Guest Artists
Lancaster Art Vault represents a number of Guest and Gallery Wall Artists. These are artists who market and sell their work through Lancaster Art Vault but do not need studio space. Our Gallery Wall Artists rotate every 2 months so there is always something new to see at Lancaster Art Vault.
The imagined perception of a pattern or meaning where it does not actually exist such as “the man in the moon”. Merriam Webster.
It was after a number of juried art exhibits along with finishing a book The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, that I would even consider admitting to myself that possibly I could be artist. I made the mental shift one summer morning. I told my wife I was headed to work as I loaded my kayak and camera in the van and headed to the Susquehanna River in search of reflections. I found what I was looking for in amazingly short time. A large outcropping of stone that I had paddled by many times but this day my pareidolia moment was a life shift. I found the image of The Wizard. Calm water levels, time of day, plants, wood debris, mud and silt had hidden him before, but this day he was clear and shining. I sat there laughing at the amazing gift that had been given to me at that moment. I have never seen this image on the river again. I find the same stone has morphed into other images. Since that time I have photographed other lakes, such as in the Adirondacks, Georgian Bay, Canada, and lakes of western states. I have discovered that we all see the same images of rocks, reflections, symmetry, but we find different meanings within the images we behold.
Stephen Pidcock
Julia Swartz
A lifetime resident of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, I have always been captivated by beauty. From an early age, art, flower gardens, and home decor were my passions. My artistic journey began with my mother’s oil paints, and though my formal training was minimal during my school years, my dedication never wavered. After graduating from Lancaster Mennonite High School in 1970, I studied briefly under the late Jay McVey before family commitments took precedence.
Returning to art later in life, I joined the Lancaster County Art Association, studying with prominent local artists and attending influential workshops. Overcoming non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1999 profoundly impacted my perspective, propelling my art to new heights. Inspired by visits to New York’s art scene in 2001, I embraced oil impressionism, developing a distinctive style characterized by bold, textured palette knife techniques.
Amber Swartz
My inspiration and creative drive, though somewhat similar and overlapping, are also different. When I find inspiration for a new piece of art, I simply can’t not create. Sometimes I paint or create because I think something is beautiful or because I feel the need to tell a story. Sometimes I create because my heart is overwhelmed with emotion, and I need to let the paint take me where words cannot reach.
My creative drive is fueled by two primary things. First, creating art that is a little unexpected and clever, causing a momentary pause for someone to think twice. Second, creating art that touches another’s heart, forming a connection to someone in a way that words won’t. As Edward Hopper said, “If you can say it in words, there would be no reason to paint.”
The Spring Collection & On the Horizon Collection were both created out of an inspiration of color. While the Spring Collection is bright, vibrant, and full of life the On the Horizon Collection is filled with moody hues and horizon views. I love how each collection evokes different feelings and connects to a person in different ways.
Tim Ellis
Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1966, Tim Ellis self-identified as an artist from an early age. Ellis earned his BFA from Alfred University in New York, renowned for its distinguished ceramic art program. Excelling in his studies, Ellis earned the title of Art Student of the Year for two consecutive years and graduated with honors.
In his early work, Ellis delved into large-scale figure sculpture, working with media such as clay, plaster, steel, and bronze. His fascination with color led him to explore themes of perception and distortion, which have become central motifs in his art.
Over the past decade, Ellis has focused primarily on painting, employing a bold and spontaneous style that imbues each stroke with urgency and vitality. His work both captures the essence of his subjects and delves into their inner worlds.
Drawing inspiration from his eclectic background and human experience, Ellis created two distinct painting series: the Artist Series and the Jazz Series. The Artist Series pays homage to art world luminaries like Salvador Dali and Frida Kahlo, capturing their physical likenesses and creative personas. The Jazz Series celebrates jazz pioneers through vibrant compositions that blend abstraction and representation.
Since relocating to Los Angeles in the 1990s, Ellis has continued to evolve and innovate. His work has been showcased in prestigious exhibitions and galleries, and is collected both domestically and internationally. Ellis remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of his craft, exploring new avenues of expression, and inviting viewers into his imaginative world.
Judith Gresh
My artistic practice centers around sculpture and drawing, which I see as complementary processes. Rather than drawing from personal history, convictions, or imagination, my work is primarily inspired by the world around me and how I perceive it through my senses and chosen media.
In my drawings, I am particularly captivated by rendering textures - the folds and drapes of fabric, for instance. I use the pen almost like a sculptural tool, using it to model forms and planes on the page. This allows me to create a sense of depth and dimensionality.
For my sculptures, I am drawn to portraiture. The human face is already so expressive and meaningful that additional embellishment is often unnecessary. I model each of my portraits from careful observation. Then, in the final casting, I experiment with different materials, to give each piece a distinct quality - whether that be fragility, tactility, or a particular aesthetic.
