Batavia's rich art history doesn't get a lot of attention, except, maybe, from Ryan Gaebler, who was among the vendors this year with a booth at the Holland Land Office Museum's annual antique show and sale at Batavia Downs this weekend.
About six years ago, Gaebler bought a couple of paintings from Dave Thompson at the flea market at the Genesee County Fairgrounds and Thompson started talking with him about local artists he enjoyed and collected. So Gaebler started keeping an eye out for works by local artists at estate sales, auctions and online.
For Gaebler, collecting works by local artists has become a passion.
"There is great art history in Genesee County, more specifically, Batavia — the Masons, Roy, Max, Nina Mason Booth, Pat Burr, Rose Pontillo Dicarlo, Virginia Carr Mumford, R.W. Ware, I just love them all," he said. "It’s a lot of great history and a lot of great art."
Gaebler buys pictures to collect them but generally, his collection is for sale.
"I buy them because I love them and I collect them but they’re also for sale," Gaebler said. "I don’t sell a lot. I love to collect them until they sell but if they don’t sell, well, it’s not a big deal if I don’t sell them."
For those interested in buying local art, Gaebler can be reached at ryjon88@yahoo.com.
An oil painting, a watercolor, and a sketch by Roy Mason, perhaps Batavia's most renowned artist. The oil painting, Gaebler said, is, he thinks, Mason's finest work in oil.
There is a letter from Mason that goes with the watercolor that talks about the piece, adding to its value.
Michael Welch, co-owner of Welch and Craine in Batavia, with a pastel portrait of Gen. Henry Warner Slocum, who was originally from Central New York, served in the Civil War and served two terms in Congress.
