Man when you visit the Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery. Texture and shadow take center stage in The Bennington Concrete Collective. There is a playful mix of abstract artwork on display next to figurative pieces, from both of these talented artists.

Ed Hallborg is a Western New York based studio artist, theatre designer, educator and musician. He first began working with wood forms and concrete while studying as a Carpenter's Apprentice in the Southwest United States. Graduating SUNY with a BS of Design in 2002, he currently serves as Professor of Practice and Resident Designer/Technical Director for the Theatre Department of Hobart and William Smith Colleges. 

In June 2024, he was selected as one of the four Roycroft Emerging Artists:Cohort 2024, sponsored by the Roycroft at Large Association, a Craftsman community in East Aurora, NY. In October of the same year, he was juried in as an exhibiting member of the Buffalo Society of Artists. Ed just finished up a delightfully collaborative NYSCA Independent Artist Grant working with elementary aged artists in the fall of 2024 which he'd be happy to tell you about. He has shown at gallerys throughout the Western and Central NY region.

J. Brian Pfeiffer is a self-taught sculptor, born in 1964. He has been creating sculptures using concrete or stone (alabaster) since 1984. Pfeiffer is the owner of A Sculptor's Soul Studio, which is located in the rolling hills of Bennington, a small town in Western New York. He has abstract and figurative sculptures of all sizes scattered around his property, as well as commissioned pieces in private collections and public installations peppered throughout Western New York. The largest being a 6-ton concrete sculpture, which is called UNITY, a 911 Memorial donated to the Fireman's Home/Museum in the Hudson Valley. He is a recipient of the New York State Council on the Arts Community Arts Grant in 2024, and has won numerous awards for his sculptures at the Allentown Arts Festival.

Two receptions will be held on January 30 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. and at 5 to 7 p.m. Meet our artists and enjoy some refreshments while viewing this exciting new sculptural exhibit.

The Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Wednesdays 5 - 7 p.m. The gallery is also open on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Any changes to the gallery hours will be posted on the gallery social media pages.

For more information please contact: Jessica Skehan at the Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery via email jeskehan@genesee.edu or gccgallery@genesee.edu or telephone 585-343-0055 ext. 6490.

Press Release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) announced the launch of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition. The Congressional Art Competition is open to high school students who reside in New York’s 24th Congressional District.

Since 1982, the Congressional Art Competition has been held each spring to celebrate the talents of young artists across the country. Rep. Tenney welcomes students from the 24th Congressional District to take part in this tradition. Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of experts from NY-24, and the winning artwork will be displayed in the United States Capitol for one year.

In 2024, Tenney’s office received over 30 submissions from high schoolers across New York's 24th Congressional District.

Acceptable mediums include:

• Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
• Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal
• Collages (must be two-dimensional)
• Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
• Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor
• Computer-generated art
• Photographs

All submissions must be delivered to one of Tenney's district offices beginning April 14 and ending April 18. All necessary paperwork must be attached to the students’ artwork.

Please set up a time to drop off artwork at one of the following locations:

• Lockport District Office - 169 Niagara Street, Lockport, Phone 716-514-5130
• Canandaigua District Office - 2375 Rochester Road, Suite 250, Canandaigua, Phone 585-869-2060
• Oswego District Office - 46 E Bridge Street, Suite 102, Oswego, Phone - 315-236-7088

For more information, visit Tenney’s website at https://tenney.house.gov/services/art-competition.

A winter chill on Tuesday didn't stop the Batavia Society of Artists in its third attempt to hold the opening reception for its annual winter show at Richmond Memorial Library.

Snow storms forced the society to cancel its previously scheduled reception, the first one scheduled a month ago.

Andrea Kuehn, who entered three paintings, won the People's Choice Award, the only award handed out at this show, for her painting, "Stop and Smell the Flowers."

Photos by Howard Owens

Press Release:

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is again working with the University Heights Arts Association (UHAA) to showcase the talents of another local young artist, Hope Smith. Her paintings will be displayed in the Independent Living Center lobby at 319 West Main Street, left rear, in the Crickler Executive Business Center in Batavia, from now until March 31.

Concerning her work, Hope states, “I started painting at a young age and I am currently 17. I enjoy painting because it makes me feel better when times are tough.”

The public is invited to her free Opening Reception, Monday, December 16 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at ILGR, with light refreshments provided.

More information is available at 585-815-8501, extension 406.

