Our Home Turf

 

Anderson Alley Artists at 

Rochester Institute of Technology

University Gallery

Thru July 26, 2025

Here we are, walking into the University Gallery on the campus of Rochester Institute of Technology, going to see the exhibition of art on view now thru July 26th, honoring participating artists from Anderson Alley.  While this  show does not feature all the artists from this well-known building it does present twenty talented folks mostly from the third floor of this establishment.  Anderson Alley is a loft style building which has the space and light that works for most visual artists, and this exhibition has painters, printmakers, sculptors and much more.  The R.I.T. University Gallery welcomes these artists and the opening had a good turnout for a summer evening.

"Flow" by Karen Sardisco

Acrylic on canvas

Here was an opportunity to reconnect with people I haven't seen in a while, especially since I retired from teaching art at R.I.T. more than four years ago.  The campus has changed a bit as new buildings have been going up since I left, but the University Gallery is the same with wonderful space and light for all the guests to mingle and see the artwork.  Crossing the threshold, I had a chance to speak with Karen Sardisco whose painting "Flow" is one the first things one sees as you walk into this gallery.  Her piece has swirls of light colors that remind me of Jackson Pollock for all its vitality and movement.

Anderson Alley Artists include Peter Gohringer

I had a chance to catch up with an R.I.T. art historian Heidi Nickisher, and I did enjoy chatting with her and there were many others who we knew at this opening.  Richard Harvey is one of the Anderson artists who has work on view.  He has a selection of sculptural  faces and prints on paper also representing people.  He is one of the participating artists, and they are not just starting out - they show considerable expertise and the creativity on view is engaging and sometimes challenging!

The prints by Richard Harvey

I looked at work by Pat Bacon which has interesting organic images based in photography but also worked in with wax which leave an impression more like a painting, this being a true hybrid! 

 Next to Pat Bacon are two paintings by my friend Carol Acquilano.  These are expressive colorful compositions with fallen leaves as a subject.

 

Pat Bacon

Carol Acquilano

Among the most delicate art in this show is a wall of sculptural creations by Colleen Buzzard.  The idea is to make works with a thin line sometimes of wire and this very fine form casts a shadow on the wall which gives the work another dimension - it is both drawing and sculpture that is both quiet and dynamic at the same time.

Colleen Buzzard

Colleen Buzzard

Now, you may have seen some of these artists before, if you like to go on the First Fridays open studios tours.  I used to do a lot more of that kind of visit but since the Covid pandemic I curtailed these visits and so this is one of the first openings I have been to in a while.  There are many reasons I enjoyed seeing this show and I do want to support the work they are doing for our community!

Lynne Feldman, one of twenty

Anderson Alley Artists

at

University Gallery

Rochester Institute of Technology

Stop Along The Way

At Pittsford Fine Art:  Oil painting by  Suzi Zefting-Kuhn

4 North Main Street, Pittsford, New York

Tag along with us as we take a look in the Pittsford Fine Art Gallery.  This is a cooperative effort to showcase some of our best local talent and a featured artist this month has been Kathleen Warren.  I don't remember seeing her artwork before and this presentation has a focus on her garden and particularly her paintings of flowers.  I would call her style painterly realism and images like the one on her show card have a casual composition that has structure and vitality.

Kathleen Warren at Pittsford Fine Art

I enjoyed seeing a whole wall of paintings by Mark Stash, especially his portrait of a Ruffed Grouse ( see below ) and also the colorful "Casting on Canadice".  I also was attracted to the paintings of Joni Monroe, and Suzi Zefting-Kuhn ( Oil painting of Penguins above ).

Mark Stash has painted this "Ruffed Grouse" 

Pittsford Fine Art, Pittsford, NY

Considering the field of nature, we drive down Route 89 enroute to Ithaca and stop in the park to see the falls at Taughannock State Park - and it was running at full tilt!

Stop to see the falls at Taughannock State Park

We drove toward the Museum of the Earth just outside of Ithaca.  It has been years since we were last there, and the exhibits have really been developed.  When we were last there I know we  took a long look at the wall of tiles that was mounted by my friend Barbara Page.  I know that we didn't see the enormous skeleton of the Right Whale that is now hanging up near the entrance.

