Press release:
Amid the joy of reuniting with friends and professors, the big hair and '80s tribute bands, and the great food and good times that will mark Homecoming at Genesee Community College in September, will be inspiring artwork created by GCC alumni.
The Roz Steiner Art Gallery will showcase a variety of media from talented graduates: digital photography, nature paintings, ceramics, realistic portraiture, serigraphs and watercolors, photography and multimedia works.
The exhibitors for the Alumni Exhibition include:
Amanda J. Adams, from the GCC class of 2007, is a digital photographer and certified art educator. She earned her associate degree in Fine Arts after graduating from Greece Athena High School. In 2009, Adams completed her bachelor's degree in Art Education, and is currently working toward a master's degree in Art Education from Nazareth College in Rochester.
Briana Coogan-Bassett was raised in Warsaw in a family of artists. Her collection of nature paintings brings to light the plight of endangered animals. Coogan-Bassett earned a Fine Arts associate degree from GCC in 2009, where she says she "learned basic photo developing skills, hand building techniques, how to construct and prepare a canvas, and the importance of drawing what you see." Her work has been featured in solo exhibits with both the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts and the Arts Council for Wyoming County.
Megan Dembinski is ceramist from the GCC class of 2009 who lives in Silver Springs. After completing her studies at Genesee, Dembinski earned a bachelor's degree in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from SUNY Geneseo in 2011. The Arts Council for Wyoming County awarded her the Rising Star Scholarship, which included a solo exhibition and a booth at the Letchworth Arts and Crafts Show and Sale. Dembinski plans to pursue a master's degree in either Art Conservation or Art Education.
Heather Gleason, from Elba, focuses on historical photographs in creating her realistic portraits. She earned an associate degree in Fine Arts from GCC in 2009 and then completed a Bachelor of Science in Studio Art from SUNY Brockport in 2011.
Chris Held has spent most of his life in Leicester, where the rural community has shaped his collection of watercolors and serigraphs featuring nature scenes. Held graduated from GCC in 2003 with an associate degree, and completed his bachelor's degree from SUNY Geneseo in 2008. He was the first recipient of the Rising Star Scholarship Award from the Arts Council for Wyoming County.
Michael Mulley is a Batavia native who owns the College Street Gallery in the historic Allentown District of Buffalo. The freelance photographer earned his associate degree in communications in 1988 and completed a bachelor's degree in Fine Art Photography from RIT in 1991. Mulley's photos have been published in The Buffalo News Sunday Magazine, Buffalo Spree magazine, Artvoice, Hallwalls' publications, The Art Laboratory of Berlin and the jazz magazine Coda.
Mary Jo Whitman graduated from GCC in 2009 with an associate degree in Fine Arts. She uses a variety of materials to produce interesting and meaningful two- and three-dimensional artworks. Whitman is currently working toward a bachelor's degree in Studio Arts from SUNY Brockport, with a dual concentration in sculpture and photography, as well as minors in art history and psychology.
"As I looked over the resumes and portfolios of this group of artists, I was impressed with the quality of the artwork, as well as the breadth of both subject and media," said Gallery Manager Shirley Verrico. "These artists clearly developed excellent foundation skills at GCC, but perhaps more importantly, each found a creative voice with which they could express themselves in a unique and personal way."
The exhibit runs from Sept. 14 through Nov. 8, with a reception planned from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29 during homecoming weekend.
The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday but it's closed on Tuesday. Admission to the Roz Steiner Art Gallery is FREE.
To learn more about the gallery and the upcoming exhibit, visit: http://www.genesee.edu/campuslife/arts/gallery/calendar.cfm.
GCC's Bringin' Back the '80s Homecoming Weekend Sept. 28-29 has something for everyone and for all ages, including live bands, a car show, soccer games, brunch, Athletic Hall of Fame inductions and an Oktoberfest mixer with the Batavia Rotary Club at the Batavia Downs.
The complete rundown of activities, and registration forms for key events, are available on the GCC homecoming Web site: http://www.genesee.edu/depts/alumni/homecoming/
