Adam Prescott Chrisman

Inducted 2024

Adam grew up in a very creative family. His earliest memories include drawing and coloring with his older siblings at their home in Utica. When he was 8 years old, his family moved to Ohio, NY where they lived off the grid near the Adirondack Park. Without the constant distraction of technology, Adam turned to traditional art mediums to fill his time and grow his skills. His creative pursuits continued throughout high school when he took nearly every art class that his rural school could offer, including AP Art during his senior year. His talents were strongly encouraged by his teachers.

After Adam graduated from Poland Central School in 2011, he entered the workforce where he worked in retail management for 4 years. In 2016, he decided to pursue a career as a professional artist. In 2017, he held his first two solo shows as an artist; first at the Rome Art and Community Center, followed by a show at The Photo Shoppe/Fusion Gallery. His original artwork can be found in homes all across the country. Adam is the current board president of the Rome Art Association, first taking on the position in 2018. During his tenure with the Rome Art Association, Adam has helped to organize regional art exhibits, youth events and exhibits, membership shows, solo artist exhibitions, and countless events focused on building a strong sense of community in the Central New York arts scene.

With encouragement from friends and fellow artists, Adam opened The Copper Easel in May of 2019 in the arts district of Rome, NY. This local gallery started with just twelve artists and a modest selection of supplies and classes. The gallery has grown to represent over thirty artists, offer an expanded selection of supplies, and an eclectic curriculum of classes and workshops – taught exclusively by local artists. Adam’s efforts have helped to cultivate a micro-economy focused on creating revenue streams for independent artists, in turn fostering and expanding the local arts scene as a whole. The continued success of the Rome Art Association and The Copper Easel is a larger statement about this city’s belief in the arts, and the artists that live here. Adam plans to continue to do his part to put Rome on the map as an accepting and supportive place for artists.