By Barbara Arnstein
“It was a great weekend with numerous visitors to the Ellicottville Fine Art Show”, said Mikel Wintermantel (pictured), Executive Director Emeritus of the Tri-County Arts Council which, together with the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce, presented the third annual Labor Day weekend show. “Our region has many quality artists and skilled craftspersons and this show highlights some of the best. I set up my easel in my tent so people could watch me paint and ask questions. I thrive on the curiosity of the people drawn to my work.”, he continued. His expert depictions of colorful landscapes include micro paintings.
Mikel Wintermantel, C.M. (initials representing a Copley Master designation awarded by the Copley Society of Art), has now been succeeded by the former Assistant Executive Director of the Tri-County Arts Council in 2021, Megan Davis. The Tri-County Arts Council, which promotes artists in Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua, was originally the Cattaraugus County Arts Council but added the other two counties in 2018. Since then, it has advocated for artists throughout the Southern Tier. (Fun Fact: Author Mark Twain had a cat named Cattaraugus.)
There were fifteen booths in the juried exhibition, which was held from 10am-5pm on both days on the lawn of the historic 1887 building. Visitors had the opportunity to buy original works from artisans across the Southern Tier and beyond. The categories included painting, photography, ceramics, jewelry, leather craftmanship and fiber arts. The artists there, in addition to Mikel Wintermantel, were: John Crandall, Lynzie Rinamon, Melissa Locke, Eileen and Michael Weishan, Robert Vrboncic, Kenneth Korn (Turning Treasures), Denise Drummond, Kaylee Taylor, Violet Nolder, Ken Falkenhagen, Julie Ellis, Nicole Missle and Michelle Hoff.
“I am always happy that my work is appreciated by the folks in Ellicottville”, continued Wintermantel. “I don’t show locally often because I am represented by distant galleries that do a brisk business getting my work into collections worldwide. This show in Ellicottville is exceptional and I make it a point to showcase as many of my latest paintings as I can, many of them smaller works on copper metal and many in my own handcrafted frames. I love to strike up conversations with people that travel to Ellicottville from all corners of the world and share their appreciation for the stunning, bucolic landscape that we are so lucky to live in.”
“We are proud to bring artists and the community together in a beautiful outdoor setting”, said Megan Davis. “The Ellicottville Fine Art Show will become a gallery exhibition at our facility (at 110 West State Street) in Olean.” Another Fun Fact: The next Southern Tier Biennial will be the twentieth one! For more information, go to tricountyartscouncil.org or call (716) 372-7455.