"Heart and Rose"

Oil on canvas

9"x12" unframed

2024

ARTIST BIO/STATEMENT

Sam Shank is a tattooer and artist native to York, Pennsylvania, who works out of a private studio at New York Wire Works building. He began tattooing in 2015 at Trident Tattoo Company in Dover, Pennsylvania. Previously, he was an architectural renderer. Both careers, however, were a continuation of a life-long pursuit of interest in the arts.

As described by Sam, "My path as an artist has not been a linear one but one of constant exploration and expanding on previous experiences. A journey of understanding each mediums possibilities and limitations. How to combine them to inform and enhance the final product.

With tattooing, I have found that black and grey works best with my philosophy and technique that resonate with my clients vision. The tattoos I craft are characterized by bold, or simple designs with strong contrasts and a conscious use of negative space, ensuring their endurance over a lifetime. My method is respectful, both to the client's skin and their time, minimizing trauma and discomfort without compromising the artistry.

In painting, I am discovering the richness and vibrancy of color, as well as, it's more subdued uses. Also, working with texture and the use of layering to build up the painting and allowing the subtleties of the previous layer to show through. Painting is a way to express my own personal imagination and interests.

3D modeling allows me to work in a virtual space where I can create and envision in multiple dimensions of space and light. Which I use to translate back into a more traditional form of art.

Through the use of multiple mediums and disciplines. I aim to be a well rounded artist, with a deeper understanding art and all its possibilities."

"Brush Strokes and Arrows"

Acrylic on canvas

20"x24" unframed

2020

ARTIST BIO

Amber Wiesberg is an artist, as well as the Director of Education at Creative York, living in York, PA. As a graduate of York College of Pennsylvania's Fine Art Program, Wiesberg has developed her style of creating joyful works exploring the relationships between space, texture and shape. Wiesberg primarily works in acrylic, but enjoys experimenting with other mediums such as embroidery, fabric, and cardboard sculpture. Her work pushes the boundaries of clashing patterns and spatial planes. Her work continues to evolve as she discovers new patterns and color combinations.

Wiesberg has exhibited in local galleries and college buildings since 2017 as well as received awards for her artistic achievement. Under the judgement of Juror Stephen Towns, Wiesberg received third place for Fine Art in the 2019 York College Student Juried Exhibition. She also spent eleven months residing as the Louis Appell Fellow at Marketview Arts in York, PA.

"Nightfall Slips in"

Acrylic

12" x 12" framed

2023

ARTIST BIO

An artist with a focus on abstract art including land and seascapes, Patricia is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She is a member of Creative York and The York Art Association, both in York PA and the Harrisburg Art Association, Harrisburg PA. She is a resident artist at the Garth Gallery, Columbia PA. She has shown and sold her work in all locations.

Always drawing from the power of nature, her vision of depth and space is brought to the forefront in her work. Patricia works in mixed media on cradleboard and paper using acrylic paint, collage, oil pastel, oil sticks and vine charcoal along with sanding and distressing.

She is a recipient of the Rottler Award of Excellence 2021 Annual Juried Show at the York Art Association, York PA. She also received the Award of Excellence at the 50th Annual Open Juried Exhibition, York Art Association. In 2021 Patricia completed a series of four seascape paintings that are now a part of the permanent collection at the Wellspan York Campus Cancer Center, York PA.

"Cut Loose"

Oil and mixed media on board

24"x36" framed

2023

ARTIST BIO

Southern Pennsylvania based artist Michael W. Dugger has been exploring his narrative in painting through the intentional manipulation of surface by meticulously layering and mechanically removing layers to reveal his surfaces. Michael, 43 years old, creates his work out of his studio in York, PA.

Michael and his fellow artist/wife, Lucinda, reside in York and are raising their 4 children there and are also teaching them to explore their own creativity through the arts. Being a former DC resident for over 10 years prior to moving to York, Michael now finds the Pennsylvania culture and bucolic landscape the perfect respite to create his work. Currently, Michael commutes back to the DC area for work as a firefighter and paramedic. His professional work literally bleeds into his paintings in the form of subject matter and tension. Michael has cut his teeth professionally in DC as first a Chef and then moving into the world of firefighting.

Most of Michael's current work takes shape in the form of "reduction paintings" a technique that is used to form images through the idea of removing the layers of paint to reveal a narrative. Michael begins his work by creating the layers needed to build a narrative based on the work series he is engrossed in. He then starts by scraping, sanding, and removing, resulting in the final images that, through the many layers, tell a story. The end goal of this process is like seeing a lone billboard in decay, multiple torn layers, and ghost like remnants. It tells a story. It shows a beauty.

Michael was trained formally at Interlochen Arts Academy and Western Michigan University, where he obtained a BFA in Oil Painting. Michael has had many recent group and solo exhibitions in York and has also shown in galleries across the United States as well as group and solo exhibitions in Berlin, Germany. Michael has located his studio between NYC and DC which provides the creative space to create, but still be close enough to engage the arts community in the DMV.

"Golden Fields at Days End"

Oil on panel

12"x16" framed

2021

ARTIST BIO

Chris Gold, from York, PA, started painting later in life. Her informal art education was gained by taking regional professionals' workshops and classes. Gold's creative journey began when her daughter brought home a coffee mug from her school's ceramics class in 1999. The pair decided to take private lessons together and Chris discovered the joy of creating functional pieces from a lump of clay. After 15 years of occasional frustrating unfixable failures coming from her kiln, Chris wanted a new medium for her creative outlet. Gold had memories of watching, with fascination, her father paint with colorful, creamy oil paints. Assuming she had not inherited his DNA art gene, she did not pick up a brush until 2013, when in her mid-50's. Oils are now Chris's chosen medium. They allow flexibility to change a work, bringing her aesthetic to completion. Painting has become a better vehicle to express her appreciation of the strength God gives and Nature's abundant beauty.

Gold classifies herself as a representational painter, leaning into Impressionism. Now a retired women's health nurse practitioner, she has more time to devote to the canvas. This artist's creations can be seen in area galleries, as well as online social media. Her first oil painting exhibition prize was awarded in 2015. In 2022 her art was awarded best of show in a regional exhibit. Her creations have been accepted into juried exhibits through the York Art Association and shows at the York Jewish Community Center, along with other area venues. Gold is a member of Creative York and is a juried member of the Oil Painters of America. She also serves as the Gallery committee's chairperson and is a member of the Board of Directors for the York Art Association.

"Summer Storm at Seven Valleys"

Acrylic

12"x16" unframed

2022

ARTIST BIO
Brett is a graduate of the York Academy of Arts and works in his art services business, Brett Greiman Design. His services include illustration, graphic design, murals, paintings and art instruction. Brett also is a Pennsylvania Arts in Education artist in residence and is well known for his patient and empathetic approach to teaching art.

In 2004, Kimberly Camp, Yorkfest juror and CEO of the Barnes Foundation, world's largest private collection of impressionist art, chose his painting "Tornado Warning" for the Best of Show award and he was the featured artist for 2006 YorkFest.

In 2011, three of Brett's large-scale moveable murals titled "Civil Rights Heroes, Barrier Breakers" were installed into the permanent collection of the York County History Center.

In 2017, Jim McClure, editor of York Sunday News, listed Brett as "a York artist who history will remember".

He has many works in both corporate and private collections including Wellspan Health, Harley Davidson, Nixon Nature Center, and many others. He has also illustrated and created the cover designs for several books by York area authors. Brett is a life-long York countian and lives in York Township, PA with wife Nina and daughter Bretina.

"Violets"

Oil on panel

12"x19" framed

2023

ARTIST BIO

Currently Living and working near York, PA, Judeth Pekala Hawkins was born in Detroit, Michigan. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Judeth's intensely personal work and unmistakable style has been recognized and awarded throughout the mid Atlantic United States. Her work is in many private collections and has been represented by galleries in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Beaufort, SC.

"The Muckers"

Digital Photograph

18"x14" framed

2019

ARTIST BIO
Michael Hower is a photographer from Central Pennsylvania where he resides with his wife and two boys. His digital photography experience began nine years ago. Over that time, he has amassed a resume of over a two hundred exhibitions and publications. His work has been featured in shows at the Pennsylvania State Museum, PA; Masur Museum of Art, LA; Marshall University, WV; and Penn College, PA.
Mike's work focuses on historical themes portraying human objects/structures in modified environments now devoid of human activity, conveying themes of wear, deterioration, and nature's reclamation of manmade environments via architecture and landscape.

