Three visions of art and nature are on display in the Roz Steiner Art Gallery at Genesee Community College through the end of January, featuring WNY artists David Burke, Julie A. Lambert, and Steve Piper.

The exhibit, which is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed the day after Christmas), is called "Handicraft Habitat."

Burke, a Bergen resident, said his work for this show is a mixture of realism and abstraction, mostly in acrylic. 

"They're all inspired by nature," he said.

Press Release:

The Roz Steiner Art Gallery at Genesee Community College is excited to announce its latest group exhibition, Handicraft Habitat. This invitational explores the world through the eyes of artists. It aims to showcase the beauty of both the natural environment and the manufactured realm. 

This exhibition plays with the dichotomy between abstract art and realism, as well as being a multi-media experience. The gallery is excited to be working with three incredibly talented artists from Western New York to bring this stunning new show to life.

David Burke is a lifelong resident of the Rochester area where he raised and homeschooled is two children. He began his artistic journey by drawing, painting, and taking photographs sporadically while doing other work. In 1999, he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from SUNY Brockport, where he studied ceramic sculpture and painting.

In 2015, David realized making art was his passion and what he wanted to pursue for the rest of his life. His focus since then has been acrylic painting. His artwork is inspired by nature, and to a greater extent, his connection to the life of the earth and the mystery of the world. David uses light, shadow, color, and composition to evoke memories and emotions. 

In the past few years, he has been getting away from purely figurative painting to explore different ways of applying paint and experimenting with abstraction. This enables him to express the subtle, intangible energies of life. A collection of David's abstract expressionism and his realism paintings will be part of this exhibition.

Julie A. Lambert is a master papermaker; creating, transforming, and exhibiting the unusual art of handmade paper. The artist has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from SUNY Oswego. While attending Oswego, a professor introduced the artist to papermaking; a medium she spent over 25 years enhancing her techniques and understanding both her perspective and relationship with her surroundings. 

Nature has become her muse. Her work explores the natural and mankind's created impacts on the landscape. The pieces she creates are based on landscapes that convey a mood that speaks to the artist. To the surprise of the viewer, Julie A. Lambert's works are often first mistaken for paintings. But as the viewer is drawn in, they realize that the works of art are individual pieces of handmade paper, dyed, textured, cut, torn, and layered by the artist to express how she sees the world. The viewer steps back with a greater understanding of the complexity required to render her visions.

Originally a native of southeast Kansas, Steve Piper moved to the Finger Lakes region in 1978 to pursue his graduate studies in photography at RIT. He is a freelance photographer (Gelfand-Piper Photography), specializing in photographing people and events for publications and annual reports. Major clients have included Eastman Kodak, Xerox, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield. 

Mr. Piper taught photography at St. John Fisher College and is currently an adjunct instructor of photographic arts at the Rochester Institute of Technology. His artistic vision is greatly inspired by his rural life growing up in the mid-west. Through color, texture, and composition, he is able to take a recognizable image and create something representational. The viewer finds meaning and emotional response through the sumptuous color and intriguing lines. Steve's colored abstract photographs of railway cars will be on exhibit in Handicraft Habitat.

The Handicraft Habitat exhibition will run from Dec. 7 to Feb. 1. Gallery hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 3 - 5 p.m., as well as Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Don't miss the chance to attend the opening receptions on Dec. 7  from 12:30 - 2 p.m. and 5 - 7 p.m. Stay tuned to the gallery's social media pages for any updates or changes to the schedule.

For more information contact Jessica Skehan at the Roz Steiner Art Gallery by email at jeskehan@genesee.edu, gccgallery@genesee.edu or (585) 343-0055 ext. 6490

Press Release:

The Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery is kicking off its 2023-2024 exhibition season with a solo show by local sculpture artist, Richard Bannister. Richard's sculptures are one-of-a-kind, unique works of art. He is a master of sculpting in wood, metal, and stone. He completes all the work on his art, by himself, in his studio.

Opening receptions for "Man's Struggle with the Gods: Sculptures by Richard Bannister" will be on September 14 from 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. and 5 - 7 p.m. with an artist presentation at 12:30 p.m. in the Roz Steiner Gallery.

About his artistic process, Richard says: "I now consider that the ability to create my works of art is a gift from God. However, I didn't always believe this. For years in my early studio in San Miguel, I believed that man could only destroy. I believed anyone could do what I did. All they had to do was take the time and carve a sculpture from a block of wood or marble or make an armature and apply clay for the beginnings of a bronze sculpture. I do not sketch before starting a sculpture, I simply grab a tool and begin the work. During the process of seeing a piece of art come into existence, I receive fulfillment. Because of my various procedures, materials and tools I am usually working on ten or so pieces at once. I can flow from piece to piece and pick up hours, days, or months later exactly where I left off. This is a rare blessing indeed."

