Meet the artists!

Since 1999, Jennifer Farrell has operated Starshaped Press in Chicago, with a focus on designing & printing everything from business cards to posters, as well as custom commissions, wholesale ephemera and limited edition prints & books. All work in the studio is created with metal and wood type, making Starshaped one of the few presses in the country producing commercial work while preserving antique type and related print materials. Jennifer’s work has been repeatedly recognized in books, magazines and design blogs, and has appeared in poster shows throughout the USA and Europe. 

Photo taken from www.starshaped.com

Billy Huggins was raised in North Tonawanda, lived in the city of Buffalo for many years, and has resided in Eden, NY since 1996. He has a BS in Art Education from the State University College at Buffalo. He was fortunate to be on the Visual Arts Staff in the glory days of Artpark. Bill’s work is drawing and printmaking and he has exhibited throughout Western New York.

Madeline Bartley was born in Louisville, Kentucky and attended Murray State University where she received her B.F.A. in printmaking and drawing. She earned her M.F.A. in studio arts from Syracuse University’s College of Visual Performing Arts in 2016. Currently she lives in Buffalo, New York where she dedicates her free time to her studio practice at the Buffalo Arts Studio.

Mona Machaby Huggins was raised in North Tonawanda, lived in the city of Buffalo for many years, and has resided in Eden, NY since 1996. Amateur artist, voyeur, collector…a sense of exuberance for all living things; documenting what she sees through the interplay of intention and chance.

Kyle Okiec (pronounced O’key) was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. He attended high school at Hutchinson Central Technical High School, and college at SUNY Plattsburgh. In college he studied both Photography and Expeditionary Studies. After college he moved out west and pursued a career in Photography while also “quenching his thirst” for adventure in the great outdoors. Recently, he moved back to Buffalo to be closer to family and plan his next big adventure.

Kathie submitted her piece, “Soft Propaganda Pillow” to the exhibition. 

“I am a WNY native and have focused on landscapes and industry as my primary photographic subjects. For this project, I challenged myself to work with small-scale industrial objects. Each image was created by carefully staging the subject in a controlled environment. Shooting required ultraprecise illumination to highlight the inner workings without creating distracting reflections on the glass. Six to 12 macro images were taken of the subject, each at different focus points. The images were then digitally processed to merge the sharpest elements together. Each image can require three to eight hours to process, from initial set-up to print-ready.”

“I’m an artist working in different media: photography, drawing, printmaking and ceramics. Overall, I am interested in making marks on surfaces, creating compositions in 2d and 3d, and experimenting with materials. I love happy accidents, new paths opened by unintended errors, and gaining inspiration from nature.”

Painter Mark Lavatelli exhibited his work in the Southwest in the 1980’s and subsequently in New York and nationally. Made mainly with the ancient medium of encaustic, Lavatelli’s paintings, prints, and installations demonstrate a love of nature, especially trees, and concern for the environment. Lavatelli is Professor Emeritus of Art at Medaille College. He is an art writer and is co-author of Richard Diebenkorn in New Mexico, published by the Museum of New Mexico Press. Education: MFA, University of New Mexico, MA, University of Illinois, BA, Cornell University.

Linda submitted her sculpture, “I am a strong tree with brances for many birds. I am good for something in this world and I know it, too. (-Rachel Cooper)” to the exhibition. 

Jameson Hampton is an artist and poet whose work is informed by their interests in history, magic, and alchemy. They were born and raised in the Buffalo area and graduated from Canisius College with a degree in digital art and computer science, which led them to a career as a software engineer, public speaker and podcast producer. Nevertheless, Jamey remains passionate about art, working in various mediums, such as letterpress, photography and collage. They completed their letterpress themed tarot deck, the Tarot of Sorts, as part of their studio residency at Book Arts in early 2022.

bob has submitted his pieces, “How to Survive…” and “Ka-BoomBloks” to the exhibition. 

A native of St. Joseph, Missouri she received a BA in Studio Art at Missouri Western State College in 1976, and went on to receive a BFA in 1978 and her MFA in 1980 in painting with a minor in Art History from the University of New Mexico. In the summer of 1980 she moved to Dallas, Texas where she was assistant director of a for-profit Art Gallery, Mattingly Baker until 1982 when her first daughter was born. She has taught as an adjunct professor in 6 collages from Denton and DallasTexas to Buffalo, NY. In 1995 Polly started working at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center and continues there part time. She continues to create and exhibit her artwork in Western New York. She has exhibited widely in Texas, New Mexico, Missouri and Western New York.

Jozef submitted his mixed media pieces, “Sinclair Girls #1” and “Sinclair Girls #2” to the exhibition. 

 Katy Sloan is an Artist and Educator. When she is not teaching middle school art, she is making mixed media art pieces. She enjoys exploring the depths of emotion and takes pride in capturing the essence of a feeling.