"Rejuvenate"

Acrylic and Mixed Media on canvas

36"x36" unframed

2023

ARTIST BIO

"Bird Dancer"

Acrylic on wood panel

25" X 18"

2023

ARTIST STATEMENT
I believe that we all experience the world in our own unique way. My paintings allow me to go on a journey and recapture experiences through different media. As I cross the bridge between thinking and feeling, I am able to enter a state of existence that revives the place, time, and all my five senses of that moment. I always go back to my reference pictures and sketches, but it is really what is in my heart that gets translated into each of my paintings.
As an immigrant Latino woman whose experience has been about relocating from a small town to a big city and then to a smaller city, I find my themes reflect cultural diversity, movement and growth. I find nature grounds me and helps me move forward in my art. My desire is to connect on a human level with the community. I envision myself growing as a painter and inspiring others to be free and to celebrate their own creativity and identity.

Cada uno de nosotros tenemos una experiencia unica sobre nuestra existencia en este mundo. Mis pinturas me permiten ir en una jornada y captar experiencias usando diferentes medio de arte. El arte me ayuda cruzar el puente entre mis pensamientos y mis emociones. Yo siempro regreso a mis fotos y dibujos como referencia, pero en realidad es lo que esta en mi corazon lo que es transmitido en mi pintura. Como una mujer latina imigrante, crezi mudandome y escondida en mi silencio, yo capto temas que reflejan diversidad cultural, movimiento y desarrollo personal.

Yo encuentro que la naturaleza me ancla/ estabiliza y me ayuda a seguir adelante en mi arte y mi vida. Hay luz en mis pinturas porque capta la esperanza que guia mi vida y mi creatividad. Mi vision es inspirar y celebrar la creatividad e identidad de nuestra comunidad.

"MARBROOK (Spring Stream XXI)"

Acrylic on canvas on board

36"x22" unframed

2024

ARTIST BIO
Spanning more than four decades, the inspiration and creative motivation for my personal expression comes from the issues and events of everyday life, present and past, public and private. Through various media, my artwork has examined the fragile, ephemeral, and sometimes elegiac nature of human existence. I have been, and continue to be interested in creating visual art that can transcend the physicality of the material surface and be a vehicle for emotional and intellectual contemplation, as well as a metaphor for the fragility of the human condition and the world during my lifetime.

"Midnight Moon"

Encaustic

6"x6" unframed

2023

ARTIST BIO
Terri Yacovelli began her art journey at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design when it was located in historic Marietta. She holds an undergraduate degree from Millersville University, and a Masters of Liberal Arts degree from Western Maryland College. Her work has been included in solo and juried exhibits across the east coast in Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey and Maryland. Recent work has been featured in the International Encaustic Artists juried exhibition held at the San Luis-Obispo Museum of Art, California. An avid traveler and gardener, she resides in York Pennsylvania. An advocate for all things local, she makes her encaustic medium from beeswax that has been harvested in York County.

"Aquarium Fish"

Mixed Media

21.5"x25.5" framed

2023

ARTIST BIO

Like many artists, Thom Kulp has always engaged in some sort of creative endeavor. His journey began with crayons and pencils as a child and progressed to water colors, oils and acrylics later in life. Along the way there were other explorations and forays into collage, collagraphy, encaustic, block printing, and mandala drawing. Some of his latest pieces are venturing into the three dimensional realm, but have not as of yet become true sculptures. They are more akin to bas reliefs.

Thom studied painting and drawing at Harrisburg Area Community College with the colorist painter, Edith Socolow who influenced him in the realm of abstract art. Color as subject matter was a revelation to him and his current work is still highly influenced by this. After studying Experimental Mixed Media with Linda McCloskey for several years at the Art Association of Harrisburg, he took over that class and taught it for several years there as well as at the York Art Association in York, PA. In addition to studying with Linda, Thom has taken classed with Julie Yontz-Rupp, Phyllis Disher-Fredericks and Ron Schloyer. He has conducted various workshops in Experimental Mixed Media, Collagraphic Printing, Mandala Making, and Painting in the style of Jackson Pollock. Currently he teaches students in his home studio located in Linglestown, PA. He has participated in many local shows and won numerous awards for his art.

"Green House Florals"

Oil

14"x11" framed

2024

ARTIST BIO

Joanna Tice-Trainor is an aspiring Artist from York Pennsylvania, and a Graduate from Temple University's Tyler School of Art Class of 2015. She received a BFA in Painting and Drawing with a Minor in General Business Studies. She prefers to go by the name "Joey" and her art business on social media is named Only1joey Art to play into that name.

She has resided in her current studio space since August of 2019 located on the third floor of The Handsome Cab in downtown York. A studio space shared among 5 other working Artists. Today she is also a member of the York Art Association and strives to have her work displayed in art shows and events surrounding York.

She loves animals, peaceful nature, hiking, and traveling to new & old places, which is often depicted in her work. She grew up with a twin sister. The sibling rivalry and competitiveness is truly what pushed her to begin her journey as an Artist, but her love and enjoyment that painting brings her is what keeps her motivated to grow her Artist name and get her name recognized in the community.

BFA Painting & Drawing from Tyler School of Art

"A Special Place"

Acrylic on wood panel

10"x8" unframed

2024

ARTIST BIO

Em Castronuovo was born in Morristown, New Jersey in 1996. They received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University in 2015, and continued to live in New York City until 2023. Castronuovo has exhibited work in New York, including at The Commons and The Rosenberg Galleries in Manhattan and The Living and The Woods Galleries in Brooklyn. They are also a part of the DIY art scene in Brooklyn, gathering with fellow artists to create accessible shows that immerse the viewers and foster community. Castronuovo is currently living in York, Pennsylvania, where they attended York Suburban Middle and High Schools.

Castronuovo's practice explores the commonalities of emotion, thought process, and intuition between all humans. Most recently, they are focusing on the experience of nostalgia by collapsing singular linear memories into one collective memory to investigate non-linear time. A recurring question Castronuovo considers is, what is the
relationship between intuition and our internal and external worlds? Everything is everything. Working intuitively, almost never having a set plan when beginning, they create a representation of the subconscious. Writing is also central to their practice. Castronuovo primarily works with paint, collage materials, and textiles, specializing in installation art, to explore these concepts.

@brusselspr0ut

"Neighborhood Tree Platter"

Ceramic (food safe)

16" x 12" x 1"

2023

ARTIST BIO

I'm a native New-Yorker and have always been interested in creating. But as "life gets in the way", I finally found my opportunity in Phoenix, AZ about 18 years ago. After trying several mediums, I discovered my passion in hand-built ceramics; it was literally a life-saver!

I've been back in PA for about 12 years and have a home workshop. Regular customers, custom work, private lessons, and some craft shows keeps me busy. I learn mostly from reading and videos and the occasional workshop. Inspiration come from walks outdoors, collecting ephemeral specimens to become immortalized in clay. I'm always looking to try something new; in ceramics the possibilities are limitless!

My vibe is rustic, understated, quaint, inspired by nature.

717-424-4800

azruffini@yahoo.com

"Gaslight Sun"

Acrylic and Ink on paper

30"x30" framed

2023

ARTIST STATEMENT

My painting style has always been a 2 part process. The first part is about randomness. I spill ink and water onto the blank paper mindlessly, almost meditatively. Basically, I make a mess. The second part is about finding the art hiding in the chaos and carving it out with my brushes and paint. This mirrors how art has always fit into my life - as a kind of coping mechanism for finding beauty or drawing meaning from every random daily experience.

Sometimes I see shadows of figures that materialize like ghosts. Sometimes I see strong lines of direction, shapes, and focal points that form an interesting aesthetic. The meaning for me falls somewhere between interpreting dreams and trimming a bonsai tree. Rather than starting with an idea, ideas are revealed through the process, like filming a movie without a script.