The Western New York Independent Living, Inc. family of agencies offer an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Press Release:

Join GO ART! on Thursday, December 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. to celebrate the opening of another exhibit featuring GO ART! member artists and staff members.

The public is invited to share this evening with us and view the visual art of local, regional, and GO ART! staff member artists. In addition to viewing the exhibition, visitors are invited to vote for their favorite piece to help us determine the People’s Choice Award and enjoy light refreshments and music. 

This art show is an annual exhibit that features work in all media created by GO ART! member artists. GO ART’s! Board of Directors, members, and staff look forward to this special exhibit each year that has become an annual signature event that wraps up all our fantastic events for the year!

Don’t miss this opportunity to consume a unique gift wrapped in diverse media that will evoke pleasurable emotions of joy, happiness, and peaceful contemplation. This is indeed a cause to celebrate with us, so we look forward to welcoming you. This event is free, but the experience will be invaluable!

GO ART! member artists exhibition runs from December 12 to February 1, and will be open for the public to view during gallery hours or by appointment.

Press Release:

The Holland Purchase Historical Society was awarded $40,000 by the New York State Council on the Arts.

New York State announced today a grant award for the Holland Purchase Historical Society totaling $40,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the nonprofit arts and culture sector. Through New York State’s continued investment in arts and culture, NYSCA has awarded $82 million this year to 509 artists and 1,497 organizations across the state.

“As the unparalleled leader of arts and culture, New York’s creativity and innovation inspires the world,” Governor Hochul said. “Our continued investment in our dynamic creative sector will further boost tourism, strengthen our local economies and continue New York’s success as a rich and vibrant place to live, work and visit.”

Executive Director of NYSCA Erika Mallin said, “On behalf of the Council and staff, I am so proud that we are supporting the critical work of so many nonprofit organizations all across the state, including work of the Holland Land Office Museum. New York State’s art and culture nonprofits make us a global leader, strengthening our connections to each other and the larger world. I thank you for your dedication and service and look forward to all your work in the coming year.”

I remember walking into the Holland Land Office Museum and looking at the large portrait of a young child hanging on the wall. 

It brought me back to a time when I took my daughters to have their yearly picture taken. It was either at J.J. Newberry or W. T. Grant Department Store. The cost of the sitting was free, and the price for an eight by 10 picture was 99 cents. 

You had three choices for background. If your child behaved and smiled, you could be on your way in 15 minutes, but if your child was not in the mood for that milestone 5-year-old portrait, you might have to leave without a picture. 

As difficult as it was to get a photo of a 5-year-old picture in 1981, the process was much more challenging in the 1850s. 

When Alva B. Willis from Elba wanted a portrait of his five-year-old son, Charlie, referred to as his favorite son, Willis needed to find an artist, which was a difficult task. 

One day, a peddler/sign painter put up a sign at Willis Tavern stating that he would do paintings of all kinds at a reasonable rate. Mr. Willis commissioned this artist to paint his son’s portrait.

In the 1850s, making paints and brushes was tedious. The brushes were made of squirrel and oxen hair tied together and inserted into a turkey quill. The quills were attached to wooden handles that were also made by hand. The different-sized brushes were distinguished by comparing them to the size of a bird. For example, the smallest brush would be called a lark, and the largest brush would be a swan. 

Making the paint was also quite an ordeal. The Colors were dull or muted earth pigments, red, yellow, ochre (yellow-brown), and lamp black (bluish-black). The pigments were ground into a powder and put into small containers. When needed, the powder was mixed with linseed oil. 

The next order of business was what Charlie should wear for his portrait. It was decided that he would wear his Sunday best. His mother made him a soft red dress embellished with many tiny stitches at the neck and hem. White pantaloons, daintily embroidered with delicate flowers, covered his knees. This was not an unusual outfit for a young boy in the 1850s.

The setting for the picture was at Spring Creek in Byron. It was a four-mile wagon ride for Charlie and his father. In the spring, Charlie was positioned with a fishing pole and a line of three freshly caught fish in one hand. On the ground beside him was his white hat, and in the band of the hat was a large ostrich feather.

It was a long and tiring day for Charlie to stand in the hot July sun for four to five hours. 

He would celebrate at the end of the day that he was free until tomorrow, when this ordeal would begin again. 

Charlie’s father was thrilled with the results and promptly paid the artist $160.00 for the portrait. 

