Faces of Artspace: Mark Kessel

Welcome to our new series profiling the creative artists who call Artspace home. , located at 20 Terry Street, held its  last summer with the goal of attracting artists to Patchogue Village. We will use this series to introduce you to some of the talented faces behind its doors.

Mark Kessel

Age: 36

Background: Originally moved to the Patchogue area from his hometown of Smithtown nine years ago with a band that he used to play in. After the band broke up, Kessel loved Patchogue so much that he stayed. Recently married, he now lives in Artspace with his wife, Linda Abadjian. The couple is expecting a baby boy to join their family in about three months.

Talent: Kessel is a fiction writer who started taking his craft seriously about 16 years ago. He is currently writing a novel entitled, Syrahawk, about a couple that migrates into a country without documentation, ending up in an unfriendly city. Kessel said the story is politically charged and dramatic, and hopes that it will also be entertaining for the reader. Kessel is aiming for a mid-2012 release of the book if he chooses to self-publish it.

Q & A

Patch: What drew you to Artspace?

Kessel: I'm a firm believer in art as being a product of interaction with others and direct observation. Artspace fit that bill.

Patch: What benefits have you found by living in an artist community?

Kessel: Well, I probably wouldn't have produced a stage play if it wasn't for a fellow Artspace neighbor's enthusiasm in doing so; that would be my shining example of me stepping up to the next level of productivity because of community involvement.

Patch: What is your favorite aspect of living in the Patchogue area?

Kessel: Because Patchogue beats the pants off any other village in the Suffolk/Nassau area in terms of authentic, bohemian arts culture. It's got the beach, , the ethnic restaurants, the music, , a , , colleges and two fantastic breweries!

Want to learn more about Mark Kessel and his work? Visit his blog here.

Live at Artspace and want to be featured on Patchogue Patch? Email michael@patch.com.

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