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.
“My artistic practice revolves within and around languages of abstraction. One of the goals of the paintings is the knitting of interior, psychological space and emotional feeling with color, line and geometry. The paintings use geometric pattern to condense and codify nonverbal narratives. A syncretic approach to abstraction and a belief that abstraction is both pictorial and structural describes my painting practice. Painting is a philosophical and material conversation; a dialogue between the singular entities paintings are and the process painting is.”
Laura Watt was born in Lancaster PA and currently resides in Garrison NY. She earned her MFA at Yale University and a BFA from Bennington College. Watt’s paintings and drawings have been shown nationally and internationally including exhibitions at St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia PA, Stamford Museum, Stamford CT, and Museum of Fine Arts Split Croatia. Recent exhibitions include “Untitled Summer” at Chelsea Walls, NY NY, “1st Class” at Starship Gallery, Brooklyn NY and “Time Lapse” at DavidRichard Gallery, NY NY. Watt has also exhibited with McKenzie Fine Art, NY NY, Lesley Heller Workshop, NY NY, Bridget Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia, PA and Locks Gallery, Philadelphia PA.
LAURA WATT
ELLEN SILBERLICHT
Discovering joy through creativity has been a transformative force in my life. My current work is a fusion of my two greatest passions-—clay and wool-woven together in a harmonious dialogue of texture, color, and form. I am captivated by the way these materials interact, finding that my techniques naturally extend across both mediums.
The soft, organic nature of felted wool beautifully complements the raw, elemental qualities of Raku-fired vessels, creating a sensory experience that is both tactile and visual. The addition of glass beads, precious metal clay, and other materials enhances the magic of each piece, inviting curiosity and wonder.
Exploring these combinations fuels my creativity and expands my imagination, leading me on an endless journey of artistic discovery. For me, art is not just about creation-it is about learning, evolving, and, most importantly, embracing the joy that comes with the process.
A Pennsylvania native, Karen Schory spent over 30 years living a dual life on the East Coast and the Midwest-one as an art and design professor and the other as a visual artist. Throughout her career, her prints were accepted into competitions across the country and her work was shown in prominent galleries in Philadelphia and Italy. After retiring from her time as an educator, she came permanently to the East Coast to Lancaster where she has continued to create, most recently in her home studio at Landis Place on King. Her work has primarily focused on photography and digital printmaking for the last decade. You can experience more of her journey by visiting kschoryprints.com.
Inspired Ideas - Throughout her career, Karen has been inspired by both Rome and New York— the two cities she said most influenced her work. For a series of prints that paid homage to that influence and other cities throughout Europe, she captured photographs of cities over several years and transparently layered images over each other as a composite of time and space.
KAREN SCHORY
JENNIFER DOMAL
Through the art of batik on natural eggshells, Jennifer Domal explores the intricate dialogue between cultural heritage and historical decorative arts. Her work reinterprets traditional motifs by writing them with designs drawn from textile patterns, architectural elements, illuminated manuscripts, and period furniture, creating visual narratives that span centuries of craft tradition.
The disciplined process of applying melted beeswax and dye to eggshells creates layered depths of color and pattern. Each artwork emerges through successive applications of wax and dye, building complex structures that tell stories of artistic evolution and interchange. The curved surface of the egg transforms conventional decorative patterns into dynamic three-dimensional compositions.
Despite her allergy to eggs, Domal transforms her potential limitation into an act of artistic alchemy by transmuting a personal health constraint into a medium of creative expression. By merging visual elements from different historical artifacts and traditions, her work examines how cultural motifs evolve and influence each other across time and medium. The distinctive properties of the eggshell as canvas enhance the dimensionality of traditional patterns, while the permanence of the batik process speaks to the enduring power of traditional craft techniques and the stories they preserve.
This fusion of old and new, of different cultural traditions, and of two-dimensional pattern with three-dimensional form, creates pieces that honor the past while engaging in dialogue with contemporary artistic practices.
“My work is an examination of life, using portraiture of quiet moments to share thoughts and ideas about life. By developing a unique style through aqua-media on art panels, the paintings are reflections of observations, sharing stories through silent figural expressions, using tendrils of hair coiled in frustration, or eyes defined by colored thoughts. Each painting has a contemporary look reaching out to touch the viewer and engage imagination. My style is continuously evolving through dedication and experimentation, while seeking a connection into the human soul.”
Cheryl Elmo is a contemporary figural artist, a current member of the Salmagundi Club (NY), and a signature member of Pennsylvania and Baltimore Watercolor societies.
After graduating from Millersville University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Art, Cheryl taught art in high school at McCaskey High for six years, then moved into technology as a software engineer and technology strategist for a pharmaceutical company (GSK). At the same time, she built her art resume with exhibitions, solo and group shows.
Cheryl exhibits in national and international exhibitions and her work can be found in public and private collections.
