Mary Beth Dolan

Mary Beth Dolan leapt from the womb an artist! As the tender age of six she received her first award recognizing her superlative talents. From that moment on her family’s suspicions were confirmed, they had an artist on their hands.

Mary Beth’s education in the arts continues to this day, as she is a firm believer in constant improvement. The highlights of her formal education are as follows:
1983 Graduated High School with a NYS Regents degree in Science and Art
1986 Graduated Associates Degree in Advertising Design and Production
1985 Attended fine art classes in NYS SUNY system, courses in photography and figure drawing

After the rigors of college she held jobs within the aqdvertising and print fileds from 1986-1992.
From 1993 to the present, freelance artist for several area businesses, and privately commissioned artwork

Several years ago Mary Beth realized that others might want to learn about creating art and how they could make their own lives richer for it. (Apparently the family’s gene for teaching had not skipped a generation after all!) This has led to the opening of her new studio, located in western New York.
Not being a woman of limited interests, she also is an avid gardener, voracious reader, and loves to cook several types of cuisine. Art to her takes place in the home, the garden, the mind, and the soul.

Solo exhibitions

2002-present Start Here Studio, Brockport, NY 14420
On-going

May 1999 My Sister’s Gallery, Rochester NY 14610



Selected group exhibitions

June 2006 Start Here Studio, Brockport, NY
April 2006 Artwalk Artshow and Auction, Rochester, NY
Feb. 2006 Lakeside Little Gallery, Brockport, NY
April 2005 Lakeside Little Gallery, Brockport, NY
Sept. 2005 Stone Soup Auction
Mar. 2004 Lakeside Little Gallery, Brockport, NY
Nov. 2003 WXXI Garden Art Bench Auction
High Falls Gallery, Rochester, NY
Aug. 2003 Salon de Refuses, Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY
Mar. 2003 SHS First Annual Exhibition, Seymour Library, Brockport, NY
Dec. 2001-04 Lakeside Foundation Art Auction
Nov. 1999 16 x20 Exhibit, High Falls Gallery, Rochester, NY

Currently I am working on two major areas of interest. A series of paintings based on my recent trip to Northern Arizona, and portraying the spirit of natural elements, specifically trees. In the past four years I have begun to experiment with new mediums and techniques such as using palette knives, resist methods and adding unusual textures to primed canvasses.

The breath-taking Northern Arizona scenery inspired me to paint landscapes from Sedona, and close-ups of local flora. The series also includes scenes from the Buddhist retreat center that I stayed at. I spent ten days and nights perched on a mountaintop overlooking the high desert- and there are paintings that depict scenes specific to a typical day there. The paintings featuring Arizona scenes are watercolor and acrylic paintings. The watercolor paintings are done in multiple layer process, some of the paintings have over 12 layers of watercolor glazes. The acrylic paintings are also layers, but not to such an extreme degree.

The series of “spirit masks” use found natural objects such as leaves, seedpods, snail shells, acorns, and rose hips assembled with castings of people’s faces. The process is engrossing- it involves long walks foraging for materials, the assembling of the cast mask, and then attaching the leaves, and other found objects.

At the age of six I won an award for my art in the school art and science fair- I have been hooked on art ever since. I would (and still do) spend most of my time making art: stopping to sketch while walking in the woods, or during classes.

My degree is an Asssociates in Applied Sciences in Advertising design and production. I graduated in 1986, and have been re-learning fine art media and skills since 1992. Due to the unique nature of my education and artisitc inclinations, I am a cross breed between fine and applied arts, "cross discipline"- if you will.

In 2006 I began studying figure and portrait painting with Rochester based artist Steve Carpenter.

I am a member of a number of arts and arts education organizations located in New York State.

Recent artistic accomplishments are the design, creation and permanent installation of a large mural and sculpture for the Seymour Library in Brockport, NY; and the design and creation of a smaller mural for the Sweden Recreation Center, in Brockport, NY. In August of 2002 I opened my own studio where I teach students of all ages. The studio is a full time teaching studio, and gallery space located in western New York state.

April 13, 2007 from 5- 8pm.
April 14, 2007 from 12-4pm.
Location, North Goodman Street, Rochester, NY.

Come join me along with 40 plus other Rochester area artists!