ATELIER JOLIE GALLERY
ARTISTS
Discover our expanding lineup of extraordinary artists!
Artists
Dr. Lee B Riley
"Imagine sitting in front of a young mother, looking her in the eye, and saying 'you have cancer.' My art is about what happens next," says Lee Riley.
Lee Riley is a cancer researcher and surgeon. Medical school prepared him well for complex cancer surgery but less so for confronting the emotional aspects of dealing with patients who are usually facing imminent death.
"I have spent the majority of my life learning and practicing my trade as a scientist and cancer surgeon," says Riley. "However, my training left me unprepared for the emotional weight associated with healing cancer patients. To become the physician I wanted to be, I needed to come to work every day fully recharged.
"My work starts as a mental fusion of nature’s vast minerals and all varieties and phases of glass. Conceptually these materials are worked to reflect hope, healing. and the underpinning thought that life is a gift."
With no formal training in glass or art, Riley sought classes and workshops, starting at the Banana Factory in Bethlehem PA. It was his cold glass workshop with Martin Rosol at Corning Museum where he envisioned combining his interest in minerals with his glasswork. There were no instructors for this, but with his background as a chemistry major, perseverance, and luck, Riley was able to succeed.
In addition to “healing thyself,” Riley began incorporating art into his medical practice. Initially, he donated his art to support numerous cancer fundraising events. He made 700 glass “pink ribbon” pendants for a local breast cancer race, and now he works with a resident artist at his medical office to help patients create glass pendants during their treatments.
His first gallery show was a successful solo event with regional artists, physicians, and patients attending. The majority of his work was sold. With growing confidence in his skillset and creativity, he began expanding his work to include other media, but almost always with glass!
Dr. Lee B Riley
"Imagine sitting in front of a young mother, looking her in the eye, and saying 'you have cancer.' My art is about what happens next," says Lee Riley.
Lee Riley is a cancer researcher and surgeon. Medical school prepared him well for complex cancer surgery but less so for confronting the emotional aspects of dealing with patients who are usually facing imminent death.
"I have spent the majority of my life learning and practicing my trade as a scientist and cancer surgeon," says Riley. "However, my training left me unprepared for the emotional weight associated with healing cancer patients. To become the physician I wanted to be, I needed to come to work every day fully recharged.
"My work starts as a mental fusion of nature’s vast minerals and all varieties and phases of glass. Conceptually these materials are worked to reflect hope, healing. and the underpinning thought that life is a gift."
With no formal training in glass or art, Riley sought classes and workshops, starting at the Banana Factory in Bethlehem PA. It was his cold glass workshop with Martin Rosol at Corning Museum where he envisioned combining his interest in minerals with his glasswork. There were no instructors for this, but with his background as a chemistry major, perseverance, and luck, Riley was able to succeed.
In addition to “healing thyself,” Riley began incorporating art into his medical practice. Initially, he donated his art to support numerous cancer fundraising events. He made 700 glass “pink ribbon” pendants for a local breast cancer race, and now he works with a resident artist at his medical office to help patients create glass pendants during their treatments.
His first gallery show was a successful solo event with regional artists, physicians, and patients attending. The majority of his work was sold. With growing confidence in his skillset and creativity, he began expanding his work to include other media, but almost always with glass!
Emily Strong
Emily Strong is a figurative oil painter based in Eastern Pennsylvania. Strong was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1992 and received her undergraduate degrees in Studio Art and Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Moravian University of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 2015. Her study of psychology and sociology has dramatically influenced her work's conceptual and formal aspects. Strong works primarily in oil on canvas, creating realistic, intimate depictions of figures and spaces that explore the many complexities of relationships with self, others, and environment, as well as existence, isolation, and identity.
Emily Strong
Emily Strong is a figurative oil painter based in Eastern Pennsylvania. Strong was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1992 and received her undergraduate degrees in Studio Art and Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Moravian University of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 2015. Her study of psychology and sociology has dramatically influenced her work's conceptual and formal aspects. Strong works primarily in oil on canvas, creating realistic, intimate depictions of figures and spaces that explore the many complexities of relationships with self, others, and environment, as well as existence, isolation, and identity.
Khalil Allaik
All the stories about the universe, the stars, the void, other dimensions, other worlds, black holes, galaxies—the distance of light.