"Winter Landscape"

Acrylic on canvas

16" x 20" unframed

2024

ARTIST BIO

Elaina received a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from The Pennsylvania College of Art And Design in 2009. While pursuing her bachelor's degree, Posey also interned at the Charles Demuth Foundation located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 2010, she studied under Professor Robert Andriulli at Millersville University participating in the Emerging Artists in Residency Program. She received her Masters of Fine Arts at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Pa in 2013. She is currently a member of the Cerulean Arts Artist Coop in Philadelphia and maintains a studio practice at home in Lancaster.

Her pieces have been exhibited in many galleries in Pennsylvania and the East Coast including Millersville University (Millersville, Pa.), Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (Philadelphia, Pa.), Elizabethtown College and Cerulean Arts (Philadelphia, Pa.).

Recent Awards include an Academy Scholarship from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, an Honorable Mention in the 2017 F.A.M.E Show at PAFA (Philadelphia, Pa.), Best in Show in 2017 at the York Art Association's Juried Exhibition and Second Place at the 2017 Juried Exhibition at the Art Association of Harrisburg.

"Spring Beauty"

Oil

12"x9" framed

2023

ARTIST STATEMENT

I enjoy the challenge of trying to capture the beauty of the world around us, always trying to invite the viewer to enter and explore the view. My landscapes are generally of places I have visited, and I try to re-create the mood of the moment with color, light and shadows.
In these stressful times, I have found solace in nature in all seasons. On daily walks, I find the changing of the seasons a solid refuge from conflict. Spring always follows even the roughest winter, and summer's heat gives way to the coolness and colors of autumn.

I seek to find beauty in the ordinary things around us. I paint because I love to paint. So, there is no great social or philosophical message in my paintings; I just want to make the viewer feel good when they look at my art. If it has made you happy, I am happy!

ARTIST BIO

Carol Robertson Little began painting in 2009, taking her first art class at York (PA) Art Association in the winter of 2010. Painting primarily in oils, she has been influenced by instructors Phyllis Disher Fredericks, Anita Williams, Susan Nicholas Gephart and Barbara Buchanan. While most of her work is realistic, she has executed some paintings in an impressionistic style. She paints both in York, PA, and Benson, VT.

She has won awards in York Art Association exhibits, and has been juried into exhibits there, as well as at Farm and Natural Lands Trust. Freedom Seekers at William Goodridge Freedom Center and Framers Workshop in York. She recently was featured in a solo exhibit in the Danyo Gallery of YAA.

She participates in Creative York exhibits, York Art Association exhibits, with the Gallery Group of YAA at various venues, and with the Orwell Artists group and the Stratford House Gallery in Orwell, Vermont.

"Convergence"

Paper

25"x25" framed

2021

ARTIST BIO

Christine Kirk creates paper sculptures she calls "Paper Meditations" in her home studio in suburban Pennsylvania. Her unique art form began more than twenty years ago as a way to decorate her home. Since then, her hobby has led to exhibiting her pieces in many venues including art fairs, galleries and gift shops. Recently her artworks received awards from the Lancaster County Art Association and Christine earned the prestigious status of Master Artisan from the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.

Christine has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Communication Design with honors from Parsons School of Design. She enjoyed a career as a graphic designer in the New York metropolitan area before starting a family and developing her passion for paper art. Now retired, she devotes much of her time to creating Paper Meditations.

"Wyndham Hills Serenity"

Acrylic on canvas

16"x20" framed

2023

ARTIST BIO

I am an artist local to York, I currently am a member of Creative York, I also take a bi weekly class with them.

I am also a member of The York Art Association, Garden Club of York, The Elk's, and the York County History Center.

My love of painting plein air led me to win The York Water Co. plein air event and Veterans Memorial Gold Star Healing and Peace Garden. I love painting local scenes and would like to start a plein air group in York.

"Conewago Sycamores"

Oil

16"x20"

2022

ARTIST BIO

Daily hikes in the woods inspire Anita to paint. Her Celtic soul seeks to find the magical element in nature, whether it is in trees, flowers, waterways or twisting vines She hopes to transfer this sense of beauty to her audience.

Anita grew up at the southern New Jersey shore between the pine barrens and the salt marsh. She moved to York County, Pennsylvania, 35 years ago.

Anita earned her Bachelors in Art Education at Millersville University. She taught Art to high school and elementary students at the Spring Grove Area School District for 15 years. While teaching, she went on to earn an M.S. in Education from Wilkes University and an MFA in Visual Arts from Wilson College. She decided to retire from teaching in June 2019 to pursue her art. She has been working as a full-time artist ever since.

Anita exhibits her art at local and regional juried exhibits. She won two major awards in 2020. Despite the limitations of Covid-19 restricting most artists to online exhibitions, she won Best of Show at the Yorkfest Adult Juried Exhibition and an Award of Excellence for the Art of Healing at Manhattan Arts International.

Although she retired from teaching at the public schools, Anita still loves to teach. She has been teaching Painting classes at the York Art Association and Adams County Council of the adults to adults since January of 2020. She also taught an online Art Appreciation class at Wilson College over the summer.

"Owl"

Acrylic on vinyl

14"x14" framed

2024

ARTIST BIO

I graduated from Millersville University with a BS in Art Education. I retired from the School District of the City of York after having taught Art for 30 years. I also served as Adjunct Professor at York College of Pennsylvania in the Art of Education Department for 11 years. Although my professional career has been in education, I have continued to pursue my love of art through the exploration of many techniques and mediums. I love to draw and have a sketchbook near me at all times. Most recently, I have been working in acrylic on vinyl (old record albums). I don't have any one subject that appeals to me. I see art everywhere. I have exhibited locally at York College, Creative York, York Art Association, The Hive Artspace, and Switchboard Gallery. I live in Columbia and I am an avid supporter and volunteer at the Columbia Animal Shelter.

instagram: j_inman589

"Spring Always Comes"

Oil and cold wax on cradled panel

15.5" x 12.5" framed

2021

ARTIST BIO
Largely self-taught, Donna received formal training at York Academy of Arts. She also holds a degree in Psychology from Albright College and is certified in several modalities in the Natural Health field. After operating a commercial studio early in her career she realized that her true love was painting, although she still pursues graphic design, especially typography.

Donna has exhibited in many places over the years and her work hangs in collections both in the U.S. and abroad. She is a recent recipient of York Art Association's Rottler Award of Excellence.

Donna has taught adult drawing and painting classes for over forty years, and most recently taught painting classes on Zoom for the Office of Aging's Virtual Senior Center. She worked many years facilitating therapeutic art classes for those with serious mental illness and advanced dementia. She has just retired from teaching and is currently focused on her own work.

Donna divides her time among her art, natural health interests and her family. She currently resides in what she likes to call her Hobbit House in Lancaster County.

ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a multi-media artist, living and working in a small town located amidst the beautiful farmlands of Pennsylvania. I mainly work in oils, acrylic and encaustic,
although you never know what medium you might find and the end of my hand. My work varies from realism to impressionism to abstract.

I love what I do and get excited about creating textures, both real and illusory.

Capturing the extraordinary within the ordinary is one of my favorite things and often, my paintings will invite the viewer inside them. I see imperfection as a natural part of life and sometimes deliberately place flaws to speak to that. My portraiture embraces the essence over likeness and my abstracts frequently have a mysterious nature.

A lover of puzzles, mystery, and intrigue, I am fond of bringing them into my work. Look for flaws, look for puzzles. You just might find them!

"Sailing Before Storm"

Oil

11" X 14" framed

2022

ARTIST BIO

Susan is a Pennsylvania artist and has been involved in art throughout her life, whether drawing, painting, working in clay or teaching and counseling through art. Her formal training includes a dual Bachelors degree in fine arts and psychology with art therapy concentration, Masters degree in education, and continued studies in landscape painting, illustration, and design.

