Regatta Row 2026 Artists
Vote for People's Choice: www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZQ9NWLD
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1. Christi Jordan "Manifest Destiny"
Adult chair at Jerry's Inn This vibrant landscape mural reflects the natural heritage of the American West. The prominent bison – the national mammal of the USA, represents strength, resilience, and the "ultimate comeback story" of American conservation. Symbolically, a winding river represents the passage of time. In American art an empty Adirondack chair often symbolizes an "invitation to pause". It represents a slower, more contemplative way of life, encouraging users to connect with the landscape rather than merely passing through it. Art created upon everyday objects like this chair becomes a shared story and an expression of the creative spirit within regional and national pride. |
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2. Dorene Ireland "Star Spangled"
Adult chair at B&W Wine & Liquor The celebration of 250 years since America’s independence is dramatized in this chair with vivid hues and bold graphics referencing the spirit of the American flag. This year the underside of the chair is embellished with the familiar refrain: “With Liberty and Justice for All” |
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3. Christopher Lloyd Wright "Painting America" Adult chair at Erika's Cakery Best in Show
The "Painting America" concept I developed was through my great love and appreciation of America's artists. Showcasing some of the most influential painters" works on this chair was an absolute pleasure to execute. I carefully choose pieces to represent not only them but a reflection of American life, our pride, our struggles, our successes, our love and strength as one people with a magnitude of diversities. I hope I captured some of what really makes us American. |
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4. Donna L. Stevens-Cutting
"We the People, Big and Small" Child's Chair at Steve Eisenberg Woodworking The inspiration for my Regatta Row Child's Chair was my love for children. I have also always loved to draw and paint. Under the guidance of Sharon MacArthur’s high school art-class I honed my skills. The children represent beautiful diversity of people in the USA. As a grandmother of 3 fun-loving girls, I wanted to paint a chair that children would like to sit in. The simplicity was intended to convey the simple pleasure of being a child, while the stars and colors represent our American flag. |
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5. Mackenzie Ingraham "Florescence"
Adult chair at Back Door Bar Mackenzie is a visual artist from Greene,New York. She specializes in painting, printmaking, and sculpture. "Florescence" highlights the diverse floral elements that constitute the State Flower in each of 50 United States and their Territories. Each state flower is represented within the chair, ranging from Alabama's elegant camellia to Wisconsin's vibrant wood violet. Florescence, derived from the Latin term "flōrēscentia," which means "blossoming." Botanists refer to it as the blooming of a flower and more broadly, to describe anything that thrives or flourishes. This floral art aims to bring attention to the many components that make up our country, with each state's dedicated flower symbolizing all its unique identities and how they make our country truly bloom. |
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6. Christine Giuliano "Writen in America"
Child's chair at Tri Town Insurance American authors have written some memorable books over the years for children. Dr. Seuss has blessed us with a whole collection, including one of my favorites, The Lorax. Maurice Sendak has given our children "Where the Wild Things Are", another classic. And who can forget the Berenstein Bears collection of books? My chair attempts to embrace the characters of those stories while celebrating our American author's achievements. |
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7. Christine Giuliano "American Exclusive"
Mayor's Award Adult chair at The Jericho Certain things just scream America. Cowboys and Indians, Uncle Sam, Lady Liberty, Woodstock, baseball and good old fashioned apple pie. My chair attempts to embrace our culture by celebrating nostalgia exclusive to the United States. |
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8. Carol Lernihan & Shey Revolinsky
"Stars & Stripes" Child's chair at Barnards Hardware The history of Revolutionary War heros who lived in this region of New York State speaks through the years of the gallant dedication of those dedicated to freedom. Their stories are copies of the original wartime reports. Carol Lernihan, a New Lisbon, NY folk artist, uses many different media and appears in art galleries and shows throughout New York state. Her creative and award-winning work has graced the streets of Bainbridge for Regatta Row as a testament to her dedication to the arts. |
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9. Cyndy Weeks-Patterson untitled
Adult chair at Ian Tonnessen's Flowers & Events “Real beauty is in the nooks & crannies of what you don’t see. Look underground for the things that I see as beautiful”. Mycelium networks are massive, underground webs of fungal filaments that connect plants and trees to share nutrients, water, and chemically signal warnings to other plants of danger. They send and receive electrophysiological signals underground. Above ground, we look at the structure of a flower and say that it is a beautiful flower, but what us more interesting to me is when you go deeper and examine the structure, but look at the uprooted plant & find that which is not so easily seen. See the worms that feed the system & how the bugs & root system feed off the remains of things that used to be there in the earth. Find beauty in unexpected places. I Love seeing industry and nature not in opposition, but working together until nature takes over. Everything we make is temporary, even the stuff we think is permanent is temporary. Everything, life is temporary. Art for the masses is interesting and art for the masses needs to be affordable. Someone walking through the woods finds a pieces of rotted board with fragments of different paints it tells a story of that which used to be. The castoffs of that which used to be important. Now just a piece of rust. I don’t have the self-importance to think what I do is important. Just because something appears broken, doesn’t mean it’s useless |
