The Jacob Edwards Library celebrates Pride In Southbridge with a cureated mixed media art show, arranged by Billy Bolster. Artists from the area are invited to submit applications to participate. It will be an opportunity to chat to the artists about their work and prac......More
The Jacob Edwards Library celebrates Pride In Southbridge with a cureated mixed media art show, arranged by Billy Bolster. Artists from the area are invited to submit applications to participate. It will be an opportunity to chat to the artists about their work and practice. All welcome! Initiated in 2006 to recognize the countless contributions and achievements of the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies in the Southbridge area, the 2025 art exhibit and family friendly programming has evolved into a celebration of the diversity that makes Southbridge a welcoming and vibrant community. Reaching beyond the LGBTQIA community, an all inclusive celebration of Southbridge’s diversity is planned. This year the Jacob Edwards Library will celebrate with an art exhibit featuring over a dozen local artists featuring a diverse set of skills in fine art, wood craft, metal craft, fiber and more! 2025 Artists’ Pride Statements Laura O. Cenedella (she/her/hers) is an award-winning New England Artist born in Western Massachusetts. Her family relocated to Cape Cod where she spent her childhood. Laura was inspired by her mother and started painting at an early age. She has always felt that art should be accessible to everyone. To achieve that Laura has worked and taught others through many nonprofit organizations and public schools. Self-taught in all mediums Laura prefers to work with oils. She is always trying new techniques and learning to enhance her skills. Laura is her toughest critic, and her passion is endless. She is humble and kind while seeking the path to success. Michele Fontaine - My creative inspiration comes from an exploration of line, color and texture in spatial relationships in various media. I am entirely self-trained and since retirement in 2021, I am able to devote more time in my studio! Mara DeWitte - Spending my free time in nature leads to shooting what catches my eye with color, shape, and contrast. I am inspired and in awe of what Mother Nature puts in front of me and the changes that happen with the cycles of the seasons. My photographs are an expression of my appreciation of the natural world and also a reminder to myself, and hopefully others, of the incredible beauty that exists right outside our doors. Please follow Mara on Facebook at On My Feet Photography. Billy Bolster - Billy is fascinated with the concept of making things from what nature gives us, like raw wool, silk, and flax fibers. His functional pieces are inspired by his husband John’s paintings, his heritage, the personality of the wearer, and Mother Nature. Dale Barsamian - Having developed an interest in all things creative at a young age, I was fortunate to have a career in the art field. My professional background is as an Illustrator, Art Director and Creative Director working in a promotional agency setting, silk screen design for the garment industry, and heading the art department for Hawaiian Tropic. I've also illustrated children's publications and books for Weekly Reader, Golden Books, Playskool, and others. My freelance career included designing and illustrating for Hasbro, Safety First and working with Disney for fifteen years before retiring to make art just for the love of it! As for the finer arts, I love depicting what I term “A Slice of Life” in my work. Capturing moments in time that are meaningful or inspirational to me. Having the freedom at this point in my life to create is wonderful! Roger Morin - A lifelong native of Southbridge, ally Roger Morin is excited to direct his auto-body welding skills toward his artist side. Upcycling metal tools and scrap metal, Roger hopes to create visually graceful works from hardened materials, which at the same time seem familiar yet new to the viewer. Paulette Renaud - Paulette is inspired by watching other artists and their techniques. She is also inspired by nature and uses acrylic paints to bring her visions to life. Amelia Peloquin - As a queer fiber artist, I’ve spent over twenty years exploring craft as a form of self-expression and refuge. Guided by intuition and play, I find freedom in the act of dyeing, spinning, knitting, and weaving - each process a quiet rebellion and a space for creative possibility. Cyndi Keene - Ally parent Cyndi Keene has found new passion in woodworking since her retirement from the Southbridge school system. She is a strong supporter of all things Southbridge especially her children Cole, Kenz, and Michael. Kenz Carron (they/them) - Born in Southbridge, Kenz now lives in Northampton and has found pleasure in woodworking with their mother (Cyndi Keene), creating tables and decorative items sold mostly at local craft fairs. They also enjoy painting, originally honing this skill in the Southbridge Public School system. John Polakowski - Capturing Cape Cod’s beauty isn’t a matter of duplicating the colors onto canvas, rather it is sharing the impression of my experiences there with you. I hope you see the diversity of life through my work. I’d like you to love life and enjoy this special show. Maggie Griffis (She/Her) - Maggie Griffis is a 21 year old autistic budding artist. She chose to paint for this show to show allyship for the LGBTQIA+ community. Maggie has a very close family who support her endeavors. They are near and dear to her heart. Elm Moore (they/them) - Elm studied at MassArt in Boston and have now branched out into their own practice. They are primarily a sculptor but have roots in painting. Having taken up painting again they look to find nuggets of joy in the world around them. They see this most often in those around them who have chosen to live authentically. This is one of the driving factors for them to create portraits. If you'd like to commission one or just see other work by the artist you can find them on instagram @11elmm. Cas Reyes (He/They) - Cas finds inspiration through advocacy. For them, fiber craft offers both beauty and connection to the past. Cas is an advocate for gender equality and expresses this through traditional methods of expression and human connection. Gabriella Gonzalez-Kiernan - A queer, mixed media, visually impaired artist, Gabby is inspired by nature. She aims to create sustainable art by painting vibrant abstract florals on recycled canvases using leftover paint from other projects to minimize waste. Niko (He/Him) - My inspiration comes from all the interests I've had. Mainly video games, horror media, music, and nature. I’m mostly self taught and have loved art since I was 4, going to museums anytime my parents could take me. I’ve always loved how calming it was and being able to make something blank into something I could be proud of.
Jacob Edwards Library