She is inspired by nature, particularly the colors and shapes in the landscape and the emotional response to the environment. Therefore, she often paints en plein air, striving to portray the "feel of the day", sifting through the layers of natural color and the play of light. Susan enjoys a variety of media, but has mainly been working in oil. In the studio, she frequently uses plein air, pen, ink, watercolor or colored pencil sketches to create larger oil paintings. Her studio work also includes still life, human and animal portraiture. Susan has studied landscape painting abroad, including Italy and Ireland, and painted across the USA, gaining inspiration from her travels. She has exhibited in Pennsylvania, New York City and the US east coast in many juried shows and has won awards regionally, recently including four Best of Show awards, several People's Choice awards, awards for Plein air/Impressionism and for her works in clay. She recently added book illustration to her art endeavors, for the children's book, "Goodbye Yellow House". She also teaches adult beginning oil painting and select children's projects. Her work is in private and corporate collections. She is a member of the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters, Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters, American Impressionist Society and local art associations. Through her work, she hopes to share a blend of appreciation for the natural world and the wonder of the human spirit.

sbenignilandis@yahoo.com

"Studio Brain 2"

Silver Gelatin Print

8"x10" framed

2021

ARTIST BIO
Lindsey Maverick is a film photographer residing in York, PA. They love to capture the breadth of human emotion through their work. Mav has been creating silver gelatin prints for years and is now on the Grotto Commons team to create a community darkroom in York. They do freelance photography in the central PA area as well as Chicago, IL.

"The Precionists"

Digital Photograph

18"x14" framed

2019

ARTIST BIO
Michael Hower is a photographer from Central Pennsylvania where he resides with his wife and two boys. His digital photography experience began nine years ago. Over that time, he has amassed a resume of over a two hundred exhibitions and publications. His work has been featured in shows at the Pennsylvania State Museum, PA; Masur Museum of Art, LA; Marshall University, WV; and Penn College, PA.

Mike's work focuses on historical themes portraying human objects/structures in modified environments now devoid of human activity, conveying themes of wear, deterioration, and nature's reclamation of manmade environments via architecture and landscape.

"Wetlands Reach to the Lake"

Oil

16"x20" framed

2023

ARTIST BIO

Chris Gold, from York, PA, started painting later in life. Her informal art education was gained by taking regional professionals' workshops and classes. Gold's creative journey began when her daughter brought home a coffee mug from her school's ceramics class in 1999. The pair decided to take private lessons together and Chris discovered the joy of creating functional pieces from a lump of clay. After 15 years of occasional frustrating unfixable failures coming from her kiln, Chris wanted a new medium for her creative outlet. Gold had memories of watching, with fascination, her father paint with colorful, creamy oil paints. Assuming she had not inherited his DNA art gene, she did not pick up a brush until 2013, when in her mid-50's. Oils are now Chris's chosen medium. They allow flexibility to change a work, bringing her aesthetic to completion. Painting has become a better vehicle to express her appreciation of the strength God gives and Nature's abundant beauty.

Gold classifies herself as a representational painter, leaning into Impressionism. Now a retired women's health nurse practitioner, she has more time to devote to the canvas. This artist's creations can be seen in area galleries, as well as online social media. Her first oil painting exhibition prize was awarded in 2015. In 2022 her art was awarded best of show in a regional exhibit. Her creations have been accepted into juried exhibits through the York Art Association and shows at the York Jewish Community Center, along with other area venues. Gold is a member of Creative York and is a juried member of the Oil Painters of America. She also serves as the Gallery committee's chairperson and is a member of the Board of Directors for the York Art Association.

"Cape May Nightmares"

Acrylic and Ink on paper

30"x30" framed

2023

ARTIST STATEMENT

My painting style has always been a 2 part process. The first part is about randomness. I spill ink and water onto the blank paper mindlessly, almost meditatively. Basically, I make a mess. The second part is about finding the art hiding in the chaos and carving it out with my brushes and paint. This mirrors how art has always fit into my life - as a kind of coping mechanism for finding beauty or drawing meaning from every random daily experience.

Sometimes I see shadows of figures that materialize like ghosts. Sometimes I see strong lines of direction, shapes, and focal points that form an interesting aesthetic. The meaning for me falls somewhere between interpreting dreams and trimming a bonsai tree. Rather than starting with an idea, ideas are revealed through the process, like filming a movie without a script.

"Day's End"

Acrylic

8"x10" unframed

2021

ARTIST BIO
Brett is a graduate of the York Academy of Arts and works in his art services business, Brett Greiman Design. His services include illustration, graphic design, murals, paintings and art instruction. Brett also is a Pennsylvania Arts in Education artist in residence and is well known for his patient and empathetic approach to teaching art.

In 2004, Kimberly Camp, Yorkfest juror and CEO of the Barnes Foundation, world's largest private collection of impressionist art, chose his painting "Tornado Warning" for the Best of Show award and he was the featured artist for 2006 YorkFest.

In 2011, three of Brett's large-scale moveable murals titled "Civil Rights Heroes, Barrier Breakers" were installed into the permanent collection of the York County History Center.

In 2017, Jim McClure, editor of York Sunday News, listed Brett as "a York artist who history will remember".

He has many works in both corporate and private collections including Wellspan Health, Harley Davidson, Nixon Nature Center, and many others. He has also illustrated and created the cover designs for several books by York area authors. Brett is a life-long York countian and lives in York Township, PA with wife Nina and daughter Bretina.

"Green with Envy"

Acrylic

8"x10" framed

2023

ARTIST STATEMENT/BIO

My primary focus is on everyday life, nature, and people. I use those examples to form compositional works of reality and imagination. Creating art to have the viewer enjoy the esthetic beauty of the world through Art is my goal.

I paint primarily with acrylics and watercolors. I considered myself a colorist with exploration of color values and application to design.

I taught Art for 39 years in Public Schools. I have degrees from and studied Art Education at Penn State University and Millersville University.

During my retirement I returned to painting after a hiatus of a few decades. My retirement also has allowed me to return to my love of Art History through classes at the Barnes Foundation completing the Violetta de Mazia Certificate. I continue participating in London Drawing Groups, Penn Studio School of Art and Life Drawing sessions.

"Boats in the Morning"

Oil

16"x20" framed

2023

ARTIST BIO
Joanna Tice-Trainor is an aspiring Artist from York Pennsylvania, and a Graduate from Temple University's Tyler School of Art Class of 2015. She received a BFA in Painting and Drawing with a Minor in General Business Studies. She prefers to go by the name "Joey" and her art business on social media is named Only1joey Art to play into that name.

She has resided in her current studio space since August of 2019 located on the third floor of The Handsome Cab in downtown York. A studio space shared among 5 other working Artists. Today she is also a member of the York Art Association and strives to have her work displayed in art shows and events surrounding York.

She loves animals, peaceful nature, hiking, and traveling to new & old places, which is often depicted in her work. She grew up with a twin sister. The sibling rivalry and competitiveness is truly what pushed her to begin her journey as an Artist, but her love and enjoyment that painting brings her is what keeps her motivated to grow her Artist name and get her name recognized in the community.

BFA Painting & Drawing from Tyler School of Art

"Daisy Heart"

Painted Resin 3-D Print

6"x6" shadow box

2024

ARTIST BIO/STATEMENT

Sam Shank is a tattooer and artist native to York, Pennsylvania, who works out of a private studio at New York Wire Works building. He began tattooing in 2015 at Trident Tattoo Company in Dover, Pennsylvania. Previously, he was an architectural renderer. Both careers, however, were a continuation of a life-long pursuit of interest in the arts.

As described by Sam, "My path as an artist has not been a linear one but one of constant exploration and expanding on previous experiences. A journey of understanding each mediums possibilities and limitations. How to combine them to inform and enhance the final product.

With tattooing, I have found that black and grey works best with my philosophy and technique that resonate with my clients vision. The tattoos I craft are characterized by bold, or simple designs with strong contrasts and a conscious use of negative space, ensuring their endurance over a lifetime. My method is respectful, both to the client's skin and their time, minimizing trauma and discomfort without compromising the artistry.

In painting, I am discovering the richness and vibrancy of color, as well as, it's more subdued uses. Also, working with texture and the use of layering to build up the painting and allowing the subtleties of the previous layer to show through. Painting is a way to express my own personal imagination and interests.

3D modeling allows me to work in a virtual space where I can create and envision in multiple dimensions of space and light. Which I use to translate back into a more traditional form of art.

Through the use of multiple mediums and disciplines. I aim to be a well rounded artist, with a deeper understanding art and all its possibilities."