I have searched for some way that I might see it all. How, in this short life, can I travel throughout this huge and limitless universe? I close my eyes, I dive within. I realize that the inner space is deep and infinite. There, inside, I travel. My artwork presents views I have captured in my travels through cities that I have built in the cavities of my mind. For me, the Void is a very flexible creature. It allows us to move through it easily, without resistance. My work is the dialogue between these two limitless universes, one within and one beyond. It is the dialogue between Matter and the Void.
Khalil Allaik
All the stories about the universe, the stars, the void, other dimensions, other worlds, black holes, galaxies—the distance of light.
I have searched for some way that I might see it all. How, in this short life, can I travel throughout this huge and limitless universe? I close my eyes, I dive within. I realize that the inner space is deep and infinite. There, inside, I travel. My artwork presents views I have captured in my travels through cities that I have built in the cavities of my mind. For me, the Void is a very flexible creature. It allows us to move through it easily, without resistance. My work is the dialogue between these two limitless universes, one within and one beyond. It is the dialogue between Matter and the Void.
Francesca Citak
"Art, music, poetry, and inner peace are intricately woven into my identity and creative journey. My paintings embody my heritage, travels, and life experiences, serving as a portal to transcend the physical world. For me, creating is not just about the finished work—it is a profound, meditative exchange between the inner self and the external world.
Through my work, I explore the transitional spaces between past and future, where stories wait to be uncovered. Each piece becomes a voyage of discovery—sometimes revealing clarity and solace, other times exposing questions that guide me further. The process itself is transformative, an act of vulnerability that invites chaos and harmony, mirroring life's complexities. I have always believed that everything happens for a reason—a mindset that has profoundly and unexpectedly shaped my life’s direction. What might have seemed like detours were never hindrances but opportunities I welcomed wholeheartedly, allowing my creative practice to flourish and mature."
I earned a BFA in Photography from Moore College of Art. Later, my graduate studies in Art Therapy at the University of New Mexico highlighted art’s extraordinary capacity to heal and connect. During internships with children facing terminal illnesses, teenagers battling addiction, survivors of abuse, and elementary school students, I witnessed creativity’s ability to break barriers and inspire hope. This understanding of art led me to earn a certification in Art Education from Kutztown University.
For over 25 years, I taught middle and high school students. Throughout the year, I collaborated with them to design sets and props for theatrical and musical productions, whether in Pennsylvania or abroad in Turkey. Each experience was an opportunity to cultivate imagination, encourage teamwork, and showcase the limitless potential of artistic expression.
Since retiring, painting has become my sanctuary—a deeply personal means of transcending chronic pain and connecting with something greater. Creating gives me a space to heal, explore, and rediscover the fulfilment and purpose that art has always brought to my life. Through this process, I continue to uncover stories and emotions that need to be expressed, inviting viewers to embark on their journeys of reflection and exploration.
Over time, my art has shifted from a traditional practice to a more intuitive approach. Each line, shape, and color becomes an extension of unearthed emotions and memories, giving form to the intangible and a voice to what is silent.
Francesca Citak
"Art, music, poetry, and inner peace are intricately woven into my identity and creative journey. My paintings embody my heritage, travels, and life experiences, serving as a portal to transcend the physical world. For me, creating is not just about the finished work—it is a profound, meditative exchange between the inner self and the external world.
Through my work, I explore the transitional spaces between past and future, where stories wait to be uncovered. Each piece becomes a voyage of discovery—sometimes revealing clarity and solace, other times exposing questions that guide me further. The process itself is transformative, an act of vulnerability that invites chaos and harmony, mirroring life's complexities. I have always believed that everything happens for a reason—a mindset that has profoundly and unexpectedly shaped my life’s direction. What might have seemed like detours were never hindrances but opportunities I welcomed wholeheartedly, allowing my creative practice to flourish and mature."
I earned a BFA in Photography from Moore College of Art. Later, my graduate studies in Art Therapy at the University of New Mexico highlighted art’s extraordinary capacity to heal and connect. During internships with children facing terminal illnesses, teenagers battling addiction, survivors of abuse, and elementary school students, I witnessed creativity’s ability to break barriers and inspire hope. This understanding of art led me to earn a certification in Art Education from Kutztown University.
