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New exhibit showcases work of local award-winning photographer

By Patricia Hawley

A new exhibit featuring the work of local photographer Susan Meier is on view at the Gallery at Blue Pearl Yoga through the month of January. The show is free and open to the public during gallery hours.

Meier, a lifelong resident of Genesee County, currently resides in East Pembroke. A self-taught artist, she began taking photographs as a preteen.

“I won a camera in a coloring contest and that sparked my interest,” she says.

After graduating from Genesee Wyoming BOCES with a degree in Cosmetology, Susan operated a hair salon out of her home for several years but continued her interest in photography, joining the Batavia Photography Club in 1995. She began photographing weddings in the late '90s and by 2001 she graduated from Genesee Community College with an AAS in Commercial Art. In 2010 she moved her business to the Harvester Artisan Center. She is a member of the Professional Photographers Association, past president of the Batavia Photography Club, and is active in 4H and the Genesee County Fair.

She continues her professional development by attending workshops throughout the country where she’s learned techniques like off-camera flash and studio and portrait lighting. Her work has been shown at the Richmond Memorial Library where she’s won multiple People’s Choice Awards, Moon Java Café, Genesee Community College, GoArt!, and Muller Quaker. Aside from her work as a wedding photographer, Susan’s professional work includes high school senior portraits, professional head shots, as well as newborn, family, and maternity photos.  

“The 11 images in the Blue Pearl exhibit feature a mix of fashion/glamour, boudoir, concept shoots and some photo digital art,” Meier says. "Concept shoots are ideas or unique concepts brought to life.

The concept images on display include Feather, 1940s Glam, Steampunk, Snow Princess and Flower. Her training as a cosmetologist allows her to construct elaborate styles for her models.

She is available for private photography lessons. You may contact her at 585-861-0415 or visit her studio at the Harvester Artisan Center, 56 Harvester Ave., on the first floor. Her social media presence includes Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, 500px, Google Plus, Shop Batavia.

The exhibit can be seen during gallery hours on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m.; Monday through Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m.

For more information, call Blue Pearl Yoga at 585.230.5430.

D'Mott: Pastor, Singer, Recording Artist performing at GCC

By Cathy DeBellis

Local Buffalo Pastor and Gospel artist De'juaine G. Motley, known in music as D'Mott, will share an evening of R&B, contemporary and soul inspired Gospel music.  For more information visit www.dmottmusic.com or www.genesee.edu/campuslife/arts.  Tickets:  Adults $8, Seniors(55+), Students, & GCC Faculty and Staff $5, GCC Students with ID $3.  For tickets email boxoffice@genesee.edu or call (585)345-6814. 

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Local Artist Goes in a "New Direction" with Show of New Works at Blue Pearl Yoga's Gallery

By Patricia Hawley

Local artist June Yoder Martino is launching an exhibit of all new works at the gallery space within Blue Pearl Yoga in Batavia. “A New Direction” includes paintings on canvas and paper and runs from November 5 through December 20. An artist’s reception is scheduled for Thursday, November 21 from 6 – 8 p.m. Martino is a contemporary artist who paints in all forms of water based media. Her work, based on nature and life’s journey, has evolved over 40 years. “From realism to abstract and back again, my work now is a mixture of both,” says Martino. “My paintings reflect my inner journey as well as my impressions of the places that I’ve visited.” She traveled to southern Brazil in 2008 and spent time absorbing the culture of the country.” According to the artist, “This experience impacted my art as I began to look at the world around me with new respect for nature and others.” For Martino, art is an expression of life. “Painting is my way of connecting my perception of nature and the possibilities of life as a whole.” This approach allows her to utilize the spontaneous effects of water color and other water media. “Although each painting begins with preliminary sketches to determine composition, it develops an energy of its own. I follow each piece with the knowledge that the end result will be different than the initial image in my mind,” she adds. A life-long resident of Genesee County, Martino majored in art in college and continued her studies with many nationally known artists. Aside from her solo exhibits, Martino has participated in group shows and has received awards for her paintings. Many of her works are included in private collections. She currently teaches adult watercolor classes at Blue Pearl Yoga in Batavia from April through November, and in Sarasota, FL through March. Gallery hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Monday through Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, call Blue Pearl Yoga at 585.230.5430. Additional information about June Yoder Martino can be found at www.junemartino.com or by calling 716-474-0580.

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