"Headress"

Acrylic on canvas

20"x16" unframed

2009

DONATED BY ARTIST

ARTIST BIO

Janette Toth-Musser b. McKeesport, Pennsylvania, 1960
Janette Toth grew up in Clairton, Pennsylvania-a steel town near Pittsburgh. She received an AST degree from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1981. Her artwork has won numerous awards and has been included in solo, juried, and curated exhibits in museums and galleries. She maintains a home studio in Columbia, PA where she lives with her husband, designer/artist Jerry King Musser. "I enjoy experimenting with texture and color and prefer to work in large scale. I am most reactive to color and line. Sometimes I execute a painting with a predetermined idea or sketch, but usually I do not. I see a shape or line that pushes me in a direction. I like to see preliminary work and corrections as part of the finished painting. My inspiration stems from a unique experience, or a subject that piques my visual interest to the point of it requiring further development. I repeatedly rework paintings, appreciating the pentimento.

I was fortunate to have artist Henry Koerner as my painting teacher at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. His approach to painting left a lasting impression on me. In later years, I sought the instruction of painter Charles 'Li' Hidley from whom I learned about abstract expressionism which further enhanced my approach toward applying paint to surface. I continue to develop my painting habits by working with a variety of materials." Former mural work includes painting scenery in the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum, and Bass Pro stores in several USA locations. Janette enjoys employment as a scenic painter for professional theaters. Her studio work can usually be found at Garth Gallery in Columbia, PA. Several paintings are in the collection of Lancaster General Hospital and the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute. For more information about future exhibits look for Janette Toth, artist on Facebook, or Contact Janette via email.

"Scenes of the Colonial Garden (Gates House and Plough Tavern)"

Acrylic on canvas

12"x10" framed

2023

ARTIST BIO

I am an artist local to York, I currently am a member of Creative York, I also take a bi weekly class with them.

I am also a member of The York Art Association, Garden Club of York, The Elk's, and the York County History Center.

My love of painting plein air led me to win The York Water Co. plein air event and Veterans Memorial Gold Star Healing and Peace Garden. I love painting local scenes and would like to start a plein air group in York.

"Time Lapse"

Acrylic on board

12"x12" framed

2021

ARTIST BIO

An artist with a focus on abstract art including land and seascapes, Patricia is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She is a member of Creative York and The York Art Association, both in York PA and the Harrisburg Art Association, Harrisburg PA. She is a resident artist at the Garth Gallery, Columbia PA. She has shown and sold her work in all locations.

Always drawing from the power of nature, her vision of depth and space is brought to the forefront in her work. Patricia works in mixed media on cradleboard and paper using acrylic paint, collage, oil pastel, oil sticks and vine charcoal along with sanding and distressing.

She is a recipient of the Rottler Award of Excellence 2021 Annual Juried Show at the York Art Association, York PA. She also received the Award of Excellence at the 50th Annual Open Juried Exhibition, York Art Association. In 2021 Patricia completed a series of four seascape paintings that are now a part of the permanent collection at the Wellspan York Campus Cancer Center, York PA.

Visually impaired from Glaucoma for the past ten years, Patricia was awarded the role of Chair for an upcoming art show and auction for visually impaired artists by the Glaucoma Research Foundation in San Francisco, CA. The event will be held in conjunction with their annual event, Glaucoma 360, in San Francisco CA February 2022. Patricia curated artwork from visually impaired artists from around the world. Patricia was also a recent panelist for the Glaucoma Research Foundation's webinar on the emotional aspect of dealing with glaucoma. The webinar can be found on www.glaucoma.org.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Clouds have always been a fascination for Patricia L Caulfield. By constantly studying their form, movement and light Patricia creates atmospheric paintings without using photographic reference. Her focus is on abstract art that includes both land and seascapes.

"Flight of the Fairy Godmother"

Mixed Media

21.5"x17.5" framed

2021

ARTIST BIO

Like many artists, Thom Kulp has always engaged in some sort of creative endeavor. His journey began with crayons and pencils as a child and progressed to water colors, oils and acrylics later in life. Along the way there were other explorations and forays into collage, collagraphy, encaustic, block printing, and mandala drawing. Some of his latest pieces are venturing into the three dimensional realm, but have not as of yet become true sculptures. They are more akin to bas reliefs.

Thom studied painting and drawing at Harrisburg Area Community College with the colorist painter, Edith Socolow who influenced him in the realm of abstract art. Color as subject matter was a revelation to him and his current work is still highly influenced by this. After studying Experimental Mixed Media with Linda McCloskey for several years at the Art Association of Harrisburg, he took over that class and taught it for several years there as well as at the York Art Association in York, PA. In addition to studying with Linda, Thom has taken classed with Julie Yontz-Rupp, Phyllis Disher-Fredericks and Ron Schloyer. He has conducted various workshops in Experimental Mixed Media, Collagraphic Printing, Mandala Making, and Painting in the style of Jackson Pollock. Currently he teaches students in his home studio located in Linglestown, PA. He has participated in many local shows and won numerous awards for his art.

"Happy Hour"

Acrylic on canvas

8" x 10" unframed

2023

ARTIST BIO

Elaina received a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from The Pennsylvania College of Art And Design in 2009. While pursuing her bachelor's degree, Posey also interned at the Charles Demuth Foundation located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 2010, she studied under Professor Robert Andriulli at Millersville University participating in the Emerging Artists in Residency Program. She received her Masters of Fine Arts at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Pa in 2013. She is currently a member of the Cerulean Arts Artist Coop in Philadelphia and maintains a studio practice at home in Lancaster.

Her pieces have been exhibited in many galleries in Pennsylvania and the East Coast including Millersville University (Millersville, Pa.), Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (Philadelphia, Pa.), Elizabethtown College and Cerulean Arts (Philadelphia, Pa.).

Recent Awards include an Academy Scholarship from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, an Honorable Mention in the 2017 F.A.M.E Show at PAFA (Philadelphia, Pa.), Best in Show in 2017 at the York Art Association's Juried Exhibition and Second Place at the 2017 Juried Exhibition at the Art Association of Harrisburg.

"Juni & Anissa"

Silver Gelatin print

8"x10" framed

2021

ARTIST BIO
Lindsey Maverick is a film photographer residing in York, PA. They love to capture the breadth of human emotion through their work. Mav has been creating silver gelatin prints for years and is now on the Grotto Commons team to create a community darkroom in York. They do freelance photography in the central PA area as well as Chicago, IL.

"Luna Moth"

Mixed Media

14"x17" framed

2018

ARTIST BIO

Currently Living and working near York, PA, Judeth Pekala Hawkins was born in Detroit, Michigan. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Judeth's intensely personal work and unmistakable style has been recognized and awarded throughout the mid Atlantic United States. Her work is in many private collections and has been represented by galleries in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Beaufort, SC.

"MARBROOK (Night View)"

Acrylic on canvas

8" x 10" framed

2024

ARTIST BIO
Spanning more than four decades, the inspiration and creative motivation for my personal expression comes from the issues and events of everyday life, present and past, public and private. Through various media, my artwork has examined the fragile, ephemeral, and sometimes elegiac nature of human existence. I have been, and continue to be interested in creating visual art that can transcend the physicality of the material surface and be a vehicle for emotional and intellectual contemplation, as well as a metaphor for the fragility of the human condition and the world during my lifetime.

"Awakening"

Acrylic on canvas board

10.75"x8.75" framed

2021

ARTIST BIO
Largely self-taught, Donna Welsh received formal training at York Academy of Arts. She also holds a degree in Psychology from Albright College and is certified in several modalities in the Natural Health field. After operating a commercial studio early in her career she realized that her true love was painting, although she still pursues graphic design, especially typography.

Donna has exhibited in many places over the years and her work hangs in collections both in the U.S. and abroad. She is a recipient of York Art Association's Rottler Award of Excellence.

Donna has taught adult drawing and painting classes for over forty years, and most recently taught painting classes on Zoom for the Office of Aging's Virtual Senior Center. She worked many years facilitating therapeutic art classes for those with serious mental illness and advanced dementia. She has just retired from teaching and is currently focused on her own work.

Donna divides her time among her art, natural health interests and her family. She currently resides in what she likes to call her Hobbit House in Lancaster County.

ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a multi-media artist, living and working in a small town located amidst the beautiful farmlands of Pennsylvania. I mainly work in oils, acrylic and encaustic,
although you never know what medium you might find and the end of my hand. My work varies from realism to impressionism to abstract.

I love what I do and get excited about creating textures, both real and illusory.