Proud member of the first Papermaking class at Buffalo State, circa 1976 

“An easily distracted fiber enthusiast, I enjoy sewing, spinning, knitting papermaking and weaving and I use handmade paper, sometimes spun or woven , but always stitched, in my artwork. I am a lover of design, a huge fan of pattern and texture , and I always like to combine these with an abundance of machine stitching and bits and pieces of my handmade paper.”

Wendy Trout is a professional calligrapher and designer who lives in Williamsville, NY. She enjoys all aspects of book arts: paper making, paper marbling, paste papers, letterpress, silkscreen, and mini-bookmaking.

Submitted his mixed media piece, “Think Fast.” 

Richard Kegler formed P22 Type Foundry in 1994 and after starting the Western New York Book Arts Center in Buffalo, New York, became the director of the Wells College Book Arts Center in Aurora, NY. Richard has spent his career combining an interest in traditional printing crafts with entrepreneurial initiatives. His current project Dry Inc. focuses on pre-digital printing & typography and new printing tool development.

Graphic designer, artist, illustrator

Cary has been involved in many forms of art and image making. Originally a sculpture major in college he left school to persuade a 14-year career as a glass blower eventually returning to obtain his B.S. in visual communication with a fine art minor. Upon graduation he was hired by a design firm in San Francisco where he moved and lived for 13 years where he and his wife Wendy operated their own design boutique for a number of years. When their son was born they decided to move to Wendy’s hometown of Clarence in 1999. Cary enjoys all forms of image making having recently attended some refresher classes in letterpress and silkscreening at WNYBookArts.

Courtney is an illustrator, printmaker, and cartoonist from Buffalo, NY. She makes bold, graphic, and colorful illustrative and narrative work, heavily influenced by the process of silkscreen printing. Courtney holds a BFA and MFA from the School of Visual Arts in NYC and has worked with a variety of clients including the New York Times, Chronicle Books, Image Comics, and the Workers Unite Film Festival.

Theresa Wyatt, a Buffalo native who grew up on the city’s East Side many years ago, is a retired art and GED English teacher. In recent years her creative focus has been mainly poetry, though she sometimes explores fusing her colored pencil drawings and poems into mixed media/collage type forms. In the 2022 WNYBAC’s Members’ Exhibit, her work “Condolences” is such an example. Historical narratives have long interested Wyatt. Like “Condolences,” her book “Hurled Into Gettysburg” (BlazeVox Books, 2018), was crafted through the strong pull of eulogy.

Catherine Linder Spencer is an award winning Buffalo born, Buffalo based artist. Catherine’s work has been exhibited widely in museums and galleries throughout Western New York including the Albright Knox Art Gallery, the Burchfield-Penney Art Center, Buffalo Arts Studio,WYNBAC as well as exhibits in New York City and Washington, DC. Catherine’s art includes a broad scope of media including 35 mm and digital photography, mixed media collage, sculpture, large scale site specific installations as well as enamel and fiber based sculpture. She completed a one year fellowship program through the New York Foundation for the Arts, MARK. Catherine is proud to have eight large pieces of her work in the permanent collection of
the Burchfield-Penney Art Center.

I’m a multidisciplinary artist living in Buffalo, NY. I received my BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016.

In my screenprinted illustrations and paintings I depict the places I frequent most, parks, neighborhoods, and special spaces, illustrating the emotion and memories each place evokes. By capturing moments with small, sometimes hidden detail, I illustrate a personal relationship I have with each place. Whether these places are physical or internal, they’re important to me. My prints are a body of work in progress, as there are many more places I find magical enough to put ink to paper.

Thom Knab has been an art educator for 33 years, enjoying the previous 32 at Dodge Elementary School in the Williamsville Central School District. He has also been an art leader serving as president of the New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSATA, 2013-15), the Elementary Division Director for the National Art Education Association (NAEA, 2015-2017), and president of the NAEA (2019-2021). He has exhibited in several area shows with this being his fourth solo art exhibition. He is a 2020 inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. He most recently had a solo exhibit at WNYBAC entitled Amalgamate.

Rachel is an illustrator who works with a variety of mediums. Whether it’s screen printing, painting digitally, or experimenting with colored pencil and acrylic, She likes to incorporate welcoming colors and natural elements into her work. She enjoys working with flat shapes to build up her compositions and focuses on different textures to create unique pieces. When she’s not working or drawing she is most likely hanging out with her dog.

Letterpress Printer. Collage Artist. Graphic Designer. Mompreneur. Lover of Tim Burton things. Hater of glitter. Book Arts for life.

Jennifer Lee Wettlaufer is a lifelong crafter. She lives on the Buffalo River, not far from WNY Book Arts, her artistic base.

Sudi was born in Kunming, China now lives in Buffalo NY. Currently, Sudi is a resident artist at Westen New York Book Art Center, as a part-time printmaking artist. she received her bachelor’s degree in Biology and Visual art at SUNY Fredonia in 2021. SuDi’s artworks focus on monster creations influenced by different cultures, religions, and traditions that she grew up with and around. Her work also includes suminagashi, book art, and zine publications.