A photo and art exhibition 2026, featuring three local Russian artists.
Elena Keesee — Photography: Where Science Meets Art
Tatiana Rhinevault — "Remembering Russia": Oil, Acrylic, and Watercolor
Mila Kapustina — Photography: Classical Portraiture Through a Modern Lens
September 1 - September 29, 2026, William K. Sanford Town Library, Colonie
Join us for the Opening Reception - September 9, 2026
Meet the artists and be among the first to view — and acquire — original works. Some pieces in the exhibition are available for purchase.
Where: William K. Sanford Town Library, 629 Albany Shaker Road, Loudonville, NY 12211
When: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Come celebrate art, community, and the power of visual storytelling with us!
Elena Keesee's photography emerges from a rare intersection of scientific rigor and artistic intuition. Born in Ekaterinburg, Russia, she holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Moscow State University and currently teaches in the Chemistry Department at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York. This foundation in analytical thinking and creative expression shapes every frame she captures.
Photographic Philosophy: Elena's lens reveals the extraordinary within the everyday, transforming ordinary moments into compelling visual narratives. Her portfolio spans delicate still lives, bold abstract explorations, expansive landscapes, and dynamic urban scenes — unified by a consistent pursuit of visual harmony through light, texture, and composition.
Elena's work has earned recognition across New York's Capital Region, including multiple honors from the Schenectady Photographic Society and Editor's Favorites status in National Geographic competitions. She has been featured in the Times Union and profiled by Channel 10, with additional honorable mentions and placing in juried exhibitions and an active presence in solo and group shows throughout the region.
Tatiana Rhinevault works across watercolor, acrylic, and oil, using rich, dark tones alongside diffused window light to create spaces that are both calming and magnetic.
Born in Moscow, Tatiana spent much of her childhood in Sokolniki Park watching artists paint, an early exposure that — alongside the city's museums, theaters, and studios — shaped her lifelong relationship with art. After earning her Master's degree in Art, she worked restoring icons in Moscow's historic churches, and went on to paint throughout Europe, including in Hungary, Yugoslavia, Spain, Holland, France, and Italy. She met her husband in 1990 and moved to the US.
Tatiana won Best of Show at the 14th Annual "Art by the Lake" juried exhibition at the Fenimore Art Museum in 2017, and First Place at the HVPAF Quick Draw, held October 18th in Highland Falls, NY.
Mila Kapustina photographs, composed in the style of traditional oil portraits, feel refreshingly formal. Born in Moscow, she specialized in art history and journalism in school, and studied painting under various artists before settling in the United States in 1989. She has since traveled extensively throughout Europe, camera always in hand, and formally studied photography at the International Center of Photography in New York in 2001.
Her influences include Yousuf Karsh, Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon, alongside classical painters such as Rembrandt, Philip Laszlo, Vermeer, Botticelli, Repin, and Surikov. Mila believes, that to capture a soul rather than just a likeness, a good portrait photographer must have a genuine fascination with people, and a depth of life experience. Mila has held several solo photography shows across the Capital Region and, in 2019, participated in the Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region exhibition at the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, NY.
PAST SHOWS
One Woman Photography Exhibit September 2025
Featuring Russian Photographer - Elena Keesee
When: September 3 - September 30 2025, Guilderland Public Library
Capturing Beauty in the Everyday
Celebrating the artistry of Elena Keesee—where scientific precision meets creative vision. Elena Keesee is an accomplished artist whose lens reveals the extraordinary within the ordinary.
About the Artist
Elena Keesee brings a unique perspective to photography, combining her scientific background with artistic vision. A native of Ekaterinburg, Russia, she earned her PhD in Physical Chemistry from Moscow State University and currently serves as a professor in the Chemistry department at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York. Her dual expertise in science and art informs her meticulous approach to composition, light, and visual storytelling.
Recognition & Achievements
Elena's photography has earned widespread recognition throughout New York's Capital Region:
- Multiple awards from the Schenectady Photographic Society
- Editor's Favorites in National Geographic competitions
- Featured publications in the Times Union
- Television coverage on Channel 10
- Honorary Mentions in juried exhibitions
- Regular participant in both solo and group exhibitions
Artistic Vision
Elena's work spans diverse subjects—from intimate still life compositions and abstract studies to sweeping landscapes and urban cityscapes. Her photography is characterized by:
- Finding the unusual in the ordinary through creative compositions
- Landscape photography that captures nature's inherent beauty
- Still life arrangements emphasizing texture, light, and visual harmony
- Technical precision informed by her scientific background
Elena's mastery of color serves as a primary artistic element creates a striking visual impact.
