Katie St. Laurent Named 2026 Emerging Artist

OSWEGO – The Riverside Artisans Cooperative and the Art Association of Oswego are proud to announce the selection of local photographer, Katie St. Laurent as the 2026 Emerging Artist.

As this year’s Emerging Artist, she will receive a comprehensive support package, including a stipend, dedicated exhibition space, expanded mentorship and networking opportunities.  Supported by the Richard S. Shineman Foundation, this initiative provides early-career creative individuals in Oswego County with tools to succeed in their artistic interests.

An Oswego resident, Katie is a wildlife photographer.  Explaining her interest in photographing wildlife she said, “I’m exclusively drawn to living things.  I love when I can approach something in the wild and be quiet and calm enough that it lets me feel like I’m actually having an interaction with it.  It feels like a privilege!”

Katie says she has always had an interest in various forms of art, but her interest in photography was rekindled a couple years ago.  She has a community college degree in photography from more the 20 years ago, but digital photography has made many of the skills she learned obsolete.  She wants to update her post-processing techniques to best use current technologies.

An employee of the North Country Library System, Katie has made a calendar of photos of wildlife that she took on the site office in Watertown. She is also a member of the Art Association of Oswego and occasional instructor in their workshops.

Riverside Artisan Shirley Baldwin, one of the originators of the program, said, “We were thrilled with the response we received in the application process.  We had great candidates and it made selecting a winner very difficult.  We look forward to helping more applicants next year.”

The Emerging Artist initiative is a cooperative program of the Riverside Artisans and the Art Association of Oswego to support local talent.  Funding support is provided by the Shineman Foundation.  Applicants were evaluated by a selection committee consisting of representatives from the Riverside Artisans, Art Association of Oswego, and a member of the community.

For more information go to www.oswegoemergingartist.com