Capturing the extraordinary within the ordinary is one of my favorite things and often, my paintings will invite the viewer inside them. I see imperfection as a natural part of life and sometimes deliberately place flaws to speak to that. My portraiture embraces the essence over likeness and my abstracts frequently have a mysterious nature.

A lover of puzzles, mystery, and intrigue, I am fond of bringing them into my work. Look for flaws, look for puzzles. You just might find them!

"Pantry"

Giclee Print

12"x12" framed

2023

ARTIST BIO

A native of York, Melanie M. Rodgers is a graphic designer/typographer/illustrator in private practice. She is an adjunct faculty member in illustration at York College of Pennsylvania, after 24 years as a full-time faculty member. She holds an M.A. in Digital Arts and an M.F.A. in Studio Art from The Maryland Institute College of Art, and is also a graduate in Fine Art from the now legendary York Academy of Arts. Before her career in academia, Mel worked as an illustrator, production artist, corporate media specialist and designer of industrial product and training literature. Her research has appeared in Voice: the AIGA Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and the proceedings of national and international conferences. Her work is included in the Rhizome ArtBase Collection at The New Museum in New York. Mel is currently working on a variety of projects, both self-initiated and client-based, primarily typographic in nature and for print and screen, as well as critical and creative writing.

"The Instrumentalists"

Digital Photograph

14"x18" framed

2019

ARTIST BIO
Michael Hower is a photographer from Central Pennsylvania where he resides with his wife and two boys. His digital photography experience began nine years ago. Over that time, he has amassed a resume of over a two hundred exhibitions and publications. His work has been featured in shows at the Pennsylvania State Museum, PA; Masur Museum of Art, LA; Marshall University, WV; and Penn College, PA.

Mike's work focuses on historical themes portraying human objects/structures in modified environments now devoid of human activity, conveying themes of wear, deterioration, and nature's reclamation of manmade environments via architecture and landscape.

"Friends"

Acrylic & 35 mm print on panel

10"x8" unframed

2023

ARTIST BIO

Em Castronuovo was born in Morristown, New Jersey in 1996. They received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University in 2015, and continued to live in New York City until 2023. Castronuovo has exhibited work in New York, including at The Commons and The Rosenberg Galleries in Manhattan and The Living and The Woods Galleries in Brooklyn. They are also a part of the DIY art scene in Brooklyn, gathering with fellow artists to create accessible shows that immerse the viewers and foster community. Castronuovo is currently living in York, Pennsylvania, where they attended York Suburban Middle and High Schools.

Castronuovo's practice explores the commonalities of emotion, thought process, and intuition between all humans. Most recently, they are focusing on the experience of nostalgia by collapsing singular linear memories into one collective memory to investigate non-linear time. A recurring question Castronuovo considers is, what is the
relationship between intuition and our internal and external worlds? Everything is everything. Working intuitively, almost never having a set plan when beginning, they create a representation of the subconscious. Writing is also central to their practice. Castronuovo primarily works with paint, collage materials, and textiles, specializing in installation art, to explore these concepts.

@brusselspr0ut

"Outdoor Joy"

Oil

11"x14" framed

2023

ARTIST BIO

Chris Gold, from York, PA, started painting later in life. Her informal art education was gained by taking regional professionals' workshops and classes. Gold's creative journey began when her daughter brought home a coffee mug from her school's ceramics class in 1999. The pair decided to take private lessons together and Chris discovered the joy of creating functional pieces from a lump of clay. After 15 years of occasional frustrating unfixable failures coming from her kiln, Chris wanted a new medium for her creative outlet. Gold had memories of watching, with fascination, her father paint with colorful, creamy oil paints. Assuming she had not inherited his DNA art gene, she did not pick up a brush until 2013, when in her mid-50's. Oils are now Chris's chosen medium. They allow flexibility to change a work, bringing her aesthetic to completion. Painting has become a better vehicle to express her appreciation of the strength God gives and Nature's abundant beauty.

Gold classifies herself as a representational painter, leaning into Impressionism. Now a retired women's health nurse practitioner, she has more time to devote to the canvas. This artist's creations can be seen in area galleries, as well as online social media. Her first oil painting exhibition prize was awarded in 2015. In 2022 her art was awarded best of show in a regional exhibit. Her creations have been accepted into juried exhibits through the York Art Association and shows at the York Jewish Community Center, along with other area venues. Gold is a member of Creative York and is a juried member of the Oil Painters of America. She also serves as the Gallery committee's chairperson and is a member of the Board of Directors for the York Art Association.

"Jumping Rope"

Oil and mixed media on panel

10in x 20in framed diptych

2024

ARTIST BIO

Southern Pennsylvania based artist Michael W. Dugger has been exploring his narrative in painting through the intentional manipulation of surface by meticulously layering and mechanically removing layers to reveal his surfaces. Michael, 43 years old, creates his work out of his studio in York, PA.

Michael and his fellow artist/wife, Lucinda, reside in York and are raising their 4 children there and are also teaching them to explore their own creativity through the arts. Being a former DC resident for over 10 years prior to moving to York, Michael now finds the Pennsylvania culture and bucolic landscape the perfect respite to create his work. Currently, Michael commutes back to the DC area for work as a firefighter and paramedic. His professional work literally bleeds into his paintings in the form of subject matter and tension. Michael has cut his teeth professionally in DC as first a Chef and then moving into the world of firefighting.

Most of Michael's current work takes shape in the form of "reduction paintings" a technique that is used to form images through the idea of removing the layers of paint to reveal a narrative. Michael begins his work by creating the layers needed to build a narrative based on the work series he is engrossed in. He then starts by scraping, sanding, and removing, resulting in the final images that, through the many layers, tell a story. The end goal of this process is like seeing a lone billboard in decay, multiple torn layers, and ghost like remnants. It tells a story. It shows a beauty.

Michael was trained formally at Interlochen Arts Academy and Western Michigan University, where he obtained a BFA in Oil Painting. Michael has had many recent group and solo exhibitions in York and has also shown in galleries across the United States as well as group and solo exhibitions in Berlin, Germany. Michael has located his studio between NYC and DC which provides the creative space to create, but still be close enough to engage the arts community in the DMV.

"Thoughts And Trees"

Oil on panel

16"x12" framed

2017

ARTIST BIO

Currently Living and working near York, PA, Judeth Pekala Hawkins was born in Detroit, Michigan. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Judeth's intensely personal work and unmistakable style has been recognized and awarded throughout the mid Atlantic United States. Her work is in many private collections and has been represented by galleries in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Beaufort, SC.

"Celebrating Love (Confetti)"

Acrylic, Watercolor, Metallic Watercolor, Soap & Ink

20" x 20" x 2.25" unframed

2022

ARTIST BIO

Jen Haefeli is an InterArtist residing in Pittsburgh, PA. Jen became George Mason University's first InterArts graduate and received the College of Visual and Performing Arts Award. She has exhibited work in galleries internationally. Jen is a member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, The Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, as well as Creative York. Jen is a United Way of Southwest Pennsylvania member and she is on the Board of Harvest107, which aims to create sustainable food sources in developing countries like Haiti. Her work is in private collections and can be requested via her website: www.WildRootCreations.com

ARTIST STATEMENT

As an InterArtist, I work in most studio arts and I am passionate about helping others build their understanding of the arts as they build their own artistic individual skill sets. I hope that I am a part of broadening their understanding of the cultural and historical significance behind the art forms studied. I believe the holistic aspect of our work involves both the aesthetic, and the inspiration behind the visual features, or "Beneficial Tertiary Creativity" as I call it. Understanding the timeframe, and location, and knowing more about why artists create or how an art form came about is critical. Learning the brush stroke or application of color is a mere aspect of creation. Understanding the historical impact of the work, and why it has withstood time is the true information and appreciation behind the creation. This helps develop a fluent creative language. For those who find passion in art, it is the means to communicate throughout their lifetime. Art can fuel the soul, and replenish us. We adorn our spaces, and our bodies and comfort ourselves with decor. Art can be cathartic and therapeutic in nature. We make an impact on this world by leaving our marks, however brief they may be. It is an exciting experience to inspire others in the process of doing so and thus I appreciate each individual who allows me the opportunity to be a part of their time here by collecting my work and learning from me.