Exhibition Details
This exhibition presents a carefully curated collection of 32 photographs that showcase the breadth and depth of Elena's artistic vision. Each piece demonstrates her commitment to exploring the interplay between light, composition, and subject matter. Whether capturing the subtle textures of a still life arrangement or the dramatic sweep of a natural landscape, Elena's work invites viewers to pause and discover beauty in unexpected places.
All works in this exhibition are available for purchase.
One Woman Show of Portrait Photography
Featuring Russian Photographer - Mila Kapustina
February 2 - February 29 2020, Bethlehem Public Library
There are 20 portraits by Mila Kapustina in the entrance hall of the library. They are photographs, composed in the style of traditional oil portraits, refreshing in their formality. Mila was born in Moscow, she specialized in art history and journalism in school and studied painting with various artists. She has called the United States home since 1989, and has traveled extensively throughout Europe (always with her camera in hand). Mila formally studied photography at the International Center of Photography in New York in 2001. Her influences include Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon, Herb Ritts, Yousuf Karsh, Irving Penn, Peter Lindberg and most importantly, classical painters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Botticelli, Repin, Surikov, John Singer Sargent, and many others. She believes that a good portrait photographer must have a fascination with people and rich life experiences in order to create a portrait of a soul, a personality, a complex human being.
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A photo and art exhibition 2026, featuring three local Russian artists.
Elena Keesee — Photography: Where Science Meets Art
Tatiana Rhinevault — "Remembering Russia": Oil, Acrylic, and Watercolor
Mila Kapustina — Photography: Classical Portraiture Through a Modern Lens
September 1 - September 29, 2026, William K. Sanford Town Library, Colonie
Join us for the Opening Reception - September 9, 2026
Meet the artists and be among the first to view — and acquire — original works. Some pieces in the exhibition are available for purchase.
Where: William K. Sanford Town Library, 629 Albany Shaker Road, Loudonville, NY 12211
When: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Come celebrate art, community, and the power of visual storytelling with us!
Photographic Philosophy: Elena's lens reveals the extraordinary within the everyday, transforming ordinary moments into compelling visual narratives. Her portfolio spans delicate still lives, bold abstract explorations, expansive landscapes, and dynamic urban scenes — unified by a consistent pursuit of visual harmony through light, texture, and composition.
Elena's work has earned recognition across New York's Capital Region, including multiple honors from the Schenectady Photographic Society and Editor's Favorites status in National Geographic competitions. She has been featured in the Times Union and profiled by Channel 10, with additional honorable mentions and placing in juried exhibitions and an active presence in solo and group shows throughout the region.
Born in Moscow, Tatiana spent much of her childhood in Sokolniki Park watching artists paint, an early exposure that — alongside the city's museums, theaters, and studios — shaped her lifelong relationship with art. After earning her Master's degree in Art, she worked restoring icons in Moscow's historic churches, and went on to paint throughout Europe, including in Hungary, Yugoslavia, Spain, Holland, France, and Italy. She met her husband in 1990 and moved to the US.
Tatiana won Best of Show at the 14th Annual "Art by the Lake" juried exhibition at the Fenimore Art Museum in 2017, and First Place at the HVPAF Quick Draw, held October 18th in Highland Falls, NY.
Her influences include Yousuf Karsh, Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon, alongside classical painters such as Rembrandt, Philip Laszlo, Vermeer, Botticelli, Repin, and Surikov. Mila believes, that to capture a soul rather than just a likeness, a good portrait photographer must have a genuine fascination with people, and a depth of life experience. Mila has held several solo photography shows across the Capital Region and, in 2019, participated in the Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region exhibition at the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, NY.
PAST SHOWS
One Woman Photography Exhibit September 2025
Featuring Russian Photographer - Elena Keesee
When: September 3 - September 30 2025, Guilderland Public Library
Capturing Beauty in the Everyday
Elena's mastery of color serves as a primary artistic element creates a striking visual impact.
All works in this exhibition are available for purchase.
One Woman Show of Portrait Photography
Featuring Russian Photographer - Mila Kapustina
February 2 - February 29 2020, Bethlehem Public Library