It's not every painter who gets hailed as a distinguished artist. On Sept. 12, such an artist held a reception at the Butcher Library with an open viewing of her art.

The walls of Butcher Library glowed with various abstract shapes and colored elements painted on fabric.

Morrisville State College had the honor of hosting the work of renowned artist Leigh Yardley for the faculty, students, and public.

When speaking with Leigh Yardley, it is clear that she has a passion for her work. She says that when painting, she "tries to capture the sense of the moment".

Yardley has been creating art since childhood, and she fed her talent by attending both Skidmore College in Saratoga and SUNY Oswego College.

Currently living in nearby Hubbardsville, New York, Yardley said she finds that the vast country landscape proves to be the inspiration motivating her to express the effects of the changing seasons and weather.

Her contemporary pieces are painted in acrylic, and their names match the images depicted in "Fool’s Gold", "Veiled Summer", and "Up is Down".

Yardley has been creating art for the public since 1994. In addition to her Morrisville exhibit, she is currently showing her work at galleries in Hamilton and downtown Syracuse. Her art seems to stand still in time, and it is easy to become lost when staring into her strategically-placed paint strokes on canvas.

While Yardley teaches art at Morrisville State, she has also devoted her life to using her gifts to help others. Each summer, she works with the Aesthetic Education Program in partnership with schools throughout central New York.

Teachers and students work in collaboration, exploring works of art at all levels. They study different ways of making art using cameras, paint, theater, dancing, and music by examining the Refugee Resettlement Program through Joan Carlson's drawings. They study African American soldiers in the Civil War through the photography of William Williams. They learn hands-on Japanese silk braiding.

Yardley is profoundly modest about the role she plays in the community, and she considers herself as much of a student as a teacher.

"Aesthetic Education is not about learning to 'like' any given work of art," Yardley says.

"It's about learning to care, to wonder, and to become."