CHERYL ELMO
JOSEPH ROACH
“Finding Joseph’s Many Colors: Autism and the Gifts Within”
Being neurodivergent and on the autism spectrum has profoundly shaped how I see the world, and that perspective is woven into the fabric of my art. As a child, I couldn't sit still and was constantly on the move-whether it was climbing out windows or running into the darkness without an understanding of danger. My parents had to be hyper-vigilant, fearing I would never learn to read or write. But art became my anchor, a way to channel my energy and focus those tendencies onto paper. Over time, this practice allowed me to develop a unique ability to hyper-focus on my art, and in many ways, my parents' vigilance became my own.
Their concerns about my future were real, but in eighth grade, I began bringing my artwork home, and they started framing it. That simple act of recognition was transformative—my self-esteem soared, and I felt like I had a story to tell that was worth sharing.
Since then, I've had the privilege of showcasing my work in several venues. At 20, l've already exhibited at "Mulberry Arts Studio" in Lancaster, "Night of Entrepreneurs" in Harrisburg, and "Hershey Gardens" in Hershey, PA. My work has also been displayed at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in both 2022 and 2023. In 2023, my piece Paradox won the "William D. Davis" Memorial Award for Drawing at Art of the State, and in 2022, my artwork Celestial Dreams won first place in Works on Paper at the same event.
I was honored to be one of just 96 finalists out of over 2,000 entries in 2024. I also had the privilege of donating a Philadelphia Eagles-themed piece, titled Flying Colors, to the Eagles Autism Foundation.
My next big event is the release of my book "Finding Joseph's Many Color's: Autism and the Gifts Within"
As I continue my journey, I aim to take my work to a national level. My mission is to inspire others— especially those facing any form of disadvantage-to dream big, embrace their uniqueness, and find their own spark of brilliance and color.
“The series of works presented at Lancaster Art Vault is a selection of works created about living in Mid-Coast Maine from 2020-2022. The central figures are the wood stove that was used to heat my home and the fish that are the heart of the region. The themes include long nights, solitude, and romantic escapism. “
Lancaster based artist Ian McLauglhlin (B.1995) makes paintings that feature people, places, and things, with the purpose of examining the relationship between identity and environment. Using bold color and a pictorial language reminiscent of comic books and collage, representation is bent without being broken. Working primarily with oil paint built into thin layers on the canvas, over time those layers thicken and the paint used becomes congealed. The transformation of the material drives the creative process alongside the deconstruction of local color. The images are born out of exploration of the thesis of extended cognition – that our environment and tools can be extensions of ourselves. Viewers are presented with people walking in the street below rowhomes and street lights, diners in a restaurant, and knick knacks found around the house, allowing the viewer to reflect on the impact our environment has on our identity.
IAN MCLAUGHLIN
PARIS WYATT LLANSO
Paris Wyatt Llanso was born in Talara Peru and grew up on the Front Range of Colorado. Paris’ portfolio includes national awards and residential, museum and private collections world wide, multiple group and solo shows, commissions and fine art oil paintings . Currently, Paris works alla prima impasto with oils, sculpting with thick applications of rich, vibrant colored paint. Reminiscent of early impressionists. Paris’s work is easily identified by her signature color palette and 3D look.
Mimi Shapiro is a mid-career collage artist who views creativity as an essential life skill. Her professional journey has included work as a graphic designer for major companies like AT&T and pharmaceutical firms. She has also shared her passion for art as an educator, teaching as a roster artist through Millersville University where she visited local schools to inspire and motivate students.
Her artistic development has been enriched by residencies with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, specializing in book arts and writing, as well as the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, where she collaborated with the renowned writer Ntozake Shange. She received a fellowship at the Paper and Book Intensive in Santa Barbara, California, and served as a book arts lecturer conducting hands-on workshops aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 and as an artist-in-residence on the Silver Cloud during the Silversea World Cruise.
Mimi’s work has traveled across the globe, exhibited from New Zealand to Italy, New York to Mexico, and beyond. Highlights include shows at the Vorres Museum in Attica, Greece, ArtColle in Sergines, France, and inclusion in the Kanyer Art Collection and Archive in 2024. Her art has also been featured in the ARTisStart BookArts Archive in the Netherlands and the International Museum de Collage in Mexico. Notably, her work was awarded Best in Show at the 39th Annual Hortt Exhibition at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1997. Her pieces have also been part of international competitions such as the Lessendra International Painting & Mixed Media Competition and the Quadratfuß Exhibition, which toured Berlin and Budapest.
For Mimi, making art is both a passion and a method of exploring the endless “what if” possibilities of collage. Her creative process involves setting boundaries or challenges, such as working within the constraints of a 900-page publisher's mockup, where she experiments freely and takes risks. Using tools like an X-Acto knife and glue, she brings her imagination to life on the page. Her practice extends to altered books and other projects that continuously evolve as studio time allows. For Mimi, art is not just a profession but an integral part of who she is—a way of thinking, living, and connecting with the world.
When not travelling and exploring the world, Mimi lives and works in Lancaster, PA
MIMI SHAPIRO
