Statement
Bethany Parisi is a self-taught interdisciplinary folk artist working in traditional woodcraft to continue the American folk tradition of documenting personal and social histories through a modern lens. Drawing on 16th- to 19th-century methods, her work reclaims traditional craftsmanship and stylization to challenge the ethics and aesthetics of today’s mass-produced furniture and decor.
Skills & Abilities
- Art Education: I have experience teaching woodworking and carving, seatweaving, and painting workshops and classes for all ages. I have also assisted in classes on small furniture building, lamp creation and gourd carving.
- Woodworking Practice: I am a skilled wood worker trained in both hand tools and power tools. My understanding of woodworking and studio operations, coupled with my ability to focus and ensure efficient workflow, enables me to contribute effectively in studio settings.
Exhibitions
- MIXed Media, MIX Art Gallery, Ithaca, NY, 2026
- Trail Art, CAP Art Gallery, Ithaca, NY, 2026
- Annual Juried Show, State of the Art Gallery, Ithaca, NY, 2025
- Small Works Juried Exhibition, Main Street Arts, Clifton Springs, NY, 2025
- Purple, Mix Art Gallery, Ithaca, NY 14850, 2025
- Open Season 9, The Cherry Arts, Ithaca, NY 14850, 2025
- Artists Trail, CAP Art Gallery, Ithaca, NY, 2025
- Carved out Stories: A Folk Art Exhibit, CAP Art Gallery, Ithaca, NY, 2025
- Urban Canvas, CAP Art Gallery, Ithaca, NY 2025
- Small Works Juried Exhibition, Main Street Arts, Clifton Springs, NY, 2024
- Annual Juried Show, State of the Art Gallery, Ithaca, NY, 2024
- Carving Out Time Solo Show, Grayhaven, Ithaca, NY, 2024
- Group Exhibition, Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival Art Barn, Trumansburg, NY, 2023 - 2026
Awards
- 2026 Cornell Cooperative Extension: Arts & Clean Energy Awareness Grant, Carving
- 2026 Community Arts Partnership: Strategic Opportunity Stipend, Furniture Build
- 2026 Ithaca Pride Alliance’s Festival Artist: United We Rise, Digital Design
- 2026 Women Swimmin’ for Hospicare Event Artist: Go the Distance, Digital Design
- 2025 Ithaca Festival Artist: Enchanted Ithaca, Digital Design
- 2025 Ithaca Murals x Cornell Cooperative Extension: Rising Ahead, Mural
- 2024 Ithaca Murals x Cornell Cooperative Extension: The Bottom Needs to be Fed First, Mural
Publications
- Photography, Literary, Life in the Finger Lakes Magazine, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2025
- Photography, Literary, Preservation Magazine a publication of PLNYS, 2024
- Wood Carvings, Fugue Art Journal, 2022
- Digital Art, Fugue Art Journal, 2021
- Photography, Permanent Residence of Tompkins County, 2021