"Stormy Sunset"

Oil and cold wax

9"x12" unframed

2023

ARTIST STATEMENT

I enjoy the challenge of trying to capture the beauty of the world around us, always trying to invite the viewer to enter and explore the view. My landscapes are generally of places I have visited, and I try to re-create the mood of the moment with color, light and shadows.
In these stressful times, I have found solace in nature in all seasons. On daily walks, I find the changing of the seasons a solid refuge from conflict. Spring always follows even the roughest winter, and summer's heat gives way to the coolness and colors of autumn.

I seek to find beauty in the ordinary things around us. I paint because I love to paint. So, there is no great social or philosophical message in my paintings; I just want to make the viewer feel good when they look at my art. If it has made you happy, I am happy!

ARTIST BIO

Carol Robertson Little began painting in 2009, taking her first art class at York (PA) Art Association in the winter of 2010. Painting primarily in oils, she has been influenced by instructors Phyllis Disher Fredericks, Anita Williams, Susan Nicholas Gephart and Barbara Buchanan. While most of her work is realistic, she has executed some paintings in an impressionistic style. She paints both in York, PA, and Benson, VT.

She has won awards in York Art Association exhibits, and has been juried into exhibits there, as well as at Farm and Natural Lands Trust. Freedom Seekers at William Goodridge Freedom Center and Framers Workshop in York. She recently was featured in a solo exhibit in the Danyo Gallery of YAA.

She participates in Creative York exhibits, York Art Association exhibits, with the Gallery Group of YAA at various venues, and with the Orwell Artists group and the Stratford House Gallery in Orwell, Vermont.

"Hanging Wall Planter"

Ceramic

10"x10"x4"

2023

ARTIST BIO

I'm a native New-Yorker and have always been interested in creating. But as "life gets in the way", I finally found my opportunity in Phoenix, AZ about 18 years ago. After trying several mediums, I discovered my passion in hand-built ceramics; it was literally a life-saver!

I've been back in PA for about 12 years and have a home workshop. Regular customers, custom work, private lessons, and some craft shows keeps me busy. I learn mostly from reading and videos and the occasional workshop. Inspiration come from walks outdoors, collecting ephemeral specimens to become immortalized in clay. I'm always looking to try something new; in ceramics the possibilities are limitless!

My vibe is rustic, understated, quaint, inspired by nature.

717-424-4800

azruffini@yahoo.com

"Here Comes The Sun"

Encaustic

6"x6" unframed

2023

ARTIST BIO
Terri Yacovelli began her art journey at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design when it was located in historic Marietta. She holds an undergraduate degree from Millersville University, and a Masters of Liberal Arts degree from Western Maryland College. Her work has been included in solo and juried exhibits across the east coast in Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey and Maryland. Recent work has been featured in the International Encaustic Artists juried exhibition held at the San Luis-Obispo Museum of Art, California. An avid traveler and gardener, she resides in York Pennsylvania. An advocate for all things local, she makes her encaustic medium from beeswax that has been harvested in York County.

"Guarded Heart"

Painted Resin 3-D Print

6"x6" shadow box

2024

ARTIST BIO/STATEMENT

Sam Shank is a tattooer and artist native to York, Pennsylvania, who works out of a private studio at New York Wire Works building. He began tattooing in 2015 at Trident Tattoo Company in Dover, Pennsylvania. Previously, he was an architectural renderer. Both careers, however, were a continuation of a life-long pursuit of interest in the arts.

As described by Sam, "My path as an artist has not been a linear one but one of constant exploration and expanding on previous experiences. A journey of understanding each mediums possibilities and limitations. How to combine them to inform and enhance the final product.

With tattooing, I have found that black and grey works best with my philosophy and technique that resonate with my clients vision. The tattoos I craft are characterized by bold, or simple designs with strong contrasts and a conscious use of negative space, ensuring their endurance over a lifetime. My method is respectful, both to the client's skin and their time, minimizing trauma and discomfort without compromising the artistry.

In painting, I am discovering the richness and vibrancy of color, as well as, it's more subdued uses. Also, working with texture and the use of layering to build up the painting and allowing the subtleties of the previous layer to show through. Painting is a way to express my own personal imagination and interests.

3D modeling allows me to work in a virtual space where I can create and envision in multiple dimensions of space and light. Which I use to translate back into a more traditional form of art.

Through the use of multiple mediums and disciplines. I aim to be a well rounded artist, with a deeper understanding art and all its possibilities."

"Untitled (Flag)"

Acrylic on canvas on board

15"x25" unframed

2023

ARTIST BIO
Spanning more than four decades, the inspiration and creative motivation for my personal expression comes from the issues and events of everyday life, present and past, public and private. Through various media, my artwork has examined the fragile, ephemeral, and sometimes elegiac nature of human existence. I have been, and continue to be interested in creating visual art that can transcend the physicality of the material surface and be a vehicle for emotional and intellectual contemplation, as well as a metaphor for the fragility of the human condition and the world during my lifetime.

"Lufu"

Silver Gelatin Print

8"x10" framed

2023

ARTIST BIO
Lindsey Maverick is a film photographer residing in York, PA. They love to capture the breadth of human emotion through their work. Mav has been creating silver gelatin prints for years and is now on the Grotto Commons team to create a community darkroom in York. They do freelance photography in the central PA area as well as Chicago, IL.

"Floral Carpet"

Mixed Media

21.5"x17.5" framed

2021

ARTIST BIO

Like many artists, Thom Kulp has always engaged in some sort of creative endeavor. His journey began with crayons and pencils as a child and progressed to water colors, oils and acrylics later in life. Along the way there were other explorations and forays into collage, collagraphy, encaustic, block printing, and mandala drawing. Some of his latest pieces are venturing into the three dimensional realm, but have not as of yet become true sculptures. They are more akin to bas reliefs.

Thom studied painting and drawing at Harrisburg Area Community College with the colorist painter, Edith Socolow who influenced him in the realm of abstract art. Color as subject matter was a revelation to him and his current work is still highly influenced by this. After studying Experimental Mixed Media with Linda McCloskey for several years at the Art Association of Harrisburg, he took over that class and taught it for several years there as well as at the York Art Association in York, PA. In addition to studying with Linda, Thom has taken classed with Julie Yontz-Rupp, Phyllis Disher-Fredericks and Ron Schloyer. He has conducted various workshops in Experimental Mixed Media, Collagraphic Printing, Mandala Making, and Painting in the style of Jackson Pollock. Currently he teaches students in his home studio located in Linglestown, PA. He has participated in many local shows and won numerous awards for his art.

"Dog Day Afternoon"

Acrylic

11"x14" unframed

2021

ARTIST BIO
Brett is a graduate of the York Academy of Arts and works in his art services business, Brett Greiman Design. His services include illustration, graphic design, murals, paintings and art instruction. Brett also is a Pennsylvania Arts in Education artist in residence and is well known for his patient and empathetic approach to teaching art.

In 2004, Kimberly Camp, Yorkfest juror and CEO of the Barnes Foundation, world's largest private collection of impressionist art, chose his painting "Tornado Warning" for the Best of Show award and he was the featured artist for 2006 YorkFest.

In 2011, three of Brett's large-scale moveable murals titled "Civil Rights Heroes, Barrier Breakers" were installed into the permanent collection of the York County History Center.

In 2017, Jim McClure, editor of York Sunday News, listed Brett as "a York artist who history will remember".

He has many works in both corporate and private collections including Wellspan Health, Harley Davidson, Nixon Nature Center, and many others. He has also illustrated and created the cover designs for several books by York area authors. Brett is a life-long York countian and lives in York Township, PA with wife Nina and daughter Bretina.

"Quiet Evening"

Oil on canvas

20"x16" framed

2024

ARTIST BIO
Joanna Tice-Trainor is an aspiring Artist from York Pennsylvania, and a Graduate from Temple University's Tyler School of Art Class of 2015. She received a BFA in Painting and Drawing with a Minor in General Business Studies. She prefers to go by the name "Joey" and her art business on social media is named Only1joey Art to play into that name.

She has resided in her current studio space since August of 2019 located on the third floor of The Handsome Cab in downtown York. A studio space shared among 5 other working Artists. Today she is also a member of the York Art Association and strives to have her work displayed in art shows and events surrounding York.