Dane Tilghman
"Using paint and pencil I create full color narratives calibrating the common moments of humanity chronicled thru nostalgic black and white photography"
A full time artist for 41 years now, Dane has taken his artwork towards new dimensions going from realism to a stylish combination developing his own interpretations of surrealism and primitive elongation. He has established himself as one of the premier painters of African American Art. He has a creative approach to artistic images of the common man, woman and child. Dane’s images are inspired of African Americans in and out of daily life, popular entertainment, and the world of sports. He has exhibited his works throughout the United States at art festivals, galleries, trade shows, convention centers and sports arenas where he has received numerous awards.
His work has been exhibited at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and also in one-man shows at Howard University, Widener University, West Chester University, University of Pennsylvania, Penn State and the Butler Institute of Fine Art in Youngstown, Ohio. He was recently commissioned to create artwork for the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey that is displayed throughout the arena’s public spaces, private suites and corporate offices. Fifteen paintings for MBNA private collection. … Two murals in major league Ball parks .Also the 2nd black artist to have painting in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Also on display at Negro League museum.
Collectors of Dane’s artwork include notables such as Dave Winfield, Nelson Mandela, Bill Cosby, the estate of Ossie Davis, Nabisco Corporation and Astra-Zeneca. In 2004 Kutztown University commissioned him for a commemorative poster for the 50th Anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education. Dane has participated many art festivals and has had many one man shows in the past 40 plus years.
Dane’s creative philosophy is to bring to the audience his interpretative views of life on canvas. This is reflected in his diverse presentations as he shares his artistic gift with his audience. His unique style clearly defines his mastery of the craft. Using black and white photos as a starting place I attempt to connect to the souls of those who have gone on to glory before me .Immortalizing the everyday man on canvas.
Summre Inama-Patricella
Summre Inama-Patricella is a ceramic artist currently based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, whose creative journey began over 20 years ago in Lancaster; a journey that started with computers and graphic design. This experience shaped her keen eye for texture and composition, which she now brings into her ceramic practice. Over the years she has studied with Deb Slatha at the Banana Factory and Renzo Faggioli at the Baum school, as well as workshops in many different aspects of clay and glaze. Summre’s work is a fusion of her love for nature and the inherent tactile qualities of the clay she uses. Each piece is carefully crafted - clay bodies chosen for their texture and raw color, and then careful and intentional finishes; a design contrasting the raw material with beautifully glossy glaze patterns. For Summre, working with clay is more than just creating pottery—it is an expression of her deep connection to the natural world and a way to share her unique vision with others.
Dan Graziano
Dan Graziano is an award winning, nationally exhibited artist whose paintings capture the hidden beauty found in the unexpected places and fleeting moments of everyday life. Incorporating dramatic light, shadow, color and perspective, his painterly compositions feature a diversity of subjects - from a simple still life to rugged coastlines, the dynamic activity of urban life, small rural towns and forgotten roadside relics. In recent years, his paintings have included a focus on café culture - busy bartenders, waiters, chefs and all its lively inhabitants. His work has been featured in numerous art publications and is in the collections of private and corporate collectors throughout the world.
Amie Bantz
Baltimore-born and raised across Minnesota, Chicago, and New Hampshire, Amie Bantz now calls Pennsylvania home. Having moved frequently growing up, reading and art became more than just hobbies—books and pencils were some of her closest companions. They accompanied her through every transition, even when she went off to undergrad, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education, and then to grad school, where she received a Master’s in Arts Management. Now working as an Art Director in publishing, she knows her younger self would be proud.
Amie’s career in the arts began in museum education as the Curator of Education at The Trout Gallery: The Art Museum at Dickinson College. From there, she transitioned into teaching high school art and AP Art History at Carlisle High School. After earning a Master’s degree in 2019, she accepted a role with the PA Council on the Arts, serving as the Director of the Creative Sector, before deciding to pursue art-making full-time in 2021. She roamed as a freelance artist until she accepted her current position in 2023.
As the first bi-racial person born in both family lines, much of Bantz's work explores the duality of existence. Drawing from personal experiences, she uses art-making to investigate identity. Imagery rooted in familiarity and nostalgia forms the foundation of her work, incorporating objects and scenes from her Korean-American upbringing to tell the complex, layered story of existing as a culturally mixed woman in America.
Vikki Sloviter
Vikki Sloviter is a Philadelphia-based fine art portrait and ballet photographer whose work showcases the artistry, technique, athleticism and beauty of the ballet dancer’s body.