Unfortunately, the portrait was never signed, and the story did not end there. Charles' great-grandson, Donald Prichard of Georgia, donated the portrait to the Holland Land Office in the 1990s. Many visitors have enjoyed viewing the portrait over the years, but it began to need restoration. So, after months of being away for conservation, the portrait of Charles Willis is back at the museum.   

So, please visit the Holland Land Office Museum and view a portrait of the 5-year-old Charlie with a fishing pole, holding a line with three fish, and posing in a red dress with white pantaloons.

Requiems are a centuries-old art form.

The most famous, perhaps, is Mozart’s, which was left unfinished (though finished by other composers) at the time of his own death.

Typically, composers write eight or nine movements corresponding to the Catholic Mass for the Dead. A vocalist or chorus sings the mass in Latin.

Typically.

Thirty-five years ago, Laurence Tallman, a Genesee County resident, had a different idea. He became intrigued with the idea of composing a requiem that was purely orchestral—no singing, just the music, with the lyrics implied by the melody.

On September 28, Tallman's “Unsung Requiem” will have its world premiere at Genesee Community College, where the Genesee Symphony Orchestra will perform it.

"The piece was inspired by an experiencing Maurice Durufle’s Requiem with the Crane Chorus and Orchestra in Potsdam way back in 1989," Tallman said to The Batavian. "Even then, as a composition student, I thought it would be amazing to write a requiem using the form that would be just instruments. It's been mulling around in my head forever. Then, 200-some compositions later, and finally, the time and the inspiration were there, and so I constructed this piece, so based on an actual Requiem form, the nine movements that are typical in it, but there's no singing."

This isn't the first time GSO has performed a piece by Tallman, but this is a piece that Musical Director Shade Zajac encouraged Tallman to complete so the orchestra could perform it.

"The things he's done of mine have been very playful, very funny," Tallman said. "I get hired a lot for humor pieces and pieces that have a lot of moving parts to it. I told him about this, and I said, 'This has always been on the back burner, and I've got bits and pieces of it done.' I started showing him some sketches, and he's like, 'I love this. I love this idea. I think you should invest in this, and we'll get the group to do it.'" 

Tallman, who lives in Byron with his husband, is a retired music teacher. He taught at Byron-Bergen Central Schools. He is the music director for the First Presbyterian Church of Byron and plays contrabassoon and piano in the GSO. He received his B.M. and M.M. in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. He also has a certificate of compositional study from the Birmingham Conservatory of Music in Birmingham, England.

He said his requiem reflects the text and moods of the Mass for the Dead. 

"Some of them are very somber and pensive. Some of them are playful and joyful," Tallman said. "The lux aeterna is like the light that you know we're searching for. And then the in paradisum ends with this lovely kind of ascension into the Netherworld."

He said the last movement is composed through the lens of his own passing and he had some fun with it.

"(It is) what would it be like if I was in that state of transition and then, ideally, the ascension," Tallman said. "So that piece has a lot of musical allusions to some of my favorite works of music, and it just becomes this collage of sound. The agnus dei has this little repeated pattern that is a variation of a pop tune that is very obscure, and everything builds around that pattern. It's dedicated to a pop star I loved in the 1980s (Alison Moyet), who got me through a lot."

The concert is at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Stuart Steiner Theater at GCC. Tickets are $17 for adults, seniors $12, and students (with ID) may attend for free.

Additional works on the program: 

• Canzona per Sonare No. 2, Gabrieli
• Crisantemi for String Orchestra, Puccini
• Ritual Music, David Skidmore
• A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Britten (which Tallman will narrate).

For more information, click here.

Press Release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its latest exhibit, “Don Carmichael: Ink in History.” The exhibit will open on Tuesday, August 13 and will be on display through December. “Don Carmichael: Inked in History” features over 50 pieces of artwork from Don Carmichael in various mediums from throughout his life. The works come from the museum’s collections alongside others loaned from Carmichael’s friends and family. 

The exhibit can be seen during the museum’s normal operating hours of Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Don Carmichael (1926-2005) was one of the most iconic artists from Genesee County in the 20th century and continues to grace the walls of homes and businesses across the County. Locally known for his famous pen-and-ink sketches, called “Memories of Historic Batavia.” 

