This November, our Art in the Café will feature the work of photographer Tina Valentinetti.

Born and raised in a suburb of Cleveland, she worked as a registered nurse and health educator in several states before moving to Vermont, where she now lives with her husband in Moretown. After her retirement, Tina began to take her hobby of photography more seriously. She studied with Vermont photographers Bryan Pfeiffer and Michelle Saffran, and continues to take workshops and classes as they pertain to her needs and areas of interest.

“In 1951 I received my first camera, a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, and I’ve been snapping pictures ever since. I am basically a realist, but at times I find it exciting and challenging to ‘re-envision’ images, and to move them away from the strictly realistic to varying levels of interpretation. My usual areas of interest are birds and landscape, but, for this exhibit, I’ve chosen totally different subject matter,” Valentinetti says.

One section of this exhibit is called Windows: Looking In, Looking Out.  “Windows are everywhere, and for the most part go unnoticed by the casual observer,” Valentinetti notes. “So it’s a challenge to bring out the unique characteristics of such a common object, in a manner that stimulates fascination and intrigue. I hope each window I’ve chosen for this exhibit will stimulate the viewer’s imagination and create interesting stories.”

The other section of this exhibit is called The Search For Self. “In these photos I’ve attempted to give a different and/or somewhat deeper meaning to the popular concept of ‘selfies’,” according to Valentinetti.

“Vermont offers an endless array of subject matter, and most days I am outside looking for new photo opportunities,” she says. “I’m excited to be able to share some of my photos with others at Hunger Mountain Co-op!”