For over 25 years, I taught middle and high school students. Throughout the year, I collaborated with them to design sets and props for theatrical and musical productions, whether in Pennsylvania or abroad in Turkey. Each experience was an opportunity to cultivate imagination, encourage teamwork, and showcase the limitless potential of artistic expression.
Since retiring, painting has become my sanctuary—a deeply personal means of transcending chronic pain and connecting with something greater. Creating gives me a space to heal, explore, and rediscover the fulfilment and purpose that art has always brought to my life. Through this process, I continue to uncover stories and emotions that need to be expressed, inviting viewers to embark on their journeys of reflection and exploration.
Over time, my art has shifted from a traditional practice to a more intuitive approach. Each line, shape, and color becomes an extension of unearthed emotions and memories, giving form to the intangible and a voice to what is silent.
Ward Van Haute
Ward Van Haute is a self-taught painter and sculptor. In July 2014 he opened
Bethlehem House Gallery, on Main Street in historic downtown Bethlehem, PA.
Van Haute was born in 1978 in Ft. Belvoir, VA. In 2001 he received his BA in TV/Film Production from DeSales University in Center Valley, PA. For 15 years he worked as a properties master and art director for stage and screen in Philadelphia and New York.
In his Bethlehem studio, Studio 945, Ward Van Haute works primarily in oils on the reverse of glass. He marries the folk and sacral arts techniques of reverse painting with contemporary style and subjects. Additional media include: glass casting, kiln formed glass, found object sculpture, urethane casting, and stop-motion animation.
Ward Van Haute
Ward Van Haute is a self-taught painter and sculptor. In July 2014 he opened
Bethlehem House Gallery, on Main Street in historic downtown Bethlehem, PA.
Van Haute was born in 1978 in Ft. Belvoir, VA. In 2001 he received his BA in TV/Film Production from DeSales University in Center Valley, PA. For 15 years he worked as a properties master and art director for stage and screen in Philadelphia and New York.
In his Bethlehem studio, Studio 945, Ward Van Haute works primarily in oils on the reverse of glass. He marries the folk and sacral arts techniques of reverse painting with contemporary style and subjects. Additional media include: glass casting, kiln formed glass, found object sculpture, urethane casting, and stop-motion animation.
Arta Brito
Arta Brito is a classically trained oil painter who has studied with various professional artists in New York City. She’s worked for the world-renowned Jeff Koons studios from 2014-2016, has had several group and solo exhibitions throughout the U.S. and is in the permanent collection of the Hunterdon Art Museum and Lehigh University Art Galleries. Brito’s work explores gender and queer themes inspired by both personal and current events. Her creative process serves as a vehicle for self-exploration and storytelling. Brito’s work often resists sociopolitical structures and illuminates historical events purposefully left out of academia.
Arta Brito
Arta Brito is a classically trained oil painter who has studied with various professional artists in New York City. She’s worked for the world-renowned Jeff Koons studios from 2014-2016, has had several group and solo exhibitions throughout the U.S. and is in the permanent collection of the Hunterdon Art Museum and Lehigh University Art Galleries. Brito’s work explores gender and queer themes inspired by both personal and current events. Her creative process serves as a vehicle for self-exploration and storytelling. Brito’s work often resists sociopolitical structures and illuminates historical events purposefully left out of academia.
Lucy Gans
Lucy Gans works with sculptural forms, drawing and printmaking to produce works that are image based revolving around issues related to social justice. She incorporates memory,history and biography in intimate ways, creating a space where women’s stories are articulated. She has exhibited widely, primarily in alternative spaces, women’s cooperative galleries, college and university galleries, and small museums; most recently in Philadelphia,Chicago, New York, Washington D.C. and Richmond. Her last major solo exhibition Reading Between the Lines, was at the Lehigh University Art Galleries in the Fall of 2023. Her work is included in public and private collections in the United States and abroad. She has received numerous grants, fellowships and awards including a National Association of Women Artists’ Medal of Honor. She earned her MFA from Pratt Institute in sculpture with a minor in drawing. She also studied painting and drawing at the Art Students League, and earned her BFA from Lake Erie College. She is a Professor of Art in the Department of Art, Architecture and Design and was the first holder of the Louis & Jane Weinstock ’36 Chair in Art and Architecture at Lehigh University where she teaches both in the art program and in the Women Gender and Sexuality Studies Program.
