Artists celebrate Orleans County, Erie Canal in bicentennial show at Marti’s on Main
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Peggy Barringer is shown with some of her photographs of a great blue heron at sunset along the Erie Canal in Albion, not far from her backyard.
Barringer is one of 11 featured artists in a bicentennial show at the Marti’s on Main gallery in Albion, highlighting the 200th anniversary of both the Erie Canal and Orleans County.
Barringer also has black-and-white photo of the Erie Canal in the show, including this shed that she said no longer exists. She started walking the canal in her 50s and became more serious about photography then after being downsized by Chase Bank.
“I started to walk the canal regularly and I started to see things with a fresh set of eyes,” she said.
Two of her photos have been winners in the annual state-wide Erie Canal photo contest. Barringer is often on local expeditions trying to get photos of snowy owls, bald eagles and other scenes.
“There’s a lot of here with nature and wildlife,” she said about Orleans County. “The sunsets are gorgeous. I chase the eagles and snowy owls.”
Other artists in the show include Chris Manaseri, Kim Martillotta Muscarella, Elizabeth Cooper, Amber Smarpat, Bradeen Walders, Jeff Watkins, Tony Barry, Connie Mosher and Christy Valsente.
Christy Valsente of Holley creates art work in glass. This piece is entitled, “Corn.”
Kim Martillotta Muscarella did this acrylic painting of a sunset.
Muscarella said the county has a vibrant diversity in the landscape that appeals to artists, especially with the Erie Canal and agriculture scenes.
“People who come to visit here say it’s so beautiful with the apple trees and the great blue herons,” Muscarella said.
Tony Barry, a retired art teacher at Holley, stands near one of his Erie Canal paintings of a scene in Holley.
“I like the simplicity of it with the birds and the variety of trees,” he said about the painting.
Barry enjoys painting scenes of the canal and the Holley Waterfalls.
‘I like the environment around here and the people that live here,” he said. “I like the beauty of the canal, even in the winter. I appreciate the starkness of it.”
Jeffrey J. Watkins did these oil paintings of “Evening, Alabama Swamps” at left and “Evening on the Canal.”
Bradeen Erakare, 31, has three paintings in the show. The one on the left is her friend since childhood, Gregg Albertson, and the other is another lifelong friend, Jackie Madejski. Albertson was Erakare’s neighbor growing up in Albion. He now lives in Nashville and is a musician. Madejski is an actress currently with the lead role in Hamlet during a summer production in Cooperstown. The other painting is a landscape along Wood Road in Albion.
Erakare said part of celebrating the county’s bicentennial should include recognizing friends and people in the community.
‘The people make up the town,” she said. “As an artist the people inspire me.”
4-H Fair by Amber Smarpat
Chris Manaseri painting this pic of the tugboat Lockport tied up at canal side.
Elizabeth Cooper of Medina created these dolls of pioneers with an ox.
Rosie Patronski painted the tower at Mount Albion Cemetery.