Don Carmichael captured the historic essence Batavia and Genesee County offered, and many have loved them ever since and have proudly displayed them in their homes and offices. Luckily, Carmichael sketched dozens of the landmark structures before Urban Renewal tore them down in the 1970s, or he captured the structures through old photographs. Carmichael stated, “I’m fond of Batavia and Batavia history, it’s rapidly disappearing, so I decided to record it for posterity.” Before his iconic pen-and-ink drawings, Carmichael played a major role in the community by being the Director of advertising at The Daily News, Where he worked for over 30 years.

Press Release:

Robin Laney Ettinger, member of the Anna Ingalsbe Lovell Chapter, NSDAR, received First Place in the DAR New York State Fiber Arts competition: crochet category for the second time.

The 2024 theme was "Stars and Stripes Forever in Our Hearts through the Arts''. She crocheted a red, white, and blue shawl using a "sparkle" yarn in the style of "Crochet Filet," which throughout the rows of the shawl, heart motifs are crocheted using the stitch. The shawl represents Ettinger’s respect for the U.S. flag.

Robin’s crochet shawl was selected to represent the 121 chapters in New York State for the National Society (NSDAR) Heritage Committee Contest. Although she did not place in the national contest, she is pleased with the ultimate winning creations.

Robin learned how to crochet from her mother, a skill handed down to her from her grandmother. She is a member of the Prayer Shawl mission group at Northgate FMC which crochets shawls, face clothes, and scarves for local and world communities.

For more information on the NSDAR or if you are interested in joining, please visit DAR. org

The sun was out and people were in a happy place in Downtown Batavia on Saturday for the 2024 Batavia Ramble Music & Arts Fest, which was spread out over Jackson Street, School Street, and, of course, in Jackson Square.

For a lot of people and musicians, the festival was their first experience with the new stage in the square.

It received rave reviews for visibility and acoustics. The soundman said it was a big improvement, with the metal ceiling providing a great acoustic reflection.

The stage was funded by a state grant as part of a larger city of Batavia project to transform Jackson Street into a more attractive public square.  The total grant was for $750,000 with the stage being just one component of the costs.

Twenty-five acts performed on two stages, including the stage on Jackson Street.

Press Release:

Join us for an unforgettable evening of creativity and community in Jackson Square in Batavia on Friday, July 5, from 6 - 10 p.m. Presented by Jo David Arts and Iburi Photography, this special event promises a rich blend of live performances, visual arts, and an electrifying DJ set to close the night.

Kicking off the evening at 5:30 PM, performers can sign up for the Open Mic session, which runs from 6 - 9 p.m. Musicians and performers are encouraged to take the stage at Jackson Square and share their talents. Kevin Lewis-Iburi will host the open Mic, with Scotty DiMartino of Esdee Entertainment closing the night with an epic DJ set and light show.

GO ART! will be bringing their First Friday Open Art Session to the Square. Artists of all media are invited to bring their latest pieces or start new ones. While tables will be set up for convenience, artists are welcome to bring their easels and create in the open air.

"We're excited to bring this event to Jackson Square," said Mary Jo Whitman of Jo David Arts. "This is a great opportunity for local performers and artists to showcase their work and connect with the community in a fun and supportive environment."

Akari Lewis-Iburi of Iburi Photography added, "It's been humbling to witness the talent, musicianship, and comradery of Batavia light up our open mics at the studio this year. We are so thrilled to collaborate with Jo David Arts and GO ART!'s First Friday Open Art Session to bring our open mic performers on stage for a unique immersive art experience!"

This free event is open to the public, making it a perfect outing for anyone looking to experience the vibrant art scene in Batavia. Mark your calendars for Friday, July 5, and join us at Jackson Square for a night of artistic expression and entertainment you won't want to miss!

For more information on Open Mic contact: Iburi Photography at info@iburiphotography.com.

For more information on Open Art Sessions contact: Mary Jo at mjwhitman@goart.org. 

Le Roy Jr-Sr High School held its annual art show this past week, and on Friday morning, Principal David Russell invited The Batavian to meet with three senior art students, Savannah Harms, Abby Rose Root, and Paityn Cooper.

Savannah Harms
Harms said she's been an artist "ever since I was a baby, practically.

"I mean, my mother has always loved art, so I was looking up to her since I was a child. She was drawing, she was tattooing, she was doing everything, so when I was looking up at her, I was watching her do her drawings, and I'd be in the back corner trying to draw exactly what she was.  I've loved it ever since I could even learn to draw."

