Artist and Director of Exhibitions at Water Street Studios, Steve Sherrell, is continually prospecting his creativity and talent to compose his unique work. Sherrell also co-created the entirety of the Water Street Studios Artist Collective, and he continues to invest his time and mentorship in the Batavia gallery to this day.

Sherrell recognizes Batavia as the artistic haven it is for creatives in the area and beyond. “Batavia supports sustained artistic practice without the pressure of spectacle or careerism,” he says. “It felt like a place where artists could work honestly, contribute meaningfully, and remain connected to everyday life.”

In his own artistic medium, Sherrell explores what he calls hybrid work — a combination of AI-assisted and digital processes with traditional painting.

“This required me to rethink authorship, materiality and intuition after decades of physical studio practice,” he says. “It pushed me intellectually and technically, but the resulting work felt like a synthesis rather than a departure — an honest continuation of questions I’ve been asking my entire career.”

Last year, Sherrell completed a collection of large-scale paintings and digitally reinterpreted variations, computer art and sculpture. “My son, Colin — who is a sculptor — and I mounted an exhibition in October at Water Street,” he says. “It reflected our ideas about artmaking circa 2025, combining craft and skill with contemporary digital and AI influences.”

Currently, the adventurous artist is working on new work that embodies post-digital ideas through the use of traditional studio skills.

“The focus is on using long-established methods — drawing, painting and material decision-making — to engage questions shaped by digital culture,” he says. “The challenge is to put myself in the position of current motives driving contemporary culture.”Access and exposure to art is essential for any community, and Sherrell sees it as foundational. “Art gives a community depth,” he says. “It creates spaces for reflection, empathy and shared experience beyond utility or profit. When art is accessible, creativity becomes a common language rather than a privilege. Community spaces like Water Street Studios help keep that exchange visible, active and human.”