About Us

Co-Chair

Associate Professor of Art and Architecture: Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY

Gabriella is a designer and educator in the City of Geneva, exploring art and architecture as a means of revitalizing, inspiring and engaging communities, She is excited and hopeful that the Dove Block Project will bring great energy to Geneva and the arts.

Co-Chair

Former Visual Arts Curator: Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY

Kathryn Vaughn was the former Visual Arts Curator and Director of the Davis Gallery at Houghton House of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. She was the founding director of the gallery and curator of the collections of Hobart and William Smith Colleges. She is now retired and living in Geneva. Kathryn is excited about the opportunity to bring to the Finger Lakes a vision of the work of the modernist Arthur Dove during his years in Geneva and to foster a continuing visual arts tradition in the area through promotion of local artists, informative and entertaining talks, as well as educational opportunities.

Honorary Arthur Dove Chair

Professor of Sociology Emeritus: Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY

Jim Spates is a retired professor of sociology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, and Vice President of the Dove Block Restoration Group. He taught at HWS for 43 years and has always been interested in modern art. He believes this chance to elevate the story of Arthur Dove’s history in Geneva and his importance in contemporary American art is a remarkable opportunity for the city; Jim is delighted to be part of this important project.

Treasurer

Director Emeritus, Geneva Historical Society Graduate, Hobart College

With over four decades of community service to various Geneva organizations and agencies dedicated to promoting and improving Geneva, Charlie Bauder has an extensive knowledge of Geneva’s History. Charlie has twenty years of banking experience along with knowledge and appreciation for the work of Arthur Dove and his influence on the development of Modern Art. Charlie is familiar with the Dove family and had a personal friendship with Arthur’s brother Paul Dove.

Secretary/ Archivist

Born, raised, and educated in Geneva, NY, Steve holds a lifelong passion for local history. Prior to joining The Dove Block Project he served as Secretary - Archivist for both the Dove Block Restoration Group, and the Arthur Dove Tribute Group. Decades before its restoration, he worked for a business within the Dove building and would often be persuaded to lead unofficial flashlight tours of Arthur Dove's abandoned, top floor studio.

Co-Chair, Fundraising and Finance Committee

Professor of Art and Archaeology: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Rachael Z. DeLue is the Christopher Binyon Sarofim ’86 Professor in American Art in the Department of Art & Archaeology at Princeton University and current Chair of the department. At Princeton, DeLue holds a joint appointment with the Program in American Studies. She specializes in the history of American and transatlantic art and visual culture, with particular focus on the intersection of the history of art and the history of science. Her book, Arthur Dove: Always Connect, appeared in 2016, and she has also published George Inness and the Science of Landscape (2004), Landscape Theory (with James Elkins, 2008), and Picturing (2016). She has been involved in the Dove Block Project since 2017.

Co-Chair, Fundraising and Finance

Lisa DeFrancesco was born in Geneva, studied in Buffalo and moved to NYC where she ran her own small bussines and taught elementary school science at a public school in Brooklyn.

Since moving back to Geneva she incorporated her passion for the natural world as a respected naturalist in her community, and she enjoys sharing her knowledge with others through educational programs and guided tours both on foot and by kayak.

She has also enjoyed every opportunity she has had for teaching art and has a passion for sharing her skills with others and inspiring creativity in those around her. Her favorite part of teaching is at the end of class when her students are finished with their own projects, which many times are something beyond what she has showed them herself. Her own inspiration has been fostered through teaching at the Dove and she is excited to become more involved in the community projects and events as a member of the Board.

