The mission of the Gallery of CNY in Cazenovia is to bring to light the best of what central New York's art community has to offer.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Artist Chris Baker, of Weedsport, sits in his studio Friday morning.
Artist Chris Baker, of Weedsport, sits in his studio Friday morning.
In its most recent show, “Capturing Time,” the gallery is displaying the works of Linda Wesner and Weedsport-based artist Chris Baker. Both artists are showing works that capture moments and places in time, depicting some of the most interesting and historical places in Cazenovia.
Baker said that this show offered him both the opportunity to display his work as well as the challenge of capturing these scenes from his own unique perspective. Baker, who has shown his work at the gallery, as well as various other locations throughout central New York for many years, said that it was a challenge that he was definitely up for.
“I really enjoyed the work,” Baker said. “In the case of this show, the gallery gave us the idea and we ran with it. For me the idea was to try to show things from a slightly different perspective than people might normally look at some of these beautiful buildings. Instead of just showing a building, I might focus in on a doorway or some feature of the building I thought was interesting. I really enjoyed the work.”
From scenes of late-night empty streets to banisters, and the way light plays off of a black-and-white tile floor while people sit and read newspapers, Baker strived to show his viewers something more - something just below the surface of the normal view of Cazenovia. He created his works after extensive sketching while visiting Cazenovia, before returning to his home studio in Weedsport.
There, Baker has been focused on a technique called gouache, a form of watercolor work that he has been working on for many years.
“I've worked in all kinds of mediums,” baker said. “Oil, acrylics, sketching and drawing with pencils, but I tripped over gouache about 25 years ago and I have been working in it ever since.”
Baker has an even more extensive background in the arts. He said that he always enjoyed drawing and creating works of art, but when he went to school at RIT, he focused on it. After graduating, he went on to serve in Vietnam.
It was in Auburn that his art career really began, at the now-defunct Muggleton Gallery, which was on William Street.
“That was where I first showed my work,” Baker recalled. “That was in 1968. Then I was drafted, I served in Vietnam for 13 months; but I kept drawing and sending my drawings back home to be shown there.”
After his term of service, Baker returned to RIT, where he received his master's degree and began his teaching career. He started in Auburn and went on to the elementary and high school levels at Cato-Meridian before retiring after 36 years.
Baker said this allowed him to pursue his interest in art and to pass that interest on to others.
“I really enjoyed it,” Baker said. “I had some great students. I loved to see their interest. I had a studio set up and I would go in there and work and my students were also great critics. After listening to me all day, they would have the chance to look at what I was doing and give me feedback on what I was doing. I was a really great experience.”
Throughout his teaching career, Baker continued to work on his own pieces and to show his work from time to time.
Since retiring, he has been able to spend more time in the studio, making a schedule for himself that includes three to four days working and a few days off.
When he was approached to be part of the CNY Gallery show, Baker was more than happy to take part. The show, which opened on Sept. 25, has been well-received and Baker said he was truly pleased with his work and the reaction of viewers.
“The opening was great,” Baker said. “As an artist you just hope people will see your work and enjoy what they see. The opening was fantastic, just talking to people and hearing what they think, that was great. We are really fortunate to have a gallery like this here and I am very happy to be able to show my work and to have people enjoy it.”
If you go
What: “Capturing Time,” featuring art by Chris Baker and Linda Wesner
When: Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays through Oct. 11
Where: The Gallery of CNY, 58 Albany St., Cazenovia
Info: Call 655-3707
Baker said that this show offered him both the opportunity to display his work as well as the challenge of capturing these scenes from his own unique perspective. Baker, who has shown his work at the gallery, as well as various other locations throughout central New York for many years, said that it was a challenge that he was definitely up for.
“I really enjoyed the work,” Baker said. “In the case of this show, the gallery gave us the idea and we ran with it. For me the idea was to try to show things from a slightly different perspective than people might normally look at some of these beautiful buildings. Instead of just showing a building, I might focus in on a doorway or some feature of the building I thought was interesting. I really enjoyed the work.”
From scenes of late-night empty streets to banisters, and the way light plays off of a black-and-white tile floor while people sit and read newspapers, Baker strived to show his viewers something more - something just below the surface of the normal view of Cazenovia. He created his works after extensive sketching while visiting Cazenovia, before returning to his home studio in Weedsport.
There, Baker has been focused on a technique called gouache, a form of watercolor work that he has been working on for many years.
“I've worked in all kinds of mediums,” baker said. “Oil, acrylics, sketching and drawing with pencils, but I tripped over gouache about 25 years ago and I have been working in it ever since.”
Baker has an even more extensive background in the arts. He said that he always enjoyed drawing and creating works of art, but when he went to school at RIT, he focused on it. After graduating, he went on to serve in Vietnam.
It was in Auburn that his art career really began, at the now-defunct Muggleton Gallery, which was on William Street.
“That was where I first showed my work,” Baker recalled. “That was in 1968. Then I was drafted, I served in Vietnam for 13 months; but I kept drawing and sending my drawings back home to be shown there.”
After his term of service, Baker returned to RIT, where he received his master's degree and began his teaching career. He started in Auburn and went on to the elementary and high school levels at Cato-Meridian before retiring after 36 years.
Baker said this allowed him to pursue his interest in art and to pass that interest on to others.
“I really enjoyed it,” Baker said. “I had some great students. I loved to see their interest. I had a studio set up and I would go in there and work and my students were also great critics. After listening to me all day, they would have the chance to look at what I was doing and give me feedback on what I was doing. I was a really great experience.”
Throughout his teaching career, Baker continued to work on his own pieces and to show his work from time to time.
Since retiring, he has been able to spend more time in the studio, making a schedule for himself that includes three to four days working and a few days off.
When he was approached to be part of the CNY Gallery show, Baker was more than happy to take part. The show, which opened on Sept. 25, has been well-received and Baker said he was truly pleased with his work and the reaction of viewers.
“The opening was great,” Baker said. “As an artist you just hope people will see your work and enjoy what they see. The opening was fantastic, just talking to people and hearing what they think, that was great. We are really fortunate to have a gallery like this here and I am very happy to be able to show my work and to have people enjoy it.”
If you go
What: “Capturing Time,” featuring art by Chris Baker and Linda Wesner
When: Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays through Oct. 11
Where: The Gallery of CNY, 58 Albany St., Cazenovia
Info: Call 655-3707
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