On April 4 at 6 p.m., Gunks Gaming Guild Cafe opened a gallery walk featuring works by artists Bryce Casamento and Emilie Dion. Casamento’s silver gelatin prints and Dion’s watercolor paintings are displayed and available for purchase throughout the month.
This is not the first gallery walk that Gunks Gaming Guild has hosted. In December 2024, the cafe spotlighted artists Brittany Brownswell and Emily Beck. The Gaming Guild is known for their community events such as open mics and trivia nights, and its support for local artists showcases a strong dedication to the Hudson Valley community.
“The Guild’s goal is to help people connect more, whether that’s over a cup of coffee, board games, some Dungeons and Dragons, art or anything else people of the community want to bring to the space,” Robert Gamble, one of the owners of Gunks Gaming Guild, said. “Everything we do is to help the people in our community and the people who want to join [and] connect with one another.”
Casamento, one of the artists featured at this month’s gallery walk, is 19 years old and getting his Associate’s degree in fine arts from SUNY Ulster. He specializes in print photography and draws his inspiration from films like Star Wars.
“I watched a lot of movies when I was young, and me and my best friend just got a camera and started making little short films and stop-motion animations. Eventually that turned into wanting to do photography,” he said.
The photographs that were featured in the gallery walk were mainly street photography. His photography began with portraits and landscapes, but he eventually became most drawn to street photography. Most of the photographs in the gallery were taken in New Paltz.
“Art is important to me, just as something I need to do,” Casamento said. “It’s a hobby. Obviously I spend a lot of time taking photos, but it’s more just something that I need to do because it’s something that I love and it’s something that’s fun for me. I don’t know what I’d do if I wasn’t [making art].”
Dion, the other featured artist, takes her inspiration from her background in wildlife biology. The display at Gunks was her first gallery display. She made it her personal goal to put herself out there this year when it came to art. When she saw the call for artists, she put together a portfolio for the first time and sent her work to the cafe.
“Art is a vulnerable expression,” Dion said. “You are sharing something that is beautiful and meaningful and of value, and you’re sharing it with others, so when it’s shared and received by community, then it’s a point of connection. It adds dimension to the community, because it’s not just a monetary transaction; it’s a shared experience.”
Upcoming events at Gunks Gaming Guild can be found on their Instagram, @gunksgamingguild. For more on Casamento or Dion’s work, visit Casamento’s website at brycelucasmedia.com or Dion’s at everydayexpeditions.com.
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