About Us

Connie Abate is an artist whose lifelong connection to the arts informs a dynamic and evolving creative practice. Working across pastels, oils, and watercolor, she has recently focused on abstract painting, exploring a range of techniques and styles through dedicated full-time study.

Her work has been exhibited in East Hampton, Shelter Island, and in private collections, and she is an active member of several Long Island artist alliances. In addition to her studio practice, Connie developed and taught History Through the Fine Arts, an interdisciplinary curriculum that integrates visual art with music, dance, and cultural studies, reaching students across all educational levels.

Deeply inspired by artistic discovery and creative exchange, Connie continues to explore new forms of expression while fostering connection within the arts community.

Adam Bundy is a renowned Shelter Island–based photographer known for his evocative images that capture the quiet beauty and shifting light of the East End.

His work spans coastal landscapes, maritime scenes, and intimate studies of the island’s natural environment, often revealing moments that feel both timeless and deeply personal.

With a keen eye for composition and atmosphere, Bundy’s photography reflects a deep connection to place and a sensitivity to the subtle interplay of light, weather, and season.

Catherine Corry is a portrait artist known for her sensitive, expressive work that captures both likeness and presence. Working primarily on commission, her oil portraits are recognized for their attention to light, subtle color, and the emotional depth she brings to each subject. Her work has received recognition for its ability to balance technical precision with a painterly, human touch.

In addition to her studio practice, Catherine is an active member of the Shelter Island arts community and serves as a Board Member of the Shelter Island Arts Center (SIAC), where she supports programming that fosters both artistic rigor and creative exploration. Her work reflects a belief that portraiture is not only an act of observation, but of connection—an opportunity to translate personality, mood, and memory into enduring form.

Laurie Dolphin is a visionary printmaker, award-winning book publisher, designer, and curator whose multidisciplinary practice explores interconnection, consciousness, and the fleeting nature of time. Rooted in a deep reverence for the natural world, her work invites contemplation through a language of stillness, balance, and quiet discovery.

Printmaking is at the heart of Laurie’s creative process, where technique and intuition meet to create works that embrace both precision and surprise. Through layered imagery and thoughtful composition, she explores the relationship between nature, space, and the unseen connections that shape our experience. Her meditative approach reflects a belief that art can be a pathway to presence, awareness, and a deeper connection to the world around us.

An active member of the Shelter Island arts community, Laurie brings her experience as an artist, curator, and educator to fostering creative dialogue and exploration through SIAC.

After a career teaching English as a Second Language, Joe Reilly retired to the Hudson Valley and began seriously to pursue two passions: painting and making books by hand (artist books).

Largely self-taught, he has been drawing and painting since childhood.  He works from direct observation, i.e. not from photographs, in various media, including acrylic, oil, gouache, and watercolor.  He has been exhibiting and selling paintings since the early 1990s. He has exhibited in museums, galleries and other venues in New Jersey and New York.

In 1998 he took his first class in hand bookbinding, which exposed him to the world of book arts.  He was hooked, and has been making, exhibiting and selling his books ever since.

Mr Reilly’s paintings and books are in private collections across the United States and in several countries in Europe.

Susan Schrott is an award-winning textile artist whose vibrant, emotionally resonant work has garnered national recognition. Her practice explores pattern, texture, and the expressive potential of fiber, drawing inspiration from the natural world and everyday forms.

She creates richly layered compositions that balance structure with spontaneity, combining traditional techniques with a contemporary sensibility. Through nuanced use of color, repetition, and surface, her work evokes both visual rhythm and tactile depth.

An active member of the Shelter Island arts community, Susan is committed to ongoing exploration and to contributing to a vibrant, collaborative creative environment.

June Shatken is the Founder of the Shelter Island Arts Center (SIAC) and a multimedia arts instructor dedicated to fostering creativity and community through the arts. A passionate advocate for accessible, high-quality arts education, she established SIAC as a space where artists of all levels can gather to learn, experiment, and grow.

Working in watercolor and pastel, June is drawn to the medium’s fluidity and expressive potential, guiding students to embrace both technique and spontaneity in their practice. Her teaching emphasizes observation, confidence, and the joy of the creative process.

Through her leadership and instruction, June has helped cultivate a vibrant, welcoming arts community on Shelter Island, creating opportunities for connection, exploration, and artistic development.

Nadia Sisley is a NYC-based artist and art educator, born and raised in  New York City, who has spent the last few summers on Shelter Island. She  currently teaches middle and high school art, where she is passionate  about inspiring students to think creatively, take artistic risks, and explore  their own visual voice through a wide range of materials and processes. 

In her personal practice, Nadia creates illustrations and design-based  prints while continually exploring new mediums, including welding,  woodworking, graphic design, and collage. Her teaching combines strong  artistic foundations with experimentation and hands-on making, and she  has developed units ranging from interior design and watercolor to  perspective drawing and typography. Through both her artwork and  teaching, she aims to make creativity feel accessible, playful, and  meaningful for artists of all ages and experience levels.

Acclaimed painter working in soft pastel and oil, Alison explores light, color, and atmosphere with both discipline and curiosity. After early study in studio art and classical piano, she returned to painting following a long hiatus, ultimately finding a deep connection to the luminosity and immediacy of pastel.

Her subjects range from landscape and urban scenes to still life, unified by a focus on dramatic light, shadow, texture, and color. Moving fluidly between realism and impressionism, her work reflects a belief that painting can be both rigorous and deeply approachable—an invitation to slow down, look closely, and connect.

At SIAC, Alison brings this same spirit to her work and teaching, encouraging artists of all levels to engage seriously with their craft while embracing the joy and discovery inherent in the process. She continues her studies with nationally celebrated artist Linda Richichi.