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11. Katelyn Wetzel "The Fence of Time"
Adult Chair at New Image Hair Salon Best Creative Concept A 250 year farmland transition evolves before our eyes. This piece explores a farm existing in both the past and present, connected by a shared structure. I played with different hues to distinguish the two eras—the 1776 side carries a muted, vintage tone, while the present is brighter and more vivid. I included some Bainbridge history with the ox cart, which, as noted in "Stones from the Walls of Jericho", was a primary mode of transportation in the 1700s. Together, these details highlight continuity and change within the same landscape. As a non professional artist residing in Bainbridge, Katelyn has always had a passion for art, creating murals and animal portraits. |
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12. Sarah Green "An Appetite for Art"
Adult chair at Bob's Diner Relating to this year’s chair theme, “An Appetite for Art” features the popular theme of food in art! Food in artwork serve as a rich symbol of cultural identity, class, gender, and culinary cuisine! How many pieces of Americana art have featured varied depictions of food? Sarah is a board member of the Chenango Arts Council. She has a B.S. in Zoology and a B.A. in Studio Art, as well as an M.F.A. in Illustration. Her favorite mediums are oil on canvas or graphite on paper, however, she will attempt watercolor when she’s feeling brave! The subject matter that excites her the most is portraiture, both of people and animals. |
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13. Samantha Frederick "The Foundation of US"
Child's chair at Snips & Snails When I think of the United States, I think of what we've dared to dream — and then actually do. In 250 years, we've accomplished the extraordinary. We drafted the Declaration of Independence in the halls of Independence Hall, where great minds staked everything on a bold idea. We developed vaccines that saved millions, gave the world the pacemaker and DNA sequencing, connected a continent by rail, and lit the darkness with Edison's bulb and the power stations that followed. And then — as if that wasn't enough — we pointed ourselves at the moon and lifted off. The space program has always been my favorite chapter of this story, because it captures something essential about who we are. This painting is my celebration of all of it — and of the smart, driven people who made it possible when given the chance. |
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14. Fran Briggs "Legacy of Freedom"
Child's chair at Chris Brown Auctions Celebrating the United States of America with a vibrant map reminds us of the dreams of a young nation and its resilient journey to 2026. The flag graphics are interpreted in a bold representation upon the base and arms while meticulous detailing with red, white and blue jewels continue to sparkle like fireworks on the 4th of July! |
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15. Abby Barnett "American Honey"
Award of Excellence Adult chair at Bainbridge Town Hall I want the overall feel of this chair to be warm and nostalgic, vintage America with a blend of small-town charm and cozy farmhouse style. The barn in a field of sunflowers has a distressed American flag gracing the front. On back the striped pattern of a worn, yet classic, American quilt is a quiet reminder of the cherished family memories it still holds. Through my art, I strive to bring warmth, individuality and a sense of handmade beauty into everyday spaces |
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16. Keiko Howard "Liberty"
Child's chair at Bainbridge Library Created for the Americana 250 theme, this chair reflects on the evolving identity of the United States through symbol and presence. While red, white, and blue are widely shared across nations, I sought an image that feels distinctly American. The red-tailed hawk—now a familiar sight in upstate New York, though not always native to the region—became a symbol of adaptation, resilience, and watchfulness. The composition incorporates red ribbons with white stars, echoing the American flag and its layered history. Blue emerges through the hawk itself, painted in translucent purplish-blue acrylic washes to create a watercolor-like softness. Silver circular forms surrounding the bird suggest unity and continuity. The title Liberty reflects the hawk’s steady gaze and suspended motion, holding ideas of awareness, movement, and balance. Through both imagery and technique, the work considers a nation still in motion—enduring, shifting, and held together by a sense of unity |
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17. Jennifer Grady "One Nation, Hand in Hand" Adult chair at NBT Bank
Inspired by the song “America the Beautiful”, this art captures multiple themes of brotherhood, spacious skies, majestic soaring mountains, amber waves of grain and still today, through the years, this song and this art call upon us to: “Crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!” |
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18. Gavin Bocanegra "The Captain's Chair"
Adult chair at VIP Payroll & Taxes Award of Excellence Gavin’s early success as a high school student, painting a canoe paddle for 2018’s Regatta Row led to him being awarded the title of “Best Emerging Artist”. Living up to that, his artistic journey evolved into a boldness and dynamism. “The Captain’s Chair” suggests an exploration of American qualities of vigorous activity, restless energy, and constant change. Captain America, bursting from the chair captures those qualities with dramatic composition breaking traditional boundaries of the frame of the chair. His art is not still, but conveys a life force that propels and transforms a moment in time. |