Behind the Mill Art Center and Gallery
Artist Kathryn Bevier keeps Honeoye Falls art center strong
By Lynette M Loomis
Nestled in a historic stone building in Honeoye Falls is the Mill Art Center and Gallery and its director, Kathryn Bevier.
At age 64, she said she has been practicing art for more than 30 years. In a class of 12, she graduated from Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in Connecticut and was trained in a classical approach, which served as a good foundation for her. Now her artistic interests are more experimental.
“For me painting is a bit like cooking. You see several things in the fridge and I think about what I can make with these,” she said. “I love encaustic paint which is made from beeswax and tree sap along with pigment.”
In addition to directing the Mill, she is a paint maker for Enkaustikos, where developing custom paint colors is her focus.
“It’s a matter of understanding what can be mixed together to gain the desired color. That is an art in and of itself,” she said.
Encaustic paint is often used to give texture to a work of art.
Bevier teaches classes at the Mill Art Center as well as directs art programs, classes and exhibitions for its members and the community. The Mill Art Center and Gallery is a member and patron supported nonprofit art studio and gallery with four to six exhibits each year. Mediums for the exhibits could be colored pencil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels, drawings of nature or abstract.
Gelliplate printmaking is a relatively new process and just one of the exciting classes being offered at the center. Classes are available for age 6 and older and the “older” goes into the 80s.
One of the director’s responsibilities is to decide what exhibits will be presented from outside groups as well as local artists.
At the end of September, The Pastel Society of Western New York will have an exhibit. In mid-November and through the holidays, the annual Members’ Exhibition will fill the walls of the gallery.
Visitors are welcome to attend and are encouraged to donate to keep this community resource financially whole.
“I have always loved to create things but along the way I have realized I also like to share my passion by teaching,” said Bevier. She has taught in Ireland as well as in the greater Rochester area. “It is exciting to see something take form and shape on canvas or paper as someone expresses their own view of the world through art.”
When she is not developing formulas for encaustic paints, Bevier enjoys creating her own works on panels. They can be as large as 40 by 60 inches or as small as 8 by 8 inches. Sometimes she experiments on a small scale and if she loves the creation, she produces a larger image.
“Of course, they are not identical in looks. It is iterative. With each iteration, my goal is to build upon what touched me in the smaller version, be it a color scheme, the subject matter or a feeling,” she explained.
Another form of self-expression for this artist-director is gardening. “With a garden, it changes from season to season and year to year. You move things around, you experiment. It is all a form of communicating oneself to the outside world or enjoying your own private thoughts through gardening,” said Bevier.
The Mill Art Center and Gallery is located at 61 N. Main St., Honeoye Falls, on the second floor. The gallery is typically open Thursday and Friday, all other times are best by appointment.
Classes are held throughout the year. For more information, contact Bevier at millartcenter@gmail.com.
Photo: Kathryn Bevier is an artist who directs the Mill Art Center and Gallery in Honeoye Falls. She also develops colors for encaustic paint and uses it in her own painting of still life and landscapes.