Fired Figments

MEDIUM /// CERAMICS

Fired Figments ceramics are handcrafted by Stephanie Krist in her home studio near Ithaca, New York. Inspired by a lifelong love of fantasy books and films, Fired Figments aims to bring a little magic to your everyday routine through whimsical pottery and sculpture. Knowing that fantasy art still exists in the reality of our world, Stephanie works to reduce the environmental impact of her studio. She practices systems of water conservation, reclaims shipping materials, and even gives flawed pottery a second life as mosaic tiles. A few of Stephanie's favorite things are desserts, dogs, dragons, and alliteration.

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Joanna Walters

MEDIUM /// LETTERING & WOODWORKING

Joanna is a proud Geneseo resident, wife of Keith Walters, and co-owner of The Gallery. This is her first ever solo exhibition. A mother of two and an art director for a marketing agency by day, she draws words in circles and then carves them into wood as a therapeutic practice to grow and learn through the seasons of her life. This show is an exhibit of 12 pieces created over the past 4 years, representing lessons learned (and still being learned) through the process of adding the role of “mother” to her identity. Each piece is accompanied by an essay, the 12-part story spanning issues that are difficult to talk about: miscarriage, grief, postpartum depression and anxiety, mental health, and suicide. 20% of each sale from this exhibit will be donated to an organization that supports maternal mental health.

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Cheri Natoli

MEDIUM /// PEN/INK/OILS/PHOTOGRAPHY

Cheri studied art at Indiana University, where she received her bachelors in fine arts. She earned her masters degree at SUNY Buffalo. She has studied under Bonnie Skylarski, noted Indiana artist, and New York artist Madeline Rondelland. She was a member of the California Artist League and recently studied under Tom Nachreiter, noted American Plein Air Expressionist.

Cheri has exhibited her work in New York, Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina and California. She has contributed art and participated in many activities in her community in Geneseo, New York. She has taught many classes to both adults and children throughout the years.

Jordyn Wolcott

MEDIUM /// WATERCOLOR & PENCIL

Jordyn is a graduate of RIT’s MST Program and the former Elementary Art Teacher at Letchworth Central School District. Jordyn begins a new position as a High School Art Teacher at Churchville Chili this fall. Jordyn is passionate about challenging young minds to problem solve, explore, and express themselves through artwork and 21st century thinking. Jordyn is not only an Art Teacher, but an Artist Teacher. When she is not in the school, you can find her engaged in her own creative processes. Using primarily watercolor and pencil, Jordyn captivates life’s beautiful moments and memories. She is known for her watercolor animal portraits as well her pencil drawings of people. She believes that art not only serves as an escape from reality, but a token of reality. She loves to see the smiles her artwork brings and is excited to be displaying pieces here at the Gallery in the Valley.

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John Kucko

MEDIUM /// PHOTOGRAPHY

For 30 years, John realized his childhood dream of working as a TV sports anchor. John anchored sports in Rochester from 1989 to 2016–extensively covering the Buffalo Bills. Additionally, John provided “corporate coverage” to dozens of stations across America, covering 19 Super Bowls, among countless other events. Discovering a new passion, John left sports in 2016 to pursue a digital career—all the while remaining at WROC-TV in Rochester in a part-time role, anchoring the daily 4pm broadcast there. John has grown his digital presence with a number of viral sensations via his Facebook Live broadcasts. His John Kucko Digital Facebook page grew from nothing in 2016 to 136,000 followers today. John resides in Penfield, NY with his lovely wife Charla. They have two daughters—Natalie, a TV reporter in Rochester and Caroline, a junior at Duquesne University who interns with the Pittsburgh Steelers there.

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Scott Hooker

MEDIUM /// PHOTOGRAPHY

Scott Hooker is a Finger Lakes based photographer who has spent the majority of his life in the region. After graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in journalism, Scott worked for both the Democrat & Chronicle in Rochester, NY and The Evening Tribune in Hornell, NY as a full-time photographer.

Throughout his life, Scott’s passion has been photography. He spent over 40 years as a commercial photographer, photographing over 500 weddings and special events, countless number of family portraits, and 100s of high school seniors.

Scott turned his attention to landscape photography in the late 2000s, spending most of this time in the Finger Lakes region. Scott has received numerous accolades for his work and has displayed his photography at galleries throughout the region.