To her, art is a form of freedom.

"In every artistic piece that you look at around here, you can see the emotion, the feelings that are put into the piece," Harms said. "What was targeted behind that? So, for example, my Edward Scissorhands, what I think about I did this the time that Johnny Depp was going through all of the things he was going through (in his legal case) case. You could just see the emotional distraught. I did that piece, kind of just reflecting that this was a very vulnerable moment. In that movie, it was acting, but you can see just that vulnerable moment. So, I mean, I just love the emotion that can be put into pieces. And you can just see somebody's raw feelings when you look at their artwork."

As for artists she admires, it's no surprise her mom tops her list.

"A lot of people always pick very famous or popular artists, but it's always I always go to my mother," Harms said. "She's somebody who I could not see anybody surpassing her level."

After graduation, Harms will become a full-time tattoo artist.

"I love tattooing," Harms said. "It's a different type of art. I love creating something that I can put on somebody's body forever."

Abby Rose Root
Root's mother is also an artist.

"I grew up with furniture all about me being painted by her, paintings of hers on the wall, and watching her do color pencils, oils, gouache and all different types of mediums," Root said. "She's definitely been a key component in keeping me motivated during my process because she always gives me reassurance when I need it and helps when I need it."

The work on display in the show displayed an interest in fantasy.

"I just like to draw it," she said. "I love this idea of a magical world where you can space whenever you like, and whatever you imagine can come true."

At the top of the artists who inspire her is Le Roy HS art teacher Antonio Ieon Koukides.

"He inspires me because I love the way he can teach all different people, and no matter where they come from, not matter their background, no matter what their skill level is, he's always able to help them improve," Root said.

After graduation, Root plans to attend Genesee Community College for two years for a fine arts degree. Then, she will see where she wants to go after that, whether to continue to pursue art or maybe get a degree in business. 

"Then maybe I could become a teacher or own my own studio or maybe do both," Root said.

Paityn Cooper
Cooper figures her art journey began when she was about nine years old, inspired by her dad, who is an artist.

She said she likes art because "it expresses things that I usually wouldn't be able to say in words."

She said she tried to make her paintings unique and not fit into any specific genre.

Cooper isn't planning a career in art.

"I want to use it as a hobby and to express what's going on through my life throughout my life," she said.

Additional photos of some of the art on display from the show below.

Savanah Freeman, a Le Roy High School senior, needed to complete 15 hours of community service for graduation and contacted me as Le Roy Municipal Historian with an idea.  

Savannah had painted store windows in Batavia and thought that maybe she could paint some windows in Le Roy.  

I suggested that Savanah work on some ideas about the solar eclipse that could be put in the front windows of the Le Roy Town Hall.   

Savannah showed me some of her artwork and immediately I knew that Savannah had the talent to design some unique murals, but wondered whether there was enough time to get them completed in time.  

Savannah had never worked on anything that big, but she was excited about the prospect.  

We decided it would be best for Savannah to paint the murals on huge pieces of paper so she could work on them at home.  

In two weeks, Savannah completed two large murals. One was a brightly colored mural with the Le Roy Village Hall on one side, and the other was a black-and-white image of the solar eclipse barn on the Fort Hill Farm on Route 19.  

Savannah says these murals are the biggest pieces of art she has ever done, but she has enjoyed the challenge of working on something new. She only wished that she had had more time so she could have added more detail. 

Savannah worked on the designs and sketched them out on paper, and then she called for some help from her friend Ariana Dinehart to do some of the painting.  

Both girls said they learned a lot about Le Roy history, especially about the Village Hall which is a focal point of the large color mural.  

The girls are best friends and attended school in Rochester before moving to Le Roy in August.  They said that the move to Le Roy has been the best thing that has happened to them. 

“Everyone in Le Roy — the teachers and the other students — have been so wonderful,” Savannah said.

Savannah, who is related to the Lathan family, points out that her family has “been here forever.” 

Savannah says that her mother has had the biggest influence on her art.  

“She has done every form of art in some way or another, and she has shown me that I can make a career out of something I love to do,“ Savannah said.

On Thursday, Savannah’s two murals were put up in the Town Hall windows. Almost immediately, folks gathered outside to take a look at the unique murals. They will be on display until the end of April.

Then they might be included in the school’s art show. Savannah says, “I definitely would love them to go somewhere where they won’t collect dust.”

