Opera singer vicious to local man!
By: Merle Citron
Barry Snyder has been involved in the arts for most of his life.
He is an artist, sculptor and former art gallery owner who lives on North Union Street and has been in town for 22 years.
"I owned the Princeton Gallery of Fine Art for almost 10 years," Barry explained.
After Barry left the gallery, he began to explore his own artistic abilities.
"After seeing so much art, it was natural for me to begin to make my own art," he said. "The first year, all I did was draw. I would continually look for interesting found objects to draw. I loved to poke around at the flea market. My interesting objects accumulated quickly.
"One day I was just playing around in my studio, and I put some of these found objects together. Suddenly they became found object sculptures. I entitled my first sculpture ‘The Vicious Opera Singer.’ She was made out of an old egg beater and other strange objects."
For 12 years, Barry has had his studio on a farm in Ringoes. Not only does Barry create two- and three-dimensional art, but he has been instrumental in the creation of Artsbridge, an organization of more than 600 area artists and the Peggy Lewis Gallery at the Lambertville Public Library.
Barry serves on the board of the Children’s Gallery at the Michener Museum in Doylestown. He also is involved with a Trenton soup kitchen, working with interested people to expand their artistic abilities.
Barry is not the only member of his family who is involved in the arts. His three children carry on the legacy.
"I have a son named Gary who has an art gallery in Chelsea in New York City, and my daughter, Jill, is the director of the Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art," he said. "My other daughter, Kim, is involved in filmmaking. She recently made a documentary about chronic fatigue syndrome. It’s the only film ever made about the illness."
Barry, you must be very proud of your children and all of your accomplishments, as proud as we are of you.
Michael Nibbio lives on North Franklin Street and has been in town for 21years.
Michael knows what it means to struggle with alcohol, and congratulations are in order because he just celebrated 22 years of sobriety.
During the last 22 years, Michael has given his time and energy to help others. For three years he has served as a Big Brother in Hunterdon County. During the last four years, Michael has worked to make the AA Twelve Step Program available at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital.
He has worked with the Salvation Army to help others at a homeless shelter in Philadelphia.
"I’ve done a great deal of work for various Twelve Step groups," Michael said. "I have even audio-taped meetings for prisoners and service people in the Iraq war who can’t attend meetings."
For the past 31 years, he has owned his own house-painting business, doing interior and exterior work.
Michael was born and raised in Philadelphia, and he has two sons, Justin and Gaeton. Way to go, Michael.
I enjoyed my recent chat with artist Anthony Michael Autorino, and his wife, Karen Davidson.
I also loved the chance to meet their 5 month-old son, Michael Leonardo.
"No, we didn’t name him after DiVinci," Anthony explained while he doted on his son. "My father’s name was Leonardo."
"The baby has huge cheeks," I told Karen.
"Twenty-two pounds, all on mother’s milk!" she noted with pride.
It was obvious Karen and Anthony Michael are thrilled with their son.
"Anthony helped during delivery," Karen told me. "He held and turned the baby as he emerged, and then he put him on my chest."
Karen said her mother was in the delivery room, too, and the nervous grandmother cut the umbilical cord.
"My mother delivered me and my two brothers while under heavy sedation," she said. "I wanted to experience natural childbirth without using anything but my Reiki breathing and the support of my loved ones."
By the way, parenthood must agree with Karen and Anthony Michael. I kept telling them how wonderful they look.
Congratulations to Florence Moonan, who just accomplished an enormous feat.
Not only is Florence an artist, mother of four children, grandmother of six grandchildren and an executive assistant to the vice president of college relations at The College of New Jersey, she also just graduated from college.
"After 22 years, my mother just graduated summa cum laude with her bachelor of fine arts degree from the College of New Jersey," Robin Moonan proudly announced.
I asked Robin how her mother feels about her achievement.
"She is very relieved," Robin replied. "Mom didn’t know if she’d be able to do it. She’s ecstatic, and our whole family is thrilled for her. My dad, Jerry, is so proud of her. So are my brothers, Jerry and his wife, Debbie, Michael and his wife, Laurie, and John and his fiancé, Lisa. All six grandchildren Daniel, Erin, Shannon, Caitlin, Peyton and Mackenzie, are proud of their grandmother, too."
Florence has been a painter for 25 years, and she is listed in Doris Brandes’ book, "Artists of the River Towns."
A gallery in Texas handles her work, which has been shown at Artsbridge, Phillips Mill, Prallsville Mills, Ellarslie, Mercer County Community College, the Atelier Gallery, among others.
By the way, Robin lives in Rosemont, and for the past five years she has worked as a nanny for two children, Sean and Kevin.
"I love taking care of the kids," Robin said. "They are like members of my family. They even call my mom Nanny Moonan."
Ron and Bonnie Gendaszek of Delaware Avenue have an interesting way of knowing when guests arrive at their gate.
Harry, their irrepressible Welsh corgi, runs from the garden gate to the kitchen door, barking the arrival of various and sundry visitors and any marauding invaders. Last week, Harry announced my arrival and the arrival of Elliott, my erstwhile poodle cohort.
Harry and Elliott did what dogs do. Ron and I chatted for a while, and Bonnie stopped cooking to say hello.
Speaking of dogs doing what dogs do, Mort Barnett at Bear Pharmacy couldn’t be prouder of his German shepherd, Maggie.
"So how’s Maggie doing?" I asked Mort.
"She’s great," he told me. "Yesterday Maggie killed a groundhog and proudly dropped it on our front stoop."
"Ah," I replied, "and how did Janet handle the gift?"
"She was speechless once she stopped screaming."
"I figured."
‘Til then, if you’ve got any Chit-Chat news, just let me know about it.
Call me at 397-8494, e-mail me at [email protected], snail-mail me or drop off your info at 72 York St. Thanks.
And there you have it, folks, a little chit and a little chat.

