FEATURED ARTIST

Artist SPOTLIGHT

KATHY CASSTEVENS

Local artists invigorate the community with thoughtful, creative pieces. Each issue, Starved Rock Country Magazine and Starved Rock Country Community Foundation are partnering to highlight artists and their work.

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he name of Kathy Casstevens’ recent photography exhibit tells you exactly what this Starved Rock Country artist captures. “The Art of Loving Where You Live” was on display at NCI ARTworks Gallery in March. “This show was an amazing culmination of how I’ve taken photos for so many years — it really showed how photos capture time and give us lasting memories of little things and big things in our life and in the world around us,” Casstevens says. “I am so proud of how the show/gallery turned out.”

As the marketing manager of Starved Rock Lodge and White Pines Lodge, Casstevens’ photography lends itself toward nature, particularly at Starved Rock, Matthiessen and Buffalo Rock state parks. In the early days of her job, she says, “The first thing I did was to take photos of every canyon in every season so I could replace all of the artwork in all of our hotel rooms and cabins.” Now more than 15 years later, the photos “have brought joy to our guests for many years.”

From owning her first camera in middle school to working on yearbook and newspaper staffs in high school and college, Casstevens has a deep and longstanding appreciation for her chosen medium of expression. “It has been amazing to see how easy photography has become over the years. However, capturing an image is different than taking a photo,” she says. “Many people have told me that I have a great ‘eye’ and I appreciate that.”

In addition to getting outside with her camera, Casstevens enjoys gardening; collecting nutcrackers; spending time with her dad, Jim Spitzmiller; and photographing weddings with her daughter, Stephanie Baiocchi. “Most of the time, we’ll be standing side by side with cameras in hand at a wedding and each of us takes a different photo,” she says. “Everyone has a different way of seeing the world and that’s what make photography so interesting.”

To purchase her creations or learn more, visit www.kathycasstevensphoto.com or her social media pages. 1. Lady Victory: Stephanie Casstevens Baiocchi at St. Louis Canyon in the winter with a frozen ice fall at Starved Rock State Park 2. Pelican at Sunrise: taken at Starved Rock State Park 3. Conquering Bear plays his Native American flute at Ottawa Canyon in Starved Rock State Park. 4. The Barn in Winter: taken at Senica’s Oak Ridge Golf Course in La Salle 5. Psychedelic Stream: artistic photography at Starved Rock State Park 6. Virginia Bluebells at Illinois Canyon: taken at Starved Rock State Park

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ABOUT THE ARTIST Kathy Casstevens captures the beauty of her environment with nature photography; she also works with her daughter to photograph weddings. Her photography is shared with visitors of Starved Rock Lodge and White Pines Lodge, where she serves as marketing manager. Learn more at www.kathycasstevensphoto.com.

Photo by Sandra Rust