For John Pata:
 
John Pata is an award-winning artist who was born and raised here in Rochester. He attended and graduated from East High School, then went on to MCC and Geneseo where he earned his Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree. He, his wife Judy, and his two daughters, Vanessa and Marian, have lived in West Irondequoit for 18 years. He prefers to work mostly in colored pencil and has been known to dabble with a bit of acrylic from time to time. He has been invited to speak at area schools through Boces, and has donated works of art to the West Irondequoit Foundation Auction, the Junior League of Rochester as well as other local charities. He has recently painted a large, colorful mural in the children’s room of Summerville Presbyterian Church. He has had works published in newspapers and magazines, including two pieces on the cover of Lake Effect Magazine. He is a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America and the Irondequoit Art Club. His works have been shown at the Center at High Falls Fine Art Gallery, The West Bend Art Museum in Wisconsin, and many of his works can be found decorating the walls of the Elizabeth Collection and Metal Museum here in Rochester. Recently he was given the opportunity to design the 2001 Lilac Festival Poster as well as the Banner for the Maplewood neighborhood.
 
For Vanessa Pata:
 
Vanessa Pata, like her father, was also born and raised in Rochester. She is a member of West Irondequoit’s graduating class of 2003. In high school she rode horses and was on her yearbook staff, designing and drawing the yearbook cover her senior year. She was also voted “Most Artistic Girl” by her senior class, one of the many superlatives given out to one boy and one girl in the senior class. She was involved with art club and was known to draw the new eagle mascot on bulletins and basketball carts for the schools sports teams needing the retired mascot- the Indian- replaced with the eagle head. She enjoys many mediums but prefers to follow in her father’s footsteps and work with colored pencil. She is currently continuing her art education this year at Syracuse University’s college of Visual and Performing arts. There she is getting her Bachelors in Fine Arts degree in Interior Design and thinking of minoring in Architecture. She very much enjoyed working on the window with her father.