Co-Chair, Outreach and Affiliates Committee

Visual Artist and Communications Professional: Ontario, NY

Phyllis Bryce Ely is a Rochester-based visual artist regarded for her plein air and studio paintings in oil and wax-based media. Her work is inspired by the landscapes of upstate New York, Lake Ontario, and the Finger Lakes region. Phyllis holds a BFA in painting and printmaking from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Her work has been juried into national and international exhibits, received many recognitions, and is held in numerous public and private collections. Phyllis works from her studio at The Hungerford Building in Rochester, NY and is an active member of International Encaustic Artists, Genesee Valley Plein Air Painters (treasurer), Working with Wax of Western New York, and the Rochester Contemporary Art Center. Phyllis is a past plein air, drawing, and painting instructor at the Memorial Art Gallery. She is represented by the Oxford Gallery in Rochester, NY. In her professional life outside the studio, Phyllis was the Director of Marketing and Branding for a start-up software company for nearly 20 years. Following that she served as Communications Director for the Town of Penfield, NY, recently retiring in 2021. Phyllis has experience in marketing, branding, internal and external communications, and supporting all aspects of municipal government including citizen engagement and planning. Her background also includes several years of art gallery management and exhibit installation in commercial and public spaces. Phyllis is excited to connect her enthusiasm for the modernist Arthur Dove with her varied work skills to support the goals of the Dove Block Project to raise global awareness of Dove’s impact on American art, increase regional knowledge of the importance of his work while in Geneva, and support the growth of contemporary art in Geneva, NY.

Co-Chair, Outreach and Affiliates Committee

Entrepreneur and Business Leader, Geneva, NY

Marita is a successful entrepreneur and business leader. She emigrated from Germany when she was 20 years old, and by the time she was 24 she became the first female Salesperson and Sales Manager in the paper industry. She later owned and managed her own offset printing shop. A visionary in the industry, Marita started one of the first website and graphic design companies during the mid 1990’s. With her confident sales manner, she -along with her son Ryan- grew four kitchen table start ups to multiple millions of dollars in revenue.

Marita’s commitment to sustainability and the environment led her to co-found a net zero homes development company. She was instrumental in the design and development of the Lake Tunnel Solar Village and a factory for building modular net zero homes in Geneva, NY.

Her work in these areas has helped to reduce the carbon footprint of communities and promote a cleaner, more sustainable future, which has served as a model for similar projects in the country.

For five years, Marita served on the board of the Geneva Business District, and held the position of Vice-President for two of those years. Her leadership and commitment to the community have helped support the growth and development of local businesses in the area.

Marita has been a lifelong artist, and in her free time she enjoys painting, gourmet cooking, baking bread, knitting and crocheting. Marita is excited to be a part of the Dove Block Project and is looking forward to the opportunity to contribute to such an important and impactful organization.

Chair, Programming Committee

Art Educator, Waterloo Central Schools

Camille Santangelo Gruner is an Art Educator at Lyons Central School District. She has taught various courses in Middle School, Studio Art, Computer Graphics, Drawing and Painting and FLCC Digital Photography. She brings 24 years of Art Education experience and a passion for the life and art of Arthur Dove to the board. For many years she lived on the same Canandaigua Outlet that Dove once painted, which sparked some of her initial interest. She is familiar with the sights and surroundings of the Geneva area, just as Dove was, and uses nature and mood to inspire her art as well. Even though her career is dedicated to education, she has had her own artwork selected for the annual Made in New York Show in Auburn NY, and 2 art shows at Wayne County Council for the Arts in Newark, NY. She also has worked with non profit organizations in Lyons completing work in historical research, imaging and gallery display.

Professor Emeritus of Medicine, Microbiology and Pediatrics: University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

A native of Geneva, Dr. George Abraham graduated from Hobart College After graduation, Abraham went on to earn both his master of science degree and medical degree from State University of New York at Buffalo. Abraham's medical career took him to California, New York and Washington, D.C. where he worked on a variety of national initiatives surrounding cancer research and treatment. With this focus, he returned to Upstate New York where he served in a variety of leadership positions at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in addition to Director of the Center on Aging and the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center. A dedicated philanthropist, Abraham serves on the Board of the Geneva Arts Development Council as well as The Dove Block Project.

Community Engagement Coordinator

Art Educator, Geneva, New York and Community Activist

Graduated from Lyons High School, BA in Art and Education from Hobart and William Smith, MA in Art Education from Nazareth College.

Taught art at St. Francis/St. Stephen in Geneva and St. Michael’s in Newark. Named one of the top 5 art teachers of NYS in 2013. Retired from Marion Central School due to pandemic in 2022.

I’ve done Community work in Geneva with Geneva Theater Guild, Smith Opera House and Geneva Night Out. I worked part time at Cobblestone Arts Center in Farmington teaching art and doing theater art.

I’m pleased to be a part of the Dove Block Project and hope to bring great art experiences to Geneva.