Historic Mentz Church Art Gallery


The Historic Mentz Church is being preserved to not only foster its historic significance, but to be used as a venue for local artists to showcase their talent. Programs are held monthly from May through October featuring artwork of the Finger Lakes Area. This page will showcase paintings and photography which may be purchased through contacting the artist. 10% of the proceeds of any sale through contact from this site will go to the preservation fund for the church. Click on an artist to view their work!

Artists Displays Held at Historic Mentz Church


Chris Baker, Weedsport, NY — 315 834-6515
Chris was our featured artist at our dedication in May 2005. Viewing Chris’ paintings serially gives the feeling of browsing through a photograph album. Compositionally, each of the works is a "snapshot," frozen in time and extolling the commonplace. Taken together, they give us a haunting view of rural American life. This is a place where time moves slowly and where the inhabitants live in comfortable reciprocity with nature. Chris finds gouache a highly versatile medium and its viscosity allows him to "draw" with his brush, producing the strong illusionist character of the work. Yet, the medium can be applied in thin washes to create the marvelously varied tonal effects of his skies, or it can be layered on the surface to provide the resonant luminosity of Baker’s night scenes.

Stephanie Mills, Port Byron, NY - 315-776-9543
Stephanie displayed her photography at the June 5, 2005 program. Stephanie Mills favorite subjects are dogs, children, and nature; shooting in natural settings lets her capture the fullest expression of her subjects. A new technique for her is something she calls "Altered Photography". "I have begun using watercolor pencil to tint black and white images with great success, I choose to highlight items in the photo which gives it the greatest importance."

Tom Hussey, Auburn, NY 315-253-5288
Tom displayed at the church’s July 10, 2005 program. A west coast native, he began painting in oils at the age of 12. Under the guidance of painters Ola Wentworth and Ardis Shanks, he developed an appreciation for the fundamentals of the realist tradition. The artist has painted oils extensively on location in recent years through Central New York. Hussey finds inspiration and challenge in the landscape genre, even if the subject matter is familiar: The wide range of textures and shapes seen in the fields, hills, woods and waterways of our area, combined with the breadth of weather conditions presents both rich and stimulating imagery. Tom paints intuitively, utilizing a variety of materials and techniques and embraces the role of an artist documenting fleeting visions of a world that few people take time to enjoy.

Paul Luziani, Auburn, NY — 315-253-8976
Paul was our featured artist on the August 14, 2005 program. He specializes in landscape photography of Upstate New York. Looking through the eye of a photographer is like seeing a baby look into the eyes of his Mother for the first time. You never forget that look, that one special moment, etched in your mind. Paul’s goal as a photographer is the same...leave you an image of beauty and peace that will forever be etched in your guests mind.

Karen Thomas Lillie - 315-776-8983
The beauty and tranquility in nature is Karen’s primary motivation for painting. She captures the mystery and peacefulness of the Montezuma, Mentz areas of the Finger Lakes and creates an impressionistic landscapes with oil bar on Bristol paper. Her work is concentrated on expanses, edges, distance, fields, drumlins, water and sky. She prefers her exhibition to be unified with these elements and every changing with the seasons and changing light. Her attitude toward her works is one of respect and gratefulness in being able to recreate the beauty she sees every day. Karen’s art will be shown at the October 2, 2005 program.