Professional Artist Visits Genesee Community College

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Professional artist, Justin Chirico giving a lecture and painting demonstration at GCC

BATAVIA, NY (04/21/2010)(readMedia)-- - Professional artist, Justin Chirico visited the Batavia campus of Genesee Community College on Thursday, April 15, 2010. Justin, originally from Conesus, NY gave a two hour lecture and portrait painting demonstration to students in Heather Jones' Painting 1 and Painting 2 art classes. The students have just finished learning about painting and drawing portraits.

Justin's works can be viewed all around western New York, however he now resides in New York City where his pieces are exhibited in various shows and galleries. He studied painting at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania from 1998-2002 where he earned a Bachelor's of Art degree. In February 2003 his work was seen on the morning TV talk show, Live with Regis and Kelly where he painted a body cast of Kelly Ripa. In April 2006 two of his paintings were selected for exhibition at the Art Students League in New York City. Justin's paintings were chosen from several hundred entries for exhibition, and among those exhibited 13 were chosen for special recognition. In January 2007 Justin was accepted into the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art copyist program. Each summer since 2003, Justin has worked and painted in Europe, including in Norway and along the French Mediterranean with other artists.

He recently had a very successful solo art show at the Thornton Gallery in New York City. Some of his more well-known local works of art include the mural at Fratelli's Restaurant in Avon, NY and a mural at the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY.

"The opportunity for a professional artist to talk with our students is not only inspirational from the creative point of view, but it encourages students to pursue rewarding careers in the arts," Heather Jones, instructor of Fine Art at Genesee said. "We hope to bring in more artists to speak with students about their creative interests while exposing them to different career paths in the arts."

For further information please contact heather Jones at 343-0055 x6448 or hsjones@genesee.edu .

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