She loves animals, peaceful nature, hiking, and traveling to new & old places, which is often depicted in her work. She grew up with a twin sister. The sibling rivalry and competitiveness is truly what pushed her to begin her journey as an Artist, but her love and enjoyment that painting brings her is what keeps her motivated to grow her Artist name and get her name recognized in the community.

BFA Painting & Drawing from Tyler School of Art

"Flora & Fauna"

Acrylic, watercolor, ink on canvas

36"x 24" unframed

2023

ARTIST BIO

Jen Haefeli is an InterArtist residing in Pittsburgh, PA. Jen became George Mason University's first InterArts graduate and received the College of Visual and Performing Arts Award. She has exhibited work in galleries internationally. Jen is a member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, The Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, as well as Creative York. Jen is a United Way of Southwest Pennsylvania member and she is on the Board of Harvest107, which aims to create sustainable food sources in developing countries like Haiti. Her work is in private collections and can be requested via her website: www.WildRootCreations.com

ARTIST STATEMENT

As an InterArtist, I work in most studio arts and I am passionate about helping others build their understanding of the arts as they build their own artistic individual skill sets. I hope that I am a part of broadening their understanding of the cultural and historical significance behind the art forms studied. I believe the holistic aspect of our work involves both the aesthetic, and the inspiration behind the visual features, or "Beneficial Tertiary Creativity" as I call it. Understanding the timeframe, and location, and knowing more about why artists create or how an art form came about is critical. Learning the brush stroke or application of color is a mere aspect of creation. Understanding the historical impact of the work, and why it has withstood time is the true information and appreciation behind the creation. This helps develop a fluent creative language. For those who find passion in art, it is the means to communicate throughout their lifetime. Art can fuel the soul, and replenish us. We adorn our spaces, and our bodies and comfort ourselves with decor. Art can be cathartic and therapeutic in nature. We make an impact on this world by leaving our marks, however brief they may be. It is an exciting experience to inspire others in the process of doing so and thus I appreciate each individual who allows me the opportunity to be a part of their time here by collecting my work and learning from me.

"Winter Shadows"

Oil

12"x16" unframed

2020

ARTIST STATEMENT

I enjoy the challenge of trying to capture the beauty of the world around us, always trying to invite the viewer to enter and explore the view. My landscapes are generally of places I have visited, and I try to re-create the mood of the moment with color, light and shadows.
In these stressful times, I have found solace in nature in all seasons. On daily walks, I find the changing of the seasons a solid refuge from conflict. Spring always follows even the roughest winter, and summer's heat gives way to the coolness and colors of autumn.

I seek to find beauty in the ordinary things around us. I paint because I love to paint. So, there is no great social or philosophical message in my paintings; I just want to make the viewer feel good when they look at my art. If it has made you happy, I am happy!

ARTIST BIO

Carol Robertson Little began painting in 2009, taking her first art class at York (PA) Art Association in the winter of 2010. Painting primarily in oils, she has been influenced by instructors Phyllis Disher Fredericks, Anita Williams, Susan Nicholas Gephart and Barbara Buchanan. While most of her work is realistic, she has executed some paintings in an impressionistic style. She paints both in York, PA, and Benson, VT.

She has won awards in York Art Association exhibits, and has been juried into exhibits there, as well as at Farm and Natural Lands Trust. Freedom Seekers at William Goodridge Freedom Center and Framers Workshop in York. She recently was featured in a solo exhibit in the Danyo Gallery of YAA.

She participates in Creative York exhibits, York Art Association exhibits, with the Gallery Group of YAA at various venues, and with the Orwell Artists group and the Stratford House Gallery in Orwell, Vermont.

"Humanity"

Oil and mixed media on panel

12" x 24" framed diptych

2024

ARTIST BIO

Southern Pennsylvania based artist Michael W. Dugger has been exploring his narrative in painting through the intentional manipulation of surface by meticulously layering and mechanically removing layers to reveal his surfaces. Michael, 43 years old, creates his work out of his studio in York, PA.

Michael and his fellow artist/wife, Lucinda, reside in York and are raising their 4 children there and are also teaching them to explore their own creativity through the arts. Being a former DC resident for over 10 years prior to moving to York, Michael now finds the Pennsylvania culture and bucolic landscape the perfect respite to create his work. Currently, Michael commutes back to the DC area for work as a firefighter and paramedic. His professional work literally bleeds into his paintings in the form of subject matter and tension. Michael has cut his teeth professionally in DC as first a Chef and then moving into the world of firefighting.

Most of Michael's current work takes shape in the form of "reduction paintings" a technique that is used to form images through the idea of removing the layers of paint to reveal a narrative. Michael begins his work by creating the layers needed to build a narrative based on the work series he is engrossed in. He then starts by scraping, sanding, and removing, resulting in the final images that, through the many layers, tell a story. The end goal of this process is like seeing a lone billboard in decay, multiple torn layers, and ghost like remnants. It tells a story. It shows a beauty.

Michael was trained formally at Interlochen Arts Academy and Western Michigan University, where he obtained a BFA in Oil Painting. Michael has had many recent group and solo exhibitions in York and has also shown in galleries across the United States as well as group and solo exhibitions in Berlin, Germany. Michael has located his studio between NYC and DC which provides the creative space to create, but still be close enough to engage the arts community in the DMV.

"The Weightlessness of Guts"

Acrylic and Ink on paper

30"x30" framed

2023

ARTIST STATEMENT

My painting style has always been a 2 part process. The first part is about randomness. I spill ink and water onto the blank paper mindlessly, almost meditatively. Basically, I make a mess. The second part is about finding the art hiding in the chaos and carving it out with my brushes and paint. This mirrors how art has always fit into my life - as a kind of coping mechanism for finding beauty or drawing meaning from every random daily experience.

Sometimes I see shadows of figures that materialize like ghosts. Sometimes I see strong lines of direction, shapes, and focal points that form an interesting aesthetic. The meaning for me falls somewhere between interpreting dreams and trimming a bonsai tree. Rather than starting with an idea, ideas are revealed through the process, like filming a movie without a script.

"Lemon Light on the Creek"

Oil

8"x10" framed

2023

ARTIST BIO

Susan is a Pennsylvania artist and has been involved in art throughout her life, whether drawing, painting, working in clay or teaching and counseling through art. Her formal training includes a dual Bachelors degree in fine arts and psychology with art therapy concentration, Masters degree in education, and continued studies in landscape painting, illustration, and design.

She is inspired by nature, particularly the colors and shapes in the landscape and the emotional response to the environment. Therefore, she often paints en plein air, striving to portray the "feel of the day", sifting through the layers of natural color and the play of light. Susan enjoys a variety of media, but has mainly been working in oil. In the studio, she frequently uses plein air, pen, ink, watercolor or colored pencil sketches to create larger oil paintings. Her studio work also includes still life, human and animal portraiture. Susan has studied landscape painting abroad, including Italy and Ireland, and painted across the USA, gaining inspiration from her travels. She has exhibited in Pennsylvania, New York City and the US east coast in many juried shows and has won awards regionally, recently including four Best of Show awards, several People's Choice awards, awards for Plein air/Impressionism and for her works in clay. She recently added book illustration to her art endeavors, for the children's book, "Goodbye Yellow House". She also teaches adult beginning oil painting and select children's projects. Her work is in private and corporate collections. She is a member of the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters, Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters, American Impressionist Society and local art associations. Through her work, she hopes to share a blend of appreciation for the natural world and the wonder of the human spirit.

sbenignilandis@yahoo.com

"Flagella #1"

Giclee Print

12"x16" framed

2024

ARTIST BIO

A native of York, Melanie M. Rodgers is a graphic designer/typographer/illustrator in private practice. She is an adjunct faculty member in illustration at York College of Pennsylvania, after 24 years as a full-time faculty member. She holds an M.A. in Digital Arts and an M.F.A. in Studio Art from The Maryland Institute College of Art, and is also a graduate in Fine Art from the now legendary York Academy of Arts.

Before her career in academia, Mel worked as an illustrator, production artist, corporate media specialist and designer of industrial product and training literature. Her research has appeared in Voice: the AIGA Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and the proceedings of national and international conferences. Her work is included in the Rhizome ArtBase Collection at The New Museum in New York.

Mel is currently working on a variety of projects, both self-initiated and client-based, primarily typographic in nature and for print and screen, as well as critical and creative writing.