Hi! My name is Jessica and I am a senior Art History and Psychology major at Syracuse University. I have been interning here at Delavan Art Gallery since January and as I am finishing up my experience, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect upon what I have learned. When I originally applied to work at the gallery, my expectations were comparable to past internships in the art world. I expected typical intern jobs that only gave you a glimpse of what the career truly entails. Since day one, every day at Delavan is a new experience whether it be designing the layout of a show, visiting an artist in their home, or comtemplating new ways to improve what already seems flawless. Most importantly, I have enjoyed getting to know the local artists from the area and widening my knowledge of the Syracuse art scene. I have had the opportunity to pursue an internship at a gallery in London, but what I have learned through my experiences here has been so much more beneficial. I have never encountered a group of people with such dedication and passion for what they do and who honestly care about your opinion. Through this experience, I realize I am more able and ready to leave college behind and enter the job market. If it weren't for these past few months I wouldn't feel as secure in my decision to pursue this career and I am very thankful to my mentors Caroline, Courtney, and Mr. Delavan.

April Th3 this Thursday

Visit the Th3 Blog for more info on this Thursday's events
or the Th3 Website for a map and contact info for each venue.



A. Brooks Decker, Vivian Geiger and Seymour Magnet Elementary School Art Teacher Kelly Moser will be in attendance for you to meek and speak with at Delavan Art Gallery.

Also on Th3 is outdoor video projections as part of the Urban Video Project. See their website for more details.

See you there!

Press Release for "Art Across Generations"

SYRACUSE, New York -- March 24, 2007 -- Delavan Art Gallery is pleased to present the exhibit "Art Across Generations" featuring acrylic paintings by A. Brooks Decker, photographs by Vivian Geiger, photographs by Jessica Taylor and art by students in three Syracuse School District Elementary Schools: Blodgett, Seymour Magnet and Solace. The artists in this show span both age and experience to show the full spectrum of an artist's development. The exhibit opens on Thursday, April 5 and continues through Saturday, May 5, 2007.

For A. Brooks Decker, the title "Art Across Generations" holds a particular relevance. This exhibit includes both her work and the work of her daughter, Jessica Taylor. Decker writes, "If there has been one constant force in my Life... it has been art." Growing up in a small town on Long Island, Decker watched her fisherman father paint the sea while her mother kept a flower garden. These memories are now entwined in the subject matter of her paintings in a style she calls "romantic realism." Also included in this show are paintings of garden doors inspired by her daughter's photographs. Decker is well known in the region for participating in many local group exhibits and for owning and managing the former Limestone Art Gallery in Fayetteville for ten years.

A. Brooks Decker, "Untitled" acrylic painting

Vivian Geiger is a widely respected photographer who now lives in the area of Liverpool, NY. For this exhibit she is showcasing a new series of abstracts and a new technique of using pastels on photographs. Geiger is an expert on oil coloring on photographs and was hired to write a "how-to" book and act as a consultant on the subject. She is a life member of the Professional Photographers of America (P.P.A.), and was selected as an instructor in their "Super Monday" program, a position that the President of the P.P.A. states is intended for the most legendary photographers in the industry. Her resume includes traveling and lecturing to professional photographers internationally as well as teaching classes at Winona School, N. Carolina University, the Rochester Institute and Syracuse University, among others. Geiger has received the Post-Standard Achievement Award in the Arts.

Vivian Geiger, "Milkweed" photography

Jessica Taylor is exhibiting many of her cloudscapes in this exhibit along side her mother, A. Brooks Decker's paintings. "I thought that I would become a painter as my mother, aunt, uncle and grandfather had," she writes in her artist's statement. She studied art but professionally entered the "healing arts", eventually getting a PhD. Taylor later started taking photographs of the doors of Santa Fe and sending them to her mother to paint from. Decker sent her daughter Jessica a camera which was nicknamed her "magic camera" because it had belonged to Taylor's step-father. "I haven't been able to put the camera down, " Taylor writes. Concerning her subject matter she explains, "Although I have always lived by water, in New Mexico the skies have become my ocean. Through them I have started to paint again and discovered my reason to do art."

Jessica Taylor, "Turbulent Sky" photography

For the fourth year, Delavan Art Gallery is pleased to host the work of children from Blodgett, Seymour Magnet and Solace Elementary Schools. Students from the classes of Stacy Griffin, Kelly Moser and Simone Montgomery have the chance to see their work in a professional setting and to sell the work to raise money for themselves as burgeoning artists and for school art supplies. A special reception will be held for students on Friday, April 20, from 4 - 6 PM, featuring a performance by Seymour Guitar Ensemble. The ensemble consists of student guitar players in the 4th and 5th grades and is spearheaded by Seymour’s music teacher, Kevin Dorsey. The public is encouraged to attend this reception.

Marissa Rae Olivarria (Blodgett Elementary School), "Lichenstein People" marker and tempera paint

Delavan Art Gallery is a 3,800 square foot showcase and sales venue for fine art created by area artists. Located in a convenient, downtown location at 501 West Fayette Street, Syracuse, the gallery is free and open to the public. Off-street parking is available and the gallery is handicapped accessible. Delavan Art Gallery opens “The Language of Art” from 5 - 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 1, and is open through March 31 on Thursday and Friday afternoons from 12-6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and at other times by appointment. For more information visit www.DelavanArtGallery.com.

Dates: April 5 – May 5, 2007
Location: Delavan Art Gallery, 501 W. Fayette Street, Syracuse, NY 13204
Hours: Thursdays and Fridays 12-6 p.m., Saturdays 10-4 p.m., and also by appointment (NOTE: These hours are new since September 2006.)

Opening Reception: Thursday, April 5, 5-8 PM
A special reception for Blodgett, Seymour Magnet and Solace Elementary Schools on Friday, April 20, 4 - 6 PM, free and open to the public

Artists in Attendance: Saturdays from noon – 3 p.m.
Please visit www.DelavanArtGallery.com after March 30 for a list of artists in attendance for the duration of this exhibit.