02/18/2020
by Mark Stash
March. April. It’s that time of the year where winter is still holding on in Upstate New York, yet the promise of spring is starting to show itself. It’s also that time of the year where we are seeking happiness and optimism – sometimes the days of the cold dark season can challenge our inner cheerfulness. What better way to find that happy feeling than through seeking beauty.
They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It can be seen in the form of a brand new marina on Seneca Lake (page 16). Because of the vision of a group of people, a once dilapidated port has become a vibrant and aesthetically pleasing place to park a boat.
Juan Alberto Cruz was a young man in Puerto Rico who fell in with the wrong crowd when he was living in New York City. At the age of 17, he was incarcerated for life. While in prison, he discovered that art was a way for him to create his own uplifting world, and was a way to accept his past and to move on to a better future. Now, he is an accomplished artist and a favorite son of Syracuse.
Another artist featured in this issue is Brian Keeler (page 38). He grew up in the mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. I grew up not far away, so I can appreciate how much he loved the outdoors and the beautiful scenery of that area. He has since moved to the Ithaca area and is capturing the spirit and vibe of the Finger Lakes Region through his oil paintings.
Natalie Sinisgali is a Rochester photographer that specializes in the art of boudoir photos (page 24). She believes that every woman deserves to feel beautiful. Sometimes these photos have been used as a gift for the woman’s significant other, but Natalie is taking these photos only for the woman who is in front of her lens.
Beauty. It’s what makes life worth living, in all its forms.