Lucy Gans
Lucy Gans works with sculptural forms, drawing and printmaking to produce works that are image based revolving around issues related to social justice. She incorporates memory,history and biography in intimate ways, creating a space where women’s stories are articulated. She has exhibited widely, primarily in alternative spaces, women’s cooperative galleries, college and university galleries, and small museums; most recently in Philadelphia,Chicago, New York, Washington D.C. and Richmond. Her last major solo exhibition Reading Between the Lines, was at the Lehigh University Art Galleries in the Fall of 2023. Her work is included in public and private collections in the United States and abroad. She has received numerous grants, fellowships and awards including a National Association of Women Artists’ Medal of Honor. She earned her MFA from Pratt Institute in sculpture with a minor in drawing. She also studied painting and drawing at the Art Students League, and earned her BFA from Lake Erie College. She is a Professor of Art in the Department of Art, Architecture and Design and was the first holder of the Louis & Jane Weinstock ’36 Chair in Art and Architecture at Lehigh University where she teaches both in the art program and in the Women Gender and Sexuality Studies Program.
Ana M. Hamilton
Ana was born in Cuba and have had the opportunity to study Fine Arts in various countries, including the USA, Cuba, and Spain. Her artistic journey has been enriched by participating in both group and solo shows across a wide range of locations. These include the Lehigh Valley, Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Barcelona, and back in my homeland, Cuba. Her work, deeply rooted in my Cuban heritage, draws from a rich tapestry of experiences and cultural influences.
Ana M. Hamilton
Ana was born in Cuba and have had the opportunity to study Fine Arts in various countries, including the USA, Cuba, and Spain. Her artistic journey has been enriched by participating in both group and solo shows across a wide range of locations. These include the Lehigh Valley, Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Barcelona, and back in my homeland, Cuba. Her work, deeply rooted in my Cuban heritage, draws from a rich tapestry of experiences and cultural influences.
T.R. Boyce, Jr.
T.R. Boyce, Jr. is an accomplished film producer and a versatile multi-media artist, renowned for his award-winning work in the film industry. Over the years, Boyce has collaborated globally with some of the most prominent talents in the industry. His notable associations include working with legends such as Steven Spielberg, Mike Nichols, Barry Jenkins, Steve Martin, Meryl Streep, Sam Rockwell, and Al Pacino, among others. His first major feature film, "The Forgotten Kingdom," a captivating foreign language drama set in Southern Africa, garnered significant acclaim, winning three Africa Movie Academy Awards.
T.R. Boyce, Jr.
T.R. Boyce, Jr. is an accomplished film producer and a versatile multi-media artist, renowned for his award-winning work in the film industry. Over the years, Boyce has collaborated globally with some of the most prominent talents in the industry. His notable associations include working with legends such as Steven Spielberg, Mike Nichols, Barry Jenkins, Steve Martin, Meryl Streep, Sam Rockwell, and Al Pacino, among others. His first major feature film, "The Forgotten Kingdom," a captivating foreign language drama set in Southern Africa, garnered significant acclaim, winning three Africa Movie Academy Awards.
Nancy Bossert
Classically trained in painting and drawing with a master’s degree received in 1977, and an additional art education degree in 1975. Nancy have taught in higher education and public education for 30 years and continues to instruct privately in small group classes, and provide portfolio preparation instruction.
She's been a practicing multidisciplinary artist for 50 years. With ease and passion, she moves from painting figurative and abstract work to stoneware and fiber arts.
Known for her versatility which comes from knowing her materials and that there are so many opportunities to explore every day. her paintings contain stories, or say a message sometimes overtly and many times what has stimulated a new piece. Iconography plays an additional part to her visual narrative.
ARTISTS STATEMENT
The quote” a jack of all trades is a master of none”, seems to relate to me, BUT understanding the entire quote “jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one,” completes me.
Having the wonderful opportunity to interact with many private and corporate collectors, is to create a personal dialogue is an unimaginable gift. I have national and international representation.
To give a philosophical reasoning for my work, just won’t happen in a paragraph. But to follow me and view the essential thread that connects all the dots of my life and artistic journey, is to begin to know me.
