Tim Votapka is a veteran visual communicator with a
passion for landscape photography. His scenic and
floral images capture the most robust characteristics
of nature as unfolds among the fields, forests, yards
and gardens throughout Long Island and New
England.
Professionally, Tim has been a journalist, a creative
marketing producer and storyteller in both words and
images. A resident of Centerport, NY, Tim always
has his Nikon within reach; always scanning for the
ideal scene where an image will reveal itself. Of his
work, he says “The ideal scenes are there every day.
I merely have the good fortune to notice them and
use the tools and knowledge I have at hand to
duplicate them.”
View Tim’s award-winning work online at
idealscenes.com

Jack Ader, a founding member and Executive Vice President of Celebrate St. James, has had professional experience in several fields.  In his early life he was involved in theater and film, and later he worked in the printing industry as an estimator and manager of several large print firms in Manhattan. Jack was recruited by Peter Arnell, a highly esteemed photographer and owner of a premier branding and marketing firm in New York City, to work for his company. Jack remained in this business for almost twenty years and often collaborated with Mr. Arnell on many projects. Since Jack’s retirement from the printing industry in 2011, he has had great success as a well-known published photographer. His iconic photo of the American flag that survived the terrorist attacks on September 11th and was found in the rubble of the World Trade Center has been archived by New York State and was displayed in the 9/11 Tribute Center in New York City. Jack’s collection of photographs of many historic sites in St. James were showcased in an 18-month calendar which has raised funds for Celebrate St. James and promoted an awareness of what St. James has to offer.  

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Jack is curator for the art shows that are presented by Celebrate St. James, and, thanks to Jack, the series of exhibits is a very popular one among artists and the residents of St. James. 

He and his wife Harriet and children moved to St. James in 1973 and he is pleased to be a leader in  Celebrate St. James, an organization that is dedicated to preserving the history of St. James and promoting the cultural arts.

A graduate of the High School of Art & Design & C.C.N.Y.
Rhoda Angelier is a former fashion Illustrator for Women’s Wear Daily and
worked for several Ad Agencies on Madison Avenue creating print & TV
ads for many hi-profile accounts, I.e. Chanel No. 5 , Maidenform, Sardo
Bath Oil, etc. She works with a variety of mediums exhibitions and selling
to individual collectors. She has also conducted workshops in many of the
Libraries in Suffolk County via the Suffolk County cooperative Library
system.

An impressionist-style artist, known for her beautiful paintings of the world- renowned East-end Long Island coastline, Sally
exhibits both privately and to the public. Her work has graced the walls of New York banking institutions as well as becoming part of the collections of a number of Park Avenue and Ease-end residents. Sally has, also
enjoyed success and acclaim at numerous East coast group shows. Although she is request to have her work reproduced in prints, Sally has continued to refuse, based on her belief that each piece is an individual
and not meant to be duplicated.
Her love of the beach and shoreline brought her to Long Island in 1962, after which she studied at the State University of New York and Parson’s School of Design. In addition to those art courses, she worked under
tutelage of a well-known Long Island artist where she further developed her unique interpretive style. Sally has found a near perfect parallel to the complexities of nature and the human condition, itself, in her contemplations of the sea. Her continual studies of the water, beaches and dunes is a result of the need to explore and visually communicate the beauty, harmony and unpredictability of nature as well as the constant confrontation between tranquility and turmoil inherent in the world in which we live- Sally Rubin
By Appointment
631-981-2570

My passion for art started at an early age and drove me to Receive an associate degree in advertising art and design from state university in 1962. After my military service My working career involved a partnership business involving  drafting and design for the construction industry in manhattan. retiring at age 68 and living in st James with my wife Kathy I began to revive my passion for art by painting local scenes on Long Island as a hobby. 

Brian Gorin has over 45 years’ experience in the study of light, both the science and art of light generation and capture with imaging methods.  He has contributed to the development of the first digital cameras since 1980, and designed and fielded several unique light sensing systems for holographic, infrared, and spectral imaging applications. He has been awarded 8 U.S. Patents and published over 40 technical papers for Electro Optic Journals and Conferences.  Recently, he has returned to his early artistic passions to create “Lite Impressions.”
During his college years in Rochester, N.Y.,  he studied under William Giles, attended classes of Minor White and studied the works of Edward Weston, Paul Caponigro, Aaron Siskind, and Paul Strand.  Several exhibitions of his early works with sepia toning of images utilized the well known Zone System used by Ansel Adams and others.  His color works of nature have been inspired by  Elliot Porter.