Vikki has photographed dancers from around the country who dance with New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, BalletX, Complexions, Martha Graham Dance Company, and others. Her work can be seen on social media and has appeared in Rangefinder Magazine and Pointe Magazine, has been on display on billboards, at the National Constitution Center, at the Cherry Street Pier in Philadelphia, in Philadelphia’s Sister Park, and at the PhotoPlace Gallery in Vermont.
Julio César Cepada Durque
Julio César’s work explores the power of drawing, often highlighting the expressive gestures of the medium. At times, he focuses on animals, evoking fables and oral traditions, but at the core of his work is a profound reflection on his home country, Cuba.
As Julio César puts it, “Cuba is a people with a warm, vibrant soul, but it is trapped in an archaic and dysfunctional economic and political system, making it feel almost lost.” In his series Comfabulation, the artist portrays this painful dichotomy in which the Cuban people exist. The recurring symbol of the turtle embodies the stagnation, isolation, and constriction that weigh upon the Cuban spirit.
The surrounding imagery can sometimes feel desolate or chaotic, yet a closer look reveals the layered intention behind every line. Through his work, Julio César delves into the depths of blackouts, sporadic labor, mass control, forced migration, the commodification of Cuban society, and the nepotism that stifles those who refuse to conform to the rigid official standards.
Diann Cardello
"Throughout my journey, I have learned that staying true to my spirit allows me to experience an inner peace. It is from that place of peace that I am free to create."
When Diann Cardello paints, she is in a space with no words. Similar to a meditative process, she is able to explore the depths of intuitive feeling and what comes forth is often the vibrant energy of life, beyond form, that is expressed through magnificent displays of color, texture, and light.
Diann also utilizes Reiki and Sound Therapy to facilitate her "connection" and she experiences each painting as an intimate conversation with the divine. Painting is her way of journaling. Her gift is the opportunity to share her work with others.
Diann is a master of mixed media, an award-winning artist and teacher. She has exhibited her work in juried shows, art shows, galleries, Susquehanna Art Museum and the Pennsylvania State Capital. Some of her pieces are currently on display at Summer Studio in Avalon, New Jersey and Garth Gallery in Columbia, Pennsylvania, as well as in private collections.
Elizabeth A. Pituch
Can you hear the heartbeat of heaven?
In painting – how do you frame a space in time – capture a moment - prompt a pause or provoke a thought - whether it be weighty or light-hearted? It is through the language of form, shape, line, color, surface, and movement that a painting is created. It is the image of a process – of creating – visually and tactilely that which words cannot hold. In painting, I draw from my experience and the process of life as being shaped, transformed and renewed as I am becoming. However, it is my hope that there is a shared experience and that the artwork points to that which is greater than ourselves. There are the moments - the spaces in time, the pauses, that are both the profound and the ordinary moments where a touch of Eden can be sensed – the heartbeat of heaven can be heard. . . and at times the keen awareness that Truth has brought forth something previously unknown. These are the soil which nurtures my creative process along with a heart searching for the greatest good and yes…the heartbeat of heaven.
Renie Beidleman
Renie B is an eponymous jewelry brand created by Renie Carthage Beidleman. Trained in art and design in the United States and in Europe, she is inspired by her Grecian heritage, extensive world travel, nature, fashion, architecture, knowledge of Byzantine jewelry and a modern aesthetic.
Her one of a kind designs are a result of her heritage and faith her family has instilled in her. Renie's signature use of antique and ancient coins has become a trademark and a reflection of her adventures. Her designs link the ancient with a modern perspective.
Renie's family has always been a part of her art whether it be traveling the world throughout the years, making memories rockhounding across the West, hiking national parks, engaging with museums and antiquities in Europe and Brazil or exploring antique markets for antique coins.
Renie believes in the timelessness of art and creates one of a kind treasures to be passed on through generations and hopes that each piece will become a part of the woman and her story as she wears it. Each piece is meant to be cherished, passed on and kept for eternity.
Every modern heirloom piece is sustainable, ethically sourced, designed and created in her studios in PA with love.
Genevieve Livesay Ehrman
Genevieve Livesay Ehrman is a Philadelphia-based artist and a recent graduate of Tyler School of Art. Originally from the Lancaster Valley, her work draws on themes from art history, exploring their relevance in contemporary society. Specializing in oil painting, Genevieve’s practice is deeply rooted in the tradition of classical techniques while offering fresh interpretations of timeless subjects.
“In my work, I strive to transcend traditional boundaries by merging vibrant, unconventional colorscapes with the timeless elegance of classical forms. Drawing upon historical references, I navigate complex themes of sex, gender, gaze, and identity, weaving them into the fabric of my compositions with nuance and sensitivity. Through this approach, I aim to challenge conventional notions of sexual representation, inviting viewers to reconsider preconceived ideas about the human form and its relation to broader social constructs.”
Jacques Abreu