Richard Bannister has had a long and storied career that has made him the artist he is today. He managed a farm with his identical twin brother at the age of 14, fought in the Vietnam War, studied at many different colleges, and gained his BFA & MFA. He also taught and headed the sculpture department at San Miguel de Allende, traveled the world lived in foreign countries, and exhibited his artwork internationally. Bannister has raised a family, written manuscripts, explored different entrepreneurial avenues, and holds a Bachelor of Theology from RBI in Tampa, Florida. His dream is to set up an art park on his 16 acres of land. His proudest achievements are his 3 children.

Richard's exhibition at the Roz Steiner Art Gallery will focus on his marble carvings, wood sculpture, and cast bronze. As an instructor in higher education, Richard developed courses discussing man's experiences with gods, demons, spirits, and other folkloric elements. Many of the pieces in his current show are a result of that line of thought. He aims to spark discussion of the things we cannot see; some of his artwork takes inspiration from Biblical tales like his sculpture Eve and the Tempterwho tempted who? (made of walnut), and Angel with the Gods (carved of black marble). Richard pulls insight from the religion of ancient Egypt and Buddhism, such as Baby Buddha (made of red oak and walnut), Egyptian Fish God, Slave Girl, and Angry King (carved black marble), which is the sculpture we are using to promote the exhibition.

Mr. Bannister has written eight manuscripts throughout his career, which form the series "My struggle with the Gods." The written saga is titled from the marble carving series that he is presently working on, "Man's struggle with the Gods". At his artist talk, Richard Bannister will discuss the inspiration behind his sculptures, and his creative process, and pull from his college courses to prompt discussion.

Roz Steiner gallery hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 3 - 5 p.m. The gallery is also open on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Any changes to the gallery hours will be posted on the gallery's social media pages

Press release:

Who: Calling all artists, sculptors, craftsmen, woodworkers, fiber artists, mixed media artists, photographers, painters, etc.

What: Art installations/gallery exhibitions/group shows for exhibition in the Roz Steiner Art Gallery

Where: Roz Steiner Art Gallery ~ Genesee Community College ~ 1 College Road ~ Batavia, NY 14020

When: Schedule for the 2023-2024 season and beyond

The Roz Steiner Art Gallery presents exhibitions by a variety of regional artists, faculty and students. We are proud to partner with the local community to uplift artists. The gallery opened in 2011, and since then, we have held a variety of shows featuring visual works, sculpture, ceramics, fiber arts, photography and other media. We offer a large professional space with state-of-the-art lighting and SMART technology to allow the presentation of new digital media, as well as online exhibitions. With over 1,700 square feet of space and equipped with moveable walls, the Roz Steiner Art Gallery is a flexible environment perfect for both intimate and large-scale exhibitions.

We also offer a secondary exhibition space in the form of the Stuart Steiner Theatre lobby. Equipped with the same fiberglass rail system as the gallery, we are able to install 2-dimensional work there.

The Art Gallery offers culturally-enriching events to GCC students and the community through a variety of media styles, concepts and processes. The College is an integral part of the arts community and works with regional arts organizations to enhance the Western New York art community.

The submissions and acceptance process are ongoing, so you can submit an application to the gallery at any time. Go to https://www.genesee.edu/campus-life/center-for-the-arts/art-gallery/ to submit your proposal. Please email gccgallery@genesee.edu if you have any questions.

Submission requirements

• Portfolio (digital/website preferred)
• Biography
• Artist Statement
• Resume or CV
• Exhibit proposal (include size and number of pieces to be displayed)
• Available to do solo exhibitions, duos and group shows

Quality of Artwork

• must be professionally matted and framed/displayed; ready to hang
• aesthetically show professional quality skills and techniques
• conceptually show originality and creativity
• artwork must fill the gallery space accordingly (single, duo or group exhibit)

Scheduling Goals

• schedule a diversity of media and concepts within a year's exhibition plan
• offer students exhibit times for fine arts and digital arts
• offer exhibit times for professional artists
• offer exhibit times for community arts organizations that are prepared to exhibit high-quality art at an age-appropriate level (high school/college/ and adult group exhibits will be considered
• Our goal is to create a well-rounded exhibit schedule that meets the above requirements.

Jury Procedure

The GCC Gallery Committee will jury the artwork and create a schedule of events for the Roz Steiner Gallery. The Gallery Advisory Committee will then approve the proposed schedule. After the exhibit schedule has been approved, the Gallery Manager will send out acceptance letters and collect Gallery Contracts from the participating artists. Exhibits dates will be confirmed and reserved when the artist hands in the signed contract agreeing to the exhibition terms.

