West Seneca Art Society Spring Art Show 2013

The West Seneca Art Society featured art by Western New York painters, sculptors and photographers in its Spring Art Show in April 2013.

Fiber Arts Show

The Fiber Arts Show ran through March 2013 and included quilts, needlework, lace, appliqué and other compositions of thread, yarn, textile and other fibers. Fiber arts communicate message, emotion or meaning beyond the literal materials used.

 

Seneca Lifeways exhibit

Traditional Seneca Lifeways, an exhibit depicting early Native American culture and everyday life was on display throughout February 2013. Western New York artist Brendalee Piccone’s watercolor and acrylic paintings and pencil drawings represent Seneca cultural items and their use in everyday life. Images of the Seneca longhouse, ceremonial implements and spiritual beliefs are subjects of Piccone’s artworks. Artifacts from the West Seneca Historical Society complemented her visual narrative by adding historic pictures and artifacts to enhance the exhibit.

The Burchfield Center, located on the site of the Buffalo Creek Reservation, once inhabited by the Seneca Nation, was an especially appropriate venue for this exhibit.

'Historic Gardenville' featured artifacts from town's past

The West Seneca Historical Society put together photographs and artifacts depicting the lifestyles, buildings and people who contributed to the history of Gardenville, an important location in the origins and development of the Town of West Seneca. The "Historic Gardenville" exhibit was on display throughout January 2013 and included a presentation by town historian Jim Pace (below).

 

West Seneca Art Society Fall Show

The West Seneca Art Society present its fall show featuring Western New York painters, sculptors and photographers throughout October 2012. See images from the show  below.

Stanley Smigiera Retrospective

The work of a self-taught West Seneca artist was featured throughout September 2012. The Stanley Smigiera Retrospective contained "a little bit of everything," according to the artist, who has lived in West Seneca since 1951. Pieces in acrylic, oil, pencil and watercolor depicted a range of subjects. ome of Smigiera's artwork reflected his respect for the military, as he is a World War II veteran. 

While Smigiera has no formal schooling in art, he started as a boy of 9 or 10 copying drawings from newspaper cartoons and continued to produce artworks from magazine pictures and photographs. Smigiera has painting and drawings hanging everywhere from Grand Central Station in NYC to Princeton University. Locally, his portrait of Pope John Paul can be found in a Buffalo catheral, and he designed the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce logo.

Swanekamp Retrospective

This exhibit showcased the work of a couple who contributed greatly to the art community in West Seneca. A Retrospective of Artworks of Edward Swanekamp and Rosemary Okoniewski Swanekamp was on display in August 2012. The Swanekamps are well remembered in the area, where Ed taught art for many years at the West Seneca high schools. Both Ed and Rosemary were prolific painters and members of the West Seneca Art Society, a group that was organized by Ed in the mid-1950s.

In May of 2010 the West Seneca Town Board proclaimed a reactivation of the West Seneca Art Society, naming Ed a posthumous honorary legacy member in remembrance of his important contributions to art and artists in West Seneca.

The show included an array of landscapes, seascapes, flowers and scenes inspired by nature. Viewers will enjoy artwork in a variety of media - watercolor, acrylic, oil, pencil and ink.

"A Resting Place"

 Local artist Thomas Dalbo exhibited a one-man show at The Burchfield Nature and Art Center throughout June 2012.

Dalbo is a longtime West Seneca resident, former senior pastor of Winchester Community Church, member of the Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society and has been involved in the reorganization of the West Seneca Art Society. His works have been shown in many area galleries.

This show featured watercolors, pastels, pen and ink, acrylic and pencil with subjects ranging from landscapes and flowers to horses.

"They Are Creative" - Native American Artists

The Native Roots Artists Guild exhibited a variety of artwork in May and June 2012.  The show, titled “They Are Creative – Art of the Haudensaunee,” showcased the creativity of the Haudenosaunee – “People of the Longhouse” - who reflect their world in paintings, beadwork, photography, cornhusk creations, basketry and other native arts.

 The Native Roots Artists Guild maintains a network for Haudensaunee artists, perpetuates native culture and promotes community awareness and appreciation of native arts. Their artwork is a unique reflection of Native American heritage.

Fiber Arts Exhibit

  Members of the Cross-Town Quilters and Friends of the Burchfield Nature and Art Center brought a multifaceted fiber arts exhibit to the Burchfield Center Gallery for public edification and enjoyment throughout March 2012.

Benes’ exhibit at Burchfield reflects on nature

  My Vision…. An Eclectic Journey, an art exhibit by Veronica Benes, was displayed in February and March 2012. Benes' work features a variety of media, including oil, watercolor, ink, pencil, pastel, sepia and acrylic. Her work reflects her joy in nature and draws on her life-long experience as an artist and teacher.

"Historical West Seneca"

 The beginning of a new year is a good time to reflect on the past, especially at the Burchfield Nature & Art Center in West Seneca. In January 2012 at the BNAC, the West Seneca Historical Society exhibited photographs and artifacts depicting the lifestyles, buildings and people who contributed to the history of the Town of West Seneca. The exhibit, “Historical West Seneca,” aimed to share significant information about the town’s past. Among the freestanding artifacts on display are a sewing machine, spinning wheel and “Ebenezer People.”

Charles Hunt Retrospective Woodcarvings (September 2011)

Below are images from a past show, "West Seneca Celebrates Art"

 Photography by Anna Mrak:

Annual Fall Photography Contest entries were on display throughout December 2012. The show featured more than 120 photos.View the complete list of award recipients here.