Our Current Display

Illuminated Silence: Fine Art Photography by Mark Battista

Mark Battista is a painter and Fine Art Photographer who specializes in portrait and still life imagery. Upon graduating from Paier College of Art with a degree in illustration and a Master’s Degree in art education from SCSU, Mark has pursued a career as a gallery artist and art educator.

Mark has exhibited and has won awards in museums, galleries, and art clubs across the country, as well as internationally. He is an award winning member of the Salmagundi Art Club in New York City and recently was awarded Grand Prize from the NY Center of Photographic Arts. He has recently been invited to exhibit in The Chelsea International Photography Exhibit at the Agora Gallery in New York City.

His portraits and still life imagery explores the passage of time and uses light expressively to convey a mood, whether it is the texture of old antique objects of the wrinkles and forms on an old person’s face.

Mark is also a sought out teacher in the area of painting and photography and gives workshops and private instruction throughout the country and via Zoom.

Information for Artists about Exhibiting at the Cheshire Library

Art exhibits featuring the work of local visual artists are part of the Cheshire Public Library’s cultural mission. The library welcomes submissions for consideration in the library’s display areas. 

Area artists are welcome to apply, with priority being given to those living or working in Cheshire. Our Art Exhibits Selection Committee consists of four members of the Cheshire Performing and Fine Arts Committee (CPFA) who evaluate works for technical and artistic quality and the contribution to a lively and varied program for the year. Potential exhibitors should fill out the online application and submit it along with 4-6 digital images of works they plan to display. Artists may also include links to their websites or social media pages. Exhibits are generally displayed for one month. All exhibits must be appropriate for family viewing. Children’s programs are held in the Mary Baldwin Room, a shared community programming space. As a result, any subject matter deemed inappropriate may be excluded at the discretion of the art selection committee and/or the library. 

The committee meets twice a year to select art for the exhibits. The deadlines for submissions are December 31 and June 30. 

There are two display areas in the library, a wire grid hanging wall in the lobby and the Mary Baldwin Room. The lobby display area is 12’ by 5’. The Mary Baldwin Room has a hanging system which offers 55 linear feet of space. Paintings may be hung one above the other. An exhibit can utilize both spaces or just one. Artists are encouraged to visit the library to assess the space. 

ART EXHIBIT GUIDELINES