Will Savannah watch the eclipse? 

“I am really stoked to see the eclipse,” she said “I don’t plan on going anywhere just because of how many people are coming to see it, but I will definitely be hoping for no clouds so I can sit in my backyard and watch.” 

Business owner and artist Brian Kemp invites the public to a first-time event that involves five art galleries in downtown Batavia this weekend. Batavia Art Stroll will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Eden Cafe & Bake Shop, Iburi Photography, T-Shirts Etc., Eli Fish Brewing Co. and GO Art!

"This grassroots initiative, spearheaded by Judy from Eden, Akari from Iburi Photography, and yours truly, aims to celebrate our local artists and their incredible talent," Kemp said to The Batavian Friday. "We're transforming Batavia into a haven for art enthusiasts and culture aficionados alike. Our lineup of locations is nothing short of spectacular, featuring some of the most eclectic spots in town. Each venue promises a unique and immersive experience, showcasing the diverse array of artistic expressions our community has to offer."

Whether you're a seasoned art connoisseur or simply looking for a fun-filled day out, Kemp promises that the Batavia Art Stroll has something for everyone. 

"Expect to be dazzled by captivating exhibits, demonstrations, and perhaps even a few surprise performances along the way," he said.

The galleries are at Eden, 242 Ellicott St., Iburi, 35 Jackson St., T-Shirts Etc., 37 Center St., Eli Fish, 109 Main St., and GO Art!, 201 E. Main St.

Press Release:

The Batavia Society of Artists is hosting artist David Burke at GO ART! Seymour Place on Tuesday, March 12 starting at 7 p.m. 

David will be demonstrating a more intuitive painting for this demo, using a new squeegee technique with dots of paint to easily create cool designs. Light refreshments will be served. 

The 2.o.1. Tavern will be open for cash purchases.  Non-members are welcome for a $5 fee.  New members are always welcome, all mediums and skill levels. The yearly Single membership is $30, Couples $50, and Students/Veterans $10. 

GO ART! Seymour Place is located at 201 E. Main St. Batavia.

Submitted photos

Press Release:

Interested in participating in a small program that is taking over libraries around the country? Richmond Memorial Library is excited to announce the first-ever Tiny Art Show.

Starting Friday, March 1 register online to reserve a kit that will be available for pick-up starting Monday, March 4 from the library’s Reference Desk. Each take-home kit includes a 4”x4” canvas, paints, a palette, and brushes. 

This program is for ages 12+ and is open to the first 30 who register. Using the supplies provided and/or your own materials, create a tiny artwork (no larger than a 4-inch cube). 

This is an art show for ages 12 and up please create your art with that audience in mind. The artwork must be suitable for display in a public space for all ages. 

Objects, paper, and materials of any kind except food may be glued to the canvas or turned into a sculpture, but artwork must be 4" in all directions or smaller. 

Nonfiction and IT Librarian Elizabeth Beardslee shares that, “We are excited to offer this program to our patrons! We hope they love the idea as much as we do. We look forward to the tiny art bringing people into the library to see the displays. Our hope is that this is a program that can grow and get bigger each year!”

These tiny artworks will be displayed in the main area of the library, as well as on the library’s social media pages starting April 1. 

The deadline to return the artwork to Richmond Memorial Library by March 29 to be included in the Tiny Art Show. One entry per artist. 

Artwork can be retrieved from the library by the artist after the show, starting May 6. Artwork that is not picked up by June 31 will become the property of Richmond Memorial Library and may be discarded. The library reserves the right to exclude any work. 

The registration link will appear online at batavialibrary.org/calendar on March 1. For more information, contact Librarian Elizabeth Beardslee at ebeardslee@nioga.org or Teen Services Library Assistant Ellen Caton at ecaton@nioga.org.

Nearly 100 artists -- 99 to be exact -- entered 264 works of art to the annual Table Top Art Competition, which honors winners with cash prizes and reproductions of their work on placemats that will be on table tops at local restaurants in March.

From that wealth of creativity, 20 finalists were selected and unveiled at Eli Fish on Tuesday night.

There were five honorable mentions and 15 winners, with each of the 15 works of art being reproduced on placemats and the top three winners receiving cash prizes of $200, $100, $50, and a People's Choice winner receiving $100.

The top three winners were Chris Stangler,  Vanessa Loftus, and Debra Meier.  Shauna Blake won the People's Choice voting.