Diane began her art journey as soon as she could pick up a pencil. Spending much of her class
time drawing in her notebooks. In High school she took as many art classes as possible. She
continued to study art and interior design at Suffolk Community College. She spent ten years
working in the interior design field- designing furniture, cabinets, and creating interior
renderings for her clients and for other designers. During that time, she was introduced to set
design and worked with several local theaters creating sets and painting backdrops. She has
created murals for private clients and organizations.
Diane left the design field and journeyed into health care earning a bachelor’s and master’s
degrees from St. Josephs College in the field of Human Services. Using her love of art and her
background she worked with patients in a Drug and Alcohol program, an inpatient Acute Psych
unit, and with Individuals with Developmental Disabilities. Before retiring to devote more time
to her own art, she worked with adults with Alzheimer’s and other forms of Dementia.
Diane continues to study, take classes, and grow as an artist. Her focus is mainly graphite and
watercolor but enjoys working in acrylics as well. She has taken workshops with internationally
recognized artists such as Mary Whyte, Kathleen Guiles, and Jean Haines. Some of the artists
who have influenced her work are Andrew Wythe, Edward Hopper, Winslow Homer, and
George Singer Sargent. Diane loves to paint in a realistic style and to explore the relationship
between humans, nature, and the environment. She tries to bring a sense of light to her
favorite subjects which include animals, birds, figures, flowers, landscapes, and seascapes-
especially of Long Island. Diane lives in Wading River and exhibits her work throughout Suffolk
County. Diane is an associate member of the American Watercolor Society, East End Arts, and
the Long Island Arts Alliance. Diane is currently the President of the North shore Art Guild.

Joan M. Genchi was mentored by Artist Paul Margin and regularly created art in his studio located in Westbury, New York.  Her master’s thesis show entitled “Writings” was presented at LIU, C.W.Post Center during her first year of law school.  She is a retired attorney and Family Court Judge. 

Her mixed media piece, Valentine Tree won 3rd prize at the February 2023 Celebrate St. James show.  Her mixed media piece entitled “Watching on Safe Ground” was selected for the 2022 juried show, “Mother Nature” held at the Islip Arts Council Gallery. Her work, “Windy Dunes” was selected to hang in the Olmstead Symposium 2022 exhibit at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum,  

A recent acrylic on canvas piece “Nineteenth Amendment” was selected to be used as the poster for the 2022 Sachem Library Women’s History exhibit and the banner and poster for the Islip Museum’s 2019 show celebrating the 100th anniversary of the women’s right to vote amendment.  Her work entitled “Emerging Markets” was selected to be included in the 2019 annual juried member exhibit at PAC & MOCA. Her work “My Computer Crashed” was selected to be included in the South Hampton Cultural Center juried show. She has received Best in Show and other awards from juried shows sponsored by the South Bay Art League and Brookhaven Arts and Humanities.                                              

She is an active member of Women Sharing Art, Islip Arts Council and North Shore Art Guild.  She is a former member of Gallery 4222 in Port Jefferson, N.Y., and Gallery “E” in Greenport, N.Y.  She has exhibited her work at the BAFFA Gallery, Islip, N.Y., Islip Museum, Bayard Cutting Arboretum, Suffolk County Historical Society, Art League of Long Island, Patchogue Arts Gallery, Phoenix Gallery, Bellport, N.Y., Brookhaven Town Hall, The Jewish Center of the Hamptons, East Hampton, N.Y., Briarcliff College, Gallery North, Port Jefferson Community Center, Expressions Gallery, local libraries, and restaurants. 

Patricia Luppino (https://patricialuppino.com/) was born in Brooklyn, New York and has remained a lifelong resident of Long Island. Retired from a long career as an IT professional, Patricia is finally able to devote more time to her passions; music and art.

In 2005, Patricia, a self-taught artist, decided to enroll in a local botanical painting workshop. She was instantly drawn to botanical painting as a perfect blend of science and art and very well suited to her love of detail.   As a child of technology and fearing that she would one day end up as road-kill on the information superhighway, Patricia quickly developed an enormous appreciation for this low-tech and slow-paced genre and was delighted to finally be able to use both sides of her brain!

In 2008 she earned a diploma with Distinction after completing a 27-month Distance Learning Program offered by the British Society of Botanical Artists. In 2019 her work was added to the permanent collection of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation at Carnegie Mellon.  In 2021, she was awarded a Silver Medal at the Royal Horticultural Society London Art and Photography Show.  She is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, the Colored Pencil Society of America and the Long Island Botanical Society. Her work has been exhibited in numerous juried and group exhibitions.

Patricia is also a flutist who has performed throughout Europe with the American Winds Concert Band and with local symphonies and concert bands here on Long Island.

Natalie Weinstein, Allied ASID, is an accredited designer, acknowledged business leader, entrepreneur, author, media personality and motivational speaker.  Her interior design firm, Natalie Weinstein Design Associates, based in St. James, N.Y. has been creating lifestyle changes in homes and public spaces, decorating for countless clients since 1973. She is now celebrating her 50th year as an actively working interior designer.

In 2010, Natalie starred in a national T.V. pledge special for PBS Television entitled, “Change Your Home & Life with Natalie Weinstein.” She has also written The Hundred Most Often Asked Interior Design Questions, created a Design Pro on the Go Do-It-Yourself Workbook, and recorded informational DVD’s to provide homeowners with a roadmap to good design.  Natalie’s belief that the benefits of a well-designed home should start early in life prompted her to write a children’s book on decorating, Katrina’s New Room which tells the story of a young girl whose family is moving to a new home where she will finally get her own room after sharing one with her baby brother. This hands-on book features a room template so young readers can design their own room as well.