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An art school was opened in Rochester, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, on May 1, 1910 by Daniel Leary, a well-known artist of Monaca. Mr. Leary taught china, oil and water painting. The school was located in the Leaf Building on Brighton Avenue.
Mr. Leary was well qualified in several branches of art. He received his education in Boston, Massachusetts, his native city, and continued his education after procuring work. He was brought here through the search of Mr. Dufner of the Phoenix Glass Company of Monaca after a thorough search of the best artists for his art glass department. Other artists at the plant included Morley of England; Capania of Italy; Figie of Japan; Workner and Zahn of Bohemia.
Mr. Leary was well-known in the Beaver Valley and his various designs and paintings were admired by everyone. Among the decorations and paintings he had done were the Majestic Theatre, Masonic Temple, of Rochester; Grand Hotel and 7th Avenue Hotel of Beaver Falls and many others. The life size portrait of Abraham Lincoln that was in the old Lincoln Hotel, Rochester, was an excellent example of Mr. Leary's skill as an artist. The students could not have wanted a better qualified teacher.
Mr. Leary's classes consisted of drawing, painting from life, fruit. flowers. and landscapes in oil and water colors; china and glass painting, firing and gilding of china. A night class was held for the purpose of sign painting.