GHS artists recognized with scholarship, show, live painting event

Four Goshen High School student artists are being recognized for their talent this summer.

Kaitlyn Baumgardt, Veronica Donohue and Katie Palau have artworks on display at the Roost Arts Hudson Valley Peter Sheehan Memorial Scholarship show, and Matt Schroeter is the first high school student to participate in the artist co-op’s live, on-location (plein air) painting event as a professional artist.

Roost Art’s latest exhibition, “Rising Artists: Peter Sheehan Memorial Scholarship Show,” runs from May 16 through July 7. The show is named after Peter Sheehan, a painter and illustrator who was one of the 18 founding members of the artist co-op when it was created in 2017.

“In addition to being a prolific artist who created paintings rich in color and deep in spirit, Peter was also a dedicated educator, a generous supporter of the arts, and a friend to all,” said Founder and Executive Director Marcy Elise Bernstein.

The annual scholarship award in his name is open to art students in high school or college between the ages of 14 and 25, with experienced local artists and art educators on the review committee. It provides resources for emerging artists.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Baumgardt has three artworks on display and won one of the two first-place awards, earning a $500 scholarship. One of her paintings is also featured on ads running for the exhibition.

“Kaitlyn is one of the youngest students in the Advanced Painting class,” said GHS art teacher Chrissy Pahucki. “She loves mixing a variety of media together in her artworks and does not leave her house without something to draw on and a pouch of art supplies.”

Senior Veronica Donohue and junior Katie Palau will also each have a selected art piece in the show.

Throughout her school career, Donohue said she has been known as “the art kid.”

“I hope to still be known as ‘the art kid’ going forward,” she said. “Art has always been a part of me, and art will always continue to be a part of me in every aspect of my life. Whether it’s through my fashion, my drawings, or my design choices — art has seeped into every crevice of my being and it has molded me into who I am today.”

Palau’s focus is on digital art; her work in the show is a digital painting. However, her recent explorations in class have been in mixed media.

“Art is important to me because it allows me to express myself,” said Palau, “I love art that communicates something to the viewer, and I really strive to illustrate stories and emotions within my own work.”

Roost Gallery, located at 69 Main St., New Paltz, holds regular hours from 1 to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Live landscape painting

Additionally, after submitting examples of on-location (plein air) paintings, junior Matt Schroeter was selected alongside his teacher, Chrissy Pahucki, to participate as a professional artist in Roost Arts’s upcoming Plein Air at Mohonk Preserve 2024 event. Only 28 of 40 applications were selected to participate.

“Matt Schroeter is a gifted landscape painter,” said Bernstein. “He was the first high school student to be selected to paint on site during this event. It is quite an impressive accomplishment for a junior in high school.”

The live painting event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 8 in Gardiner, New York, and the finished works will be included in an online auction. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the artists, Roost Arts, and the Mohonk Preserve.

The junior said he enjoys plein air painting because he has always enjoyed hiking and national parks, and the practice is a way to combine his interests in art and nature.

“Plein air painting has become a hobby for me because it is a great way to explore and find unique locations within parks and other recreational areas,” Schroeter said. “The plein air community events that I have participated in are a lot of fun and a great learning experience. I hope to continue and do more in the future.”