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Jennifer Greenman

MEDIUM /// WATERCOLOR

Watercolor artist Jennifer Greenman has been painting for over ten years, having studied at SUNY Geneseo and FLCC in Fine Arts.  Although an experienced artist, she recently started selling her work under the name “Evergreenman,” a play on her last name and her love of painting alpine scenes.

Jennifer aims to push pause on the over-stimulated viewer, to recognize that we live in dramatic landscapes. Landscapes that are emotionally driven in color and as ever-changing as our creator made them. As a photographer does with their camera, Jennifer hopes to capture a moment and allow the viewer to stop and see. To see the profound beauty of the world we live in, which should not be desensitized to our eyes.

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Erin Hanafin Sweeney

MEDIUM /// ACRYLIC PAINT AND MIXED MEDIA

“I’m a painter and mixed media artist based in Geneseo, NY. I co-own Little Lakes Framing with my husband, Raff. My background is in printmaking, but in 2020, I dove into painting with acrylics. This past year has given me space to develop my style, so there is a clear shift as my graphic, woodcut-inspired paintings begin to soften a bit. Inspired and delighted by the landscape in Western New York, color, contemporary design, and absurd kitsch, I create pieces that make me happy. My intention is for my work to convey the character and comfort of vintage illustration, viewed through a bold, contemporary lens. As I’m making them, my paintings bring me to a place where I can feel the fresh air in my lungs, the sun on my cheeks, and the looming judgement of a grumpy woodland rabbit. My hope is for my work to bring a sense of levity and joy to the viewer too.” - Erin

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Mandi Antonucci

MEDIUM /// COLORED PENCIL / BALLPOINT PEN / WATERCOLOR

“I am a visual artist residing in Geneseo, New York. I like to think of myself as a crafter of visual stories. I attempt to create drawings that provide more questions than answers, more ambiguity than certainty. My intention is to leave the viewer with an open ended narrative that allows one to fill in the blanks from their own personal experiences. I work primarily in Colored Pencils, Watercolor, and Ballpoint Pen, exploring the theme of the contradictions and opposing forces found in everyday life. I strive to find meaning in the dual realities that push us in varying directions, and to make connections between both the pivotal and mundane moments of life with the use of symbolism and simplicity.” -Mandi

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Avi Pryntz-Nadworny

MEDIUM /// PHOTOGRAPHY

Growing up in Ward, NY, Avi spent his youth bouncing between a fascination with animation and a playful obsession with juggling and gymnastics. His interest in animation eventually brought him to Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where he studied Graphic Design and New Media before deciding to join the circus school in Quebec City, Canada. A year later, he landed a job with Cirque du Soleil and began working as an acrobat and fire juggler. During his international career as a circus performer, friends and colleagues began approaching him for photo and video shoots; soon what started as a few odd jobs turned into a passion to create images with some of the world’s best circus artists. Avi resides in Rochester, NY, and when he is not directing videos or shooting photos, he can be found performing and teaching Cyr wheel at circus schools in the Northeastern United States.

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Jes Kirkpatrick

MEDIUM /// FIBER ART

"From the moment I created my first loom out of a cardboard box, weaving spoke to me in a big way. Over the past year and a half I have spent all my free time exploring textile art, and the beauty of the medium is that it is truly so versatile and limitless in its boundaries. Now, I can't even go on vacation without toting a bag of yarn with me! Trying new techniques and working with new fibers and textures, I feel like a kid in a candy store, and I am beyond excited to continue growing within this medium." - Jes

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Douglas Levere

MEDIUM /// CLOSE-UP SNOWFLAKE PHOTOGRAPHY

“Snowflakes have become my passion. They avail themselves to me within the small window of time I have to photograph them and the short time that they exist. Their delicacy, strength and elegance keep me standing in the cold on endless black nights. Living in the Bualo, NY area there are so many negative identifications this city has with snow. I find it a joyous task to reveal these gems that are hiding in plain sight.” - Douglas

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MEDIUM /// ARTIST’S CONKS (MUSHROOM CARVINGS)

“I was walking in the woods with a friend, Jane Oaks, who pointed to a shelf mushroom and said “that’s an Artist’s Conk, you can draw on them!” I pulled it off and took a few passes with my knife. She stopped me and suggested I take it home and use finer instruments. I procured some vintage dentist tools and found myself uncovering worlds within each mushroom. Since that first find, I have struggled not to check the woods for them every day, eyes peeled as I drive by a forest. I hope you’ll enjoy the worlds within each fungus, and that they speak to you the way they speak to me.”
- Piper

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