Nancy Bossert
Classically trained in painting and drawing with a master’s degree received in 1977, and an additional art education degree in 1975. Nancy have taught in higher education and public education for 30 years and continues to instruct privately in small group classes, and provide portfolio preparation instruction.
She's been a practicing multidisciplinary artist for 50 years. With ease and passion, she moves from painting figurative and abstract work to stoneware and fiber arts.
Known for her versatility which comes from knowing her materials and that there are so many opportunities to explore every day. her paintings contain stories, or say a message sometimes overtly and many times what has stimulated a new piece. Iconography plays an additional part to her visual narrative.
ARTISTS STATEMENT
The quote” a jack of all trades is a master of none”, seems to relate to me, BUT understanding the entire quote “jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one,” completes me.
Having the wonderful opportunity to interact with many private and corporate collectors, is to create a personal dialogue is an unimaginable gift. I have national and international representation.
To give a philosophical reasoning for my work, just won’t happen in a paragraph. But to follow me and view the essential thread that connects all the dots of my life and artistic journey, is to begin to know me.
Rigo Peralta
Fine artist with over 20 years of related work experience as an independent artist, skilled in all aspects of artistic creation from design concept, to project completion.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My artwork represents the push and pull between humanity and machinery. I express this complex relationship with textures and brushstrokes within the human anatomy interlocked with mechanisms of cogs and wheels. I blend a rich palette of paints drawn from my ancestral Latino traditions to provide a panorama of compositions where classic meets abstract.
This artistic approach is unpredictable and affords me the opportunity to discover hidden anatomical forms as if a ghost were rising from nothing on the canvas. I then work to combine the mechanical forms as part of an organic transition. This final product I refer to as conditioned surrealism. That is, an awakening of the subconscious as it invites you to explore a series of hidden elements on the canvas that can alter your perception over and over with each viewing. My hope is for the viewer to become a part of the canvas' stories in my creations!
Rigo Peralta
Fine artist with over 20 years of related work experience as an independent artist, skilled in all aspects of artistic creation from design concept, to project completion.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My artwork represents the push and pull between humanity and machinery. I express this complex relationship with textures and brushstrokes within the human anatomy interlocked with mechanisms of cogs and wheels. I blend a rich palette of paints drawn from my ancestral Latino traditions to provide a panorama of compositions where classic meets abstract.
This artistic approach is unpredictable and affords me the opportunity to discover hidden anatomical forms as if a ghost were rising from nothing on the canvas. I then work to combine the mechanical forms as part of an organic transition. This final product I refer to as conditioned surrealism. That is, an awakening of the subconscious as it invites you to explore a series of hidden elements on the canvas that can alter your perception over and over with each viewing. My hope is for the viewer to become a part of the canvas' stories in my creations!
William Ibbetson
William Ibbetson Jr, born in doylestown PA, raised in bucks county spent majority of his life learning how to work different techniques using sculptures, geometry, & ancient architecture. Using his imagination as one of his strongest tools. Inspiring for his art to bring happiness, & comfort. Allowing the true beauty to become radiant for others. Being self taught venturing into his intellectual capabilities in other realms.
William Ibbetson
William Ibbetson Jr, born in doylestown PA, raised in bucks county spent majority of his life learning how to work different techniques using sculptures, geometry, & ancient architecture. Using his imagination as one of his strongest tools. Inspiring for his art to bring happiness, & comfort. Allowing the true beauty to become radiant for others. Being self taught venturing into his intellectual capabilities in other realms.
Femi J. Johnson
Femi J. Johnson, born in Manhattan, New York, and raised in Easton, Pennsylvania, demonstrated early artistic talent, particularly in graphite and charcoal drawing. This skill set him on a path to a professional career as a Master Draftsman & Designer, where he lent his expertise to notable companies like Bell Laboratories and Lucent Technologies. Over the years, Johnson created thousands of technical drawings, but eventually, he felt a compelling pull back towards the fine arts.
Femi J. Johnson
Femi J. Johnson, born in Manhattan, New York, and raised in Easton, Pennsylvania, demonstrated early artistic talent, particularly in graphite and charcoal drawing. This skill set him on a path to a professional career as a Master Draftsman & Designer, where he lent his expertise to notable companies like Bell Laboratories and Lucent Technologies. Over the years, Johnson created thousands of technical drawings, but eventually, he felt a compelling pull back towards the fine arts.