A local artist guild hopes one county's gallery will lead to another.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Painters Abby Gazley and Tom Hussey, standing in the art gallery at the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday afternoon, are among the artists whose work is on display there this month.
Painters Abby Gazley and Tom Hussey, standing in the art gallery at the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday afternoon, are among the artists whose work is on display there this month.
A collection of 25 works by members of the Seneca County Arts Council is on display in the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce through the month of January.
The showcased art spans watercolor, oil and other mediums. Its subject matter ranges from the purely representational to the absolutely abstract. Because the chamber show is intended to trace the wide spectrum of artistry within the council, that group is the only thread tying together the whole show.
“It's a source of artistic inspiration for us,” said council member Abby Gazley, who contributed three still life watercolor works to the show.
Gazley has been a member of the Seneca County Arts Council throughout its 20-year existence. The group was established to give area artists a visible presence and an outlet for them to exhibit their work. To help reach those goals, the council moved to its current location at 109 Fall St. in the village of Seneca Falls about a year ago.
“It's nice having that presence on the street, so people know we're here,” said Lynn Patti, an artist with work currently on display.
The council counts about 110 members, more than half of which are artists.
Many member artists exchange their time tending the council's gallery in Seneca Falls for a reduced commission on the sale of their showcased work. Artists are encouraged to rotate their featured works with new pieces every few months.
A recent sale set up by the council gave arts patrons a chance to purchase cheaper works clipped to a clothesline without frames. Some pieces went for as little as $25.
“They were smaller pieces you normally wouldn't bother to frame,” Gazley said. “They were between the frame and the trash can.”
The council maintains an active role in the artistic community by sponsoring workshops for artists of all mediums, from the visual arts to the written and the sung word. The group also award a scholarship to area high school students pursuing an arts major in college. A quarterly newsletter announces its projects.
“We try to promote the arts in general as much as we're able,” said Patti, who contributed two abstract works to the chamber show.
Patti is one of the few avant-garde artists in the Seneca County Arts Council. Her unconventional pieces are a stark counterpoint to the landscapes and still lifes contributed by other members.
“I like seeing where the road takes me,” Patti said.
Joining the council and working with its artists has opened Patti's creative horizons. A longtime fear of working with watercolor faded once she became acquainted with the other artists.
“We're encouraging each other to branch out,” she said.
Auburn artist Tom Hussey agrees that “the camaraderie with other artists is important.” Hussey - who contributed landscape works in oil, pastel and print to the chamber show - joined the council despite his residence outside its titled area. He also helped select which art from other council members would be shown alongside his work.
All the art in the chamber exhibit is available for sale. Though these artists are always hopeful for heavier patronage, the council members feel the tourism traffic in the Seneca Falls area provides a substantial boost to its business.
But buyers are not the only people the Seneca County Arts Council is looking to attract with its chamber show.
“It would be wonderful if some people in Auburn could join us and exhibit their work here,” Gazley said. “They could use us as an outlet for their work or just stop in our gallery.”
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
If you go
What: Seneca County Arts Council show
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through
Fridays, through Jan. 31
Where: Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce, 36 South St., Auburn
Cost: Free
For more: Call 252-7291
The showcased art spans watercolor, oil and other mediums. Its subject matter ranges from the purely representational to the absolutely abstract. Because the chamber show is intended to trace the wide spectrum of artistry within the council, that group is the only thread tying together the whole show.
“It's a source of artistic inspiration for us,” said council member Abby Gazley, who contributed three still life watercolor works to the show.
Gazley has been a member of the Seneca County Arts Council throughout its 20-year existence. The group was established to give area artists a visible presence and an outlet for them to exhibit their work. To help reach those goals, the council moved to its current location at 109 Fall St. in the village of Seneca Falls about a year ago.
“It's nice having that presence on the street, so people know we're here,” said Lynn Patti, an artist with work currently on display.
The council counts about 110 members, more than half of which are artists.
Many member artists exchange their time tending the council's gallery in Seneca Falls for a reduced commission on the sale of their showcased work. Artists are encouraged to rotate their featured works with new pieces every few months.
A recent sale set up by the council gave arts patrons a chance to purchase cheaper works clipped to a clothesline without frames. Some pieces went for as little as $25.
“They were smaller pieces you normally wouldn't bother to frame,” Gazley said. “They were between the frame and the trash can.”
The council maintains an active role in the artistic community by sponsoring workshops for artists of all mediums, from the visual arts to the written and the sung word. The group also award a scholarship to area high school students pursuing an arts major in college. A quarterly newsletter announces its projects.
“We try to promote the arts in general as much as we're able,” said Patti, who contributed two abstract works to the chamber show.
Patti is one of the few avant-garde artists in the Seneca County Arts Council. Her unconventional pieces are a stark counterpoint to the landscapes and still lifes contributed by other members.
“I like seeing where the road takes me,” Patti said.
Joining the council and working with its artists has opened Patti's creative horizons. A longtime fear of working with watercolor faded once she became acquainted with the other artists.
“We're encouraging each other to branch out,” she said.
Auburn artist Tom Hussey agrees that “the camaraderie with other artists is important.” Hussey - who contributed landscape works in oil, pastel and print to the chamber show - joined the council despite his residence outside its titled area. He also helped select which art from other council members would be shown alongside his work.
All the art in the chamber exhibit is available for sale. Though these artists are always hopeful for heavier patronage, the council members feel the tourism traffic in the Seneca Falls area provides a substantial boost to its business.
But buyers are not the only people the Seneca County Arts Council is looking to attract with its chamber show.
“It would be wonderful if some people in Auburn could join us and exhibit their work here,” Gazley said. “They could use us as an outlet for their work or just stop in our gallery.”
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
If you go
What: Seneca County Arts Council show
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through
Fridays, through Jan. 31
Where: Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce, 36 South St., Auburn
Cost: Free
For more: Call 252-7291
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