Museum of the Earth

The "Right Whale"

I remember that the last time we visited this museum there was an exhibition of paintings by John Gurche that was spectacular.  His artwork featured dinosaurs and I was very impressed by his knowledge and his technique.  Today the museum has many exhibition rooms with engaging stories that we could share with our grandchildren.

Before we left the Ithaca area, we wanted to stop in to shop at the Market.  This is a wonderful experience to take in all the pleasing aromas of food being prepared, and then to sit outside and enjoy Lake Cayuga.

Ithaca Farmers Market on Saturday

A good day out in the country, and we got back home just in time for us to celebrate my 75th Birthday!

Happy Birthday for Alan Singer

( the author of this blog )

Bird Call

 

John James Audubon

There are trees all around where we live now.  Today, it seems like we are also surrounded by birds... that is the story of my life!  I grew up looking at the Audubon print on the wall of my family's house.  My father, Arthur Singer was an artist and print collector, and he was always sitting at his work desk painting bird portraits - and this went on for most of my life!  If we went on a vacation, my dad would be out photographing the birds that flew into view.  

Arthur Singer paints an Osprey circa 1965

On this globe there are thousands of species of birds and my father painted many of them for his book "Birds of the World".

Writer Oliver Austin and artist Arthur Singer worked on this volume for Golden Press ( 1960 )

I guess for me - it is learn as you go, and I became interested in drawing birds when I was just a child watching my parents do their thing.  It was a family affair - this portrayal of all of our favorite feathered friends!  If you had the chance to see the exhibition "Our Nature" last year at the Rundel Library in Rochester, NY, you would have had a chance to look at artwork we did as a family - sharing our love of wildlife, especially the birds and flowers which we studied so intently!

Lumiere and The Bird House Present this show!

This story is a prelude to my professional approach to illustrations I made as an adult which I also would share with my students at Rochester Institute of Technology in my class that is referred to as "Zoo & Bot".  This week a new exhibition has landed at the Lumiere Gallery at 100 College Avenue, in Rochester, and I was happy to bring a couple of my pieces for the public to see.  I am certainly not alone!

"Put A Bird On It! Group show at Lumiere, 100 College Avenue, Rochester, NY

There are so many different approaches to putting a bird in a composition. "Put A Bird On It" is a big group show with many featured artists and you can say that there is a lot of talent in our community!  I found that there are many materials in this show, some which you wouldn't expect!  Of course there are photos of birds and there are paintings of birds, but would you expect to see a quilt with birds, or a ceramic plate?

Alan Singer's " Hummingbirds Love Flowers", Gouache on paper

The two paintings that I brought for this show were both published in my book brought out by Random House called: "Birds Do The Strangest Things".   When I came to Rochester to teach at R.I.T. this was the kind of art I did to make a living.

You can find in this show some outstanding artwork, and I loved the strength of the piece by Lydia Boddie-Rice in this show which runs to mid- July.  Her work has a three-dimensional aspect to it and it is quite detailed ( see below).

art by Lydia Boddie-Rice

There are some funny pieces in this exhibition and I was drawn to the design of the "Improbable Birds" book cover by William Holowka.  Having met Roger Tory Peterson when I was young, I wonder what he would have thought about this book!

"The Eastern Bricklayer"

Design by William Holowka - An Indispensable Guide!

Actually, the bird books that evolved since the mid-Twentieth century really contributed to our awareness of nature, and these books were also very popular..selling many millions of copies!  What it takes to put a good painting of a bird into publication is something I still find challenging..

My  hope is that you will come out to see this show and  take a look at  the  many approaches that artists take with this subject. There are big colorful works like the Flamingo by Mark Thone ( see below ).

An award winner by Mark Thone

And there are photos like the unexpected one from my friend Jill Gussow ( see below )

Photo by Jill Gussow

If you miss this exhibition at Lumiere, another version of it will appear later in the year at The Bird House .  I think you will enjoy the host of artworks  that make up this impressive feathered friend!