Mitch Messmore was born and raised in Schenectady, New York. He is the Director of CRISTA (Capital Region Initiative Supporting the Arts, www.cristany.org. ), and the Founder and Coordinator of Art Night Schenectady (www.artnightschenectady.com ), which happens on the third Friday of every month. His efforts have helped to bring a new hope and energy into the region through the arts. Mitch has been practicing photography for 20 years. His photography is greatly influenced by his dreams. The vocabulary in his work references different cultures, history, nature, religion, architecture, and landscapes. Mitch’s photographic process consists of layering multiple images, and manipulating the image itself by drawing on or scratching into it, to achieve the desired effect. Mitch has work in private collections in the United States, France, United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Indonesia, and Jordan.