Devon Johnson, of Brockport, was among the GCC students on hand this afternoon for the opening of a new art show, "Illusions," in the Roz Steiner Art Gallery.

Her piece is a black and white photo of a friend in front of a mural in Rochester.  She said she selected the piece because she liked the angle, the shadows, and the mural.

The show runs through May 12.

Tomorrow, two public receptions for the Fine Arts students' exhibit 'Express It' are also cancelled.

The director of the gallery, Mary Jo Whitman, posted a video of the works in the student exhibit, which was on display starting March 3, on Facebook and it can be viewed here.

Here is the official statement from the gallery:

"In accordance with directives issued by Governor Cuomo this week, all state agencies, including Genesee Community College, are taking action to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. As such the Roz Steiner Art Gallery will be closed through March 31, 2020 and the opening receptions for 'Express It: GCC Fine Arts Student Exhibit' have been cancelled."

Submitted image and press release:

Genesee Community College is proud to announce the opening of one of its favorite annual exhibits -- the Fine Arts Student Exhibit - comprised entirely by GCC student creativity and talent!

This special display, themed "Express It" by the contributors, showcases the finest multimedia artwork recently produced by students enrolled in fine arts courses at Genesee Community College.

Painting, drawing, sculpture and ceramics will be among the work on display. The Fine Arts Student Exhibit opened on March 3 and will remain open through April 3.

The entire community is invited to meet the student artists at two public receptions scheduled for Thursday, March 19, at 12:30 p.m. and again at 5 p.m. in the gallery.

Throughout the season, the Roz Steiner Art Gallery is open to the public Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is also open during special events as published here.

 Admission is free. For more information, contact Gallery coordinator Mary Jo Whitman at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6490, or via email: mjwhitman@genesee.edu.

Genesee Community College is located at 1 College Road, Batavia.

Submitted photo and press release:

Genesee Community College is proud to announce a spring 2020 exhibition schedule of multimedia artwork comprised entirely by GCC faculty and students.

The Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery offers free admission and is open to the public Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. All are encouraged to stop in this season! The gallery is also open during special events as published at www.genesee.edu/campuslife/arts.

Kicking off the new year in GCC's beautiful art gallery from Jan. 14 through Feb. 13 will be "Messin' " by Joe Ziolkowski, associate professor of Photography and Art at GCC. "Messin' " is the result of 10 seasons spent aboard a 16-foot-long 1973 Starcraft boat (above photo).

Through pinhole photography, digital panoramas and digital video, this art installation depicts the passage of time, both conceptually and literally. Professor Ziolkowski will give a talk about his work at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 23, and the artist's receptions will follow at 1 and again at 5 p.m. in the gallery.

The gallery doors will reopen to display GCC's Fine Arts Student Exhibit, which showcases the finest multimedia artwork recently produced by students enrolled in fine arts courses at Genesee Community College.

Painting, drawing, sculpture and ceramics will be among the work on display. The Fine Arts Student Exhibit will be open from March 3 through April 3. The student artists will be available at the public reception on March 19 at both 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the gallery.

The 2020 season will wrap up with the always impressive GCC Digital Art & Photography Juried Student Exhibit, displayed April 28 through May 17.

Once again, the student artists will be on-site at public receptions on April 30 at both 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the gallery. During the 5 p.m. reception, the award winners will be announced! Don't miss the excitement and honor as these students are recognized for their talents and hard work!

For more information, contact Gallery coordinator Mary Jo Whitman at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6490, or via email: mjwhitman@genesee.edu.

Most Western New Yorkers are sad to see the summer ending -- but the fall season brings comedian Samuel J. Comroe, finalist on NBC's hit show America's Got Talent, to the Stuart Steiner Theatre at Genesee Community College on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. for a performance of his "I got 99 problems...but a twitch ain't one" tour!

Comroe's comedy, which is for mature audiences only, is based on the trials and tribulations of living with Tourette Syndrome. A native of Los Angeles, he performs widely each year from Las Vegas to San Francisco, at colleges and universities across the country. He also has more than 40,000 subscribers to his YouTube Channel.

Seating is limited and tickets are available now at boxoffice@genesee.edu or (585) 345-6814.

In October, GCC's Forum Players will perform their biggest show of the season -- Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Picture Show! On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, Oct. 17, 18 and 19, the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. and the final performance will be a matinee Sunday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. All four of these performances, which are for mature audiences only, will take full advantage of all the high-tech sound and lighting equipment at the state-of-the-art Stuart Steiner Theatre.

