Art auction raised $8K for Marti’s on Main in Albion

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Todd Jantzi, an auctioneer and owner of Bontrager Real Estate & Auction Service in Batavia, looks for bids during an art auction on Saturday at Marti’s on Main, an art gallery in Albion run by Kim Martillotta Muscarella.

He is shown with a painting by Richard Hart, one of 35 pieces of art work in the auction.

The first-ever art auction raised $8,000 for Marti’s, a non-profit art gallery that features many artists during the year and also hosts art classes and other special events.

Kim Martillotta Muscarella, leader of Marti’s on Main, welcomes the group for the auction. She thanked the artists for donating their work. She gave three on her paintings for the auction.

Martillotta Muscarella first ran Marti’s from her home on North Main Street in Albion, and then for a year at the Cobblestone Museum. In 2019, she started to transform the former Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County into an art gallery. The site opened as Marti’s on Main in 2021. It hosts several art shows a year, as well as concerts and art classes.

Martillotta Muscarella said 180 different artists have been featured at Marti’s since her first show in 2008, including about 120 who had their first show at a gallery.

Martillotta Muscarella established a non-profit organization about a year ago to help with fundraising to make the site more sustainable.

Todd Jantzi scans the crowd for bids. Jantzi bought one of the pieces himself. He thanked the group for their generosity and efforts to strengthen Marti’s, which he called a community asset.

A painting by Roseanne Mascari goes up for bid. Marrit Vaga, left, helped run the auction. Judy Wenrich, front right, bid on several of the pieces and donated one her works, showing two horses.

The auction included art work from Arthur Barnes, Tony Barry, Rebecca Barry-Kent, Jeanne Borrelli, David Burke, Rich Della Costa, Bradeen Erakare, Paul Facklam, George Graham, Pat Greene, Richard Hart, Sarah Hyatt, Laura Kemler, Jappie King Black, Arlene London, Chris Manaseri, Diana August Martin, Kim Martillotta Muscarella, Nikki Martillotta McFarland, Roseanne Mascari, Rebecca Maynard, Cindy Meal, Peter Monacelli, Connie Mosher, Michael O’Keefe, Nancy Radzik, Harvey Rayner, Ester Rolick, Brian Seekins, Sharon Stewart, Suzanne Wells, Mark Weld, Judy Wenrich, Bob Wisner and Tom Zangerle.

Some of the artwork in the auction is shown in this photo.

Marti’s on Main has transferred the former Cornell Cooperative Extension building at 20 South Main St. This building is part of the Courthouse Square Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.