BLEND of talent

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Keystone College graduate art exhibit at New Visions Studio & Gallery, Scranton features six artists from the local college, with artwork ranging from 3D sculpture to drawings, paintings and photographs. Included in this exhibit are Sean Costello, Matt Mroz, Alex Seeley, Erica Simon, Sara Snodgrass and Michael Swanson. Exhibit dates are Sept. 7 through 29 with an opening reception First Friday, Sept. 7 from 6 to 10 p.m. Meet and greet with the artists during the opening reception, which is free to the public.

Costello, born in Scranton, was encouraged from a young age to express himself artistically. In his teenage years he took private lessons in oil painting and drawing. In 2009 he received his Bachelors degree in Visual Arts, with a concentration in painting from Keystone College. Upon graduating Sean apprenticed to learn tattooing. He currently works as a professional tattoo artist at Traditions Elite Tattooing and Body Piercing.

Glass sculptor Mroz grew up in Peckville and graduated from Valley View High School. He pursued a degree in Athletic Training at Lock Haven University for three years and, after taking an art class, decided he really enjoyed the creative process and changed his major to Fine Art. In 2005 he was accepted into the Art Program at Keystone . While there he discovered glass blowing and sculpture, his true passion. He currently has six years of hot glass working experience, as well as experience in mold making and sculpting. He is a teacher’s assistant at Keystone and volunteers to maintain the hot shop and run their open studios. He graduated in the spring of 2011.

Photographer, Seeley, of Lake Ariel. He specializes in photojournalism and portrait photography. He recently earned his Bachelor’s degree in visual art at Keystone. In addition to completing internships with The Abington Journal and Scranton Times, the artist continues to explore his new perspective on portraiture.

Glassblower/painter Simon hails from Factoryville. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Visual Art from Keystone, focusing on glass, painting, bookbinding and digital photography. Her subject matter varies depending on material, but she mainly draws inspiration from images from the Hubble Space Telescope: “I find the idea of containing something as vast as the endlessness of space into an object that can fit in your hand to be pretty captivating.” She resides in Corning, N.Y., where she is employed as a glassblower by The Corning Museum of Glass.

Snodgrass, who often uses “repeating patterns and symbols to create the under paintings,” in her work said, ” The patterns I use are often inspired by human biology, such as DNA strands and heart chambers. The symbols found in my art are based loosely off fractals and sacred geometry.” The artist graduated from Keystone College in 2009, with a bachelor’s of Science in Art education and a studio concentration in ceramics and glass blowing. The work that she will be displaying at New Visions consists of mixed media paintings on glass and various other nontraditional canvases. She lives in Scranton.

Swanson, a Clarks Summit resident, is a glass artist and has had many recent shows featuring his artwork of blown, cast, slumped and fused glass in various galleries in Scranton, Clarks Summit, Tunkhannock and Wilkes-Barre. Graduating from Keystone College in 2006, he returned to the campus in 2010 to work as the Studio Tech for their Glass program.This summer he taught the hot shop side of the glass Arts Alive program at Keystone. He said he found himself inspired by watching young students pick up glass for the first time, learning to use it to make art.