The full scene and costume shops will offer dynamic sets, costumes and the outlandish regalia that Rocky Horror fans look for. The talented and enthusiastic Theater Department is already busily preparing for this performance. For a little extra fun, specially prepared Prop Bags will be available for use during the show for just $5 -- while supplies last -- and can be pre-ordered from the box office. No other props will be allowed in the theater.

Tickets to see Samuel J. Comroe or The Rocky Horror Show at GCC's Stuart Steiner Theatre are $8 for adults, and $5 for seniors (55+) and students (16+) and GCC faculty/ staff. GCC students with ID are $3, and GCC alumni with ID will receive a $2 discount on an adult ticket.

To reserve seats, contact the GCC box office at boxoffice@genesee.edu or (585) 345-6814.

Genesee Center for the Arts offers something to appeal to the art lover in everyone and the Fall Season is no exception. The Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery will host the following exhibits to distract and inform your mind, appeal to your senses and evoke a variety of emotional responses.

Artist: Bruce Adams

On display until Sept. 21

"Untitled" -- Adams is best known as a conceptually based figurative painter who references various painting styles. In exploring the act of painting, Adams peels back the layers of meaning inherent in art making and viewing.

Artist: Nigel Maister

On display Oct. 1 - 31

Artist Talk: Oct. 10 at 12:30 p.m. with receptions at 1 and 5 p.m.

"tight. word. lit." -- Through the pairing of unrelated photographic images, Maister creates a narrative both implied and explicit and manifested in emotional, formal, aesthetic, intuitive and intellectual expression, and an evocation of action.

Artist: Heather Jones

On display: Nov. 12 - Dec. 12

Artist Talk: Nov. 14 at 12:30 p.m. with receptions at 1 and 5 p.m.

"M is for Mindful" -- This exhibition highlights acrylic paintings by GCC Professor of Fine Arts, Jones, created as illustrations for the book "M is for Mindful." Including a playful narrative that guides children through an exploration of the themes that shape the way we think and live, "M is for Mindful" is a nature-based ABC/poetry picture book written by Robin L. Flanagan.

The Roz Steiner Art Gallery is open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is also open during special events as published here. Admission is free. For more information, contact Gallery coordinator Mary Jo Whitman at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6490, or via email: mjwhitman@genesee.edu.

An exhibition of paintings by Bruce Adams titled “Untitled” will be on display at Roz Steiner Gallery on the campus of Genesee Community College starting today (Aug. 20) and running through Sept. 21.

There will be an artist talk at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, with two receptions that afternoon at 1 o'clock and 5 o'clock.

About his upcoming exhibit "Unititled," Adams writes:

My recent work focuses on process, which incorporates collaboration and chance. Reading (the Talking Heads frontman) David Byrne’s (nonfiction) book "How Music Works," impacted my thinking on art making, partly by reinforcing and clarifying ideas that had already been rattling around in my head.

"...The 'Untitled' works...spotlight human proclivity to form symbolic and narrative associations. My intent is to make paintings that generate emotional responses, what Byrne calls, “devices that tap into our shared psychological makeup.”

Sometime ago I began working with “models,” partly out of concern for copyright infringement issues. Friends and acquaintances volunteer as artistic collaborators, bringing their thoughts to the process. In the studio we converse and improvise hundreds of poses and situations, using props and clothing (and the nude figure) provided by the model, which I photograph.

"From these, images are selected for their evocative quality, and digitally manipulated and meticulously combined with other visual elements. I use Photoshop to do what earlier artists did with preparatory sketches.

"The resulting work references a variety of sources, interests, and personal penchants, including historic portrait and landscape painting, film, popular culture, gender identity, the male gaze, and graphic design. The resulting imagery is transformed again through the process of painting.

"Throughout this fluid process, the work is continuously and freely evolving, with the goal of evoking multiple interpretations and narratives. The choice to call the series 'Untitled' reflects my decision to allow the work to evolve without a single underlying construct.

About Bruce Adams

Bruce Adams is best known as a conceptually based figurative painter who works in various figurative painting styles. In exploring painting, Adams peels back the layers of meaning inherent in making and viewing art.

Formally trained in art education at Buffalo State College, Adams extended his education as an artist through his involvement in Western New York’s contemporary art scene, starting in the 1980s as director/curator of a small storefront gallery called peopleart bflo, then with Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center as an Artist Advisory Committee cofounder, longtime board member, and board president.

Adams’ work also includes installation and performance art, and he has years of experience as an art educator, and more recently an award-winning critical writer. He has exhibited extensively locally and nationally, and his work is included in numerous private and museum collections including the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Castellani Museum, UB Anderson Gallery, and Burchfield-Penney Art Center.