Finger Lakes Introspective

The 69th Rochester Finger Lakes Exhibition is Rochester's longest running juried art exhibit and this year we have the juror Timothy Peterson;  he is now the new contemporary curator at The Memorial Art Gallery.  I remember this showcase as being a real boost for me when my painting was accepted back when I was still a graduate student at Cornell University back in the early 1970s!

Welcome to the 69th Finger Lakes Exhibition

at The Memorial Art Gallery

Rochester, New York

The Docent Gallery is an open space with room for a wide variety of artwork and when you go and visit the MAG you will find the creative products of ninety artists in this present edition.  Lucky artists who have their work accepted for the show also have a chance to win awards for their efforts.  When we walked in we spent some time looking at all the pieces from artists in this section of the state.

Needless to say, I know many of the artists who are included in the show ( the piece I entered was NOT accepted! ) but this  was a good time to catch up and see what people are doing...  My initial impression is that there is a lot more figurative art in this year's show.  I wonder whether this represents a trend - either locally or nationally?

"Dwayne" by Joseph Radoccia

This exhibition will close in early October so there is still time to get a good look!  There are a few standout pieces that one finds in this show.  Considering the political climate we find ourselves in, my attention rests upon Bob Conge's sculpture of the shark and flag.  This should be the cover piece for a New Yorker Magazine.  There are other artworks in this exhibit that also tell a story, but Conge nails it!

Shark Shreds the flag, sculpture by Bob Conge

Along these lines the painting by Ron Ferrara "The People Abandon Liberty" also tackles this subject.

Painting by Ron Ferrara 

Story telling is something important for this chapter in the life of our museum, but it is not the only thing to latch onto.  What about the giant sculptural work by Lee Hoag that is at your left when you walk into the show?  Or the Angler fish?  

Sculpture by Lee Hoag

Maybe there is an award for a quiet work that tells the story of fires in the Amazon that is suggested by the painting of the Aracari by Haley Dayis.  "The Guardian of the Amazon" on the wall label says that this painting was made from hand-forged mineral pigments.  I would say that this is one of the finest paintings in this exhibition, and since I am a bird watcher, this tells an important story about conservation that we should all be concerned with!

"Guardian of the Amazon" by Haley Dayis

Talking about nature, I was very happy to see a painting by Jennifer Apetz which has a solid look to it for a vast landscape in striking colors that grab your eye.

Painting by Jennifer Apetz

Another painting that has a thrill attached is the one called: "Leviathan", and it features a man plunging into deep water!  This looks like an interpretation of a photo based image and I think that the artist - Sarah Manrique does a fine job communicating this moment.

Painting by Sarah Manrique

There are many other works which will grab your attention and I think that the big portrait which I highlight at the beginning of this blog post is one I will remember.  The general feeling I get from this show is one of a more conservative set of selections - so as not to turn off visitors to the gallery.  Maybe we are in the mood for entrenchment and the story of this moment is to meditate on our situation!

Art by James Porto

at 

The Memorial Art Gallery

 

Over 6000 Artworks

Rochester Contemporary Art Center

"6 x 6"

18th Annual Exhibition

How many times have you walked into an art gallery and seen over six thousand pieces hanging on the walls?  Amazing!  That is what happened to us the other day when we strolled into RoCo!

Greeting you at the Annual 6"x6"

at RoCo

This is the 18th Annual show and sale of the 6"x6" artworks which has achieved an amazing amount of support from our community and from artists here and abroad!  If you haven't gone there to see the show - what are you waiting for?!! You have to go!  On view now on the gallery walls are the pieces that are still unsold - that's right - almost half of the over 6000 artworks submitted to RoCo have been sold!  This is a great way to support our community culture and RoCo in particular.

"Treat Soil As An Art Object"

this and other stories along with all of this creative endeavor at RoCo

I walked through the exhibition with my wife, and this show made me so happy!  In this exhibition there is an art for everyone, and you are bound to find something ( I confess ) hanging up in the gallery that you just have to buy for yourself ( or a nice gift for someone! ).

Any person  who is so inclined can enter a work for sale over the years, and you don't have to be a professional artist!  There are some beautiful works on view at RoCo, and even some by the pros!

Weavings, paintings, prints, sculpture, cartoons, and so much more at RoCo

Since they started this venture years ago, I have sent them a few 6" x 6" pieces each year and I have also purchased several for my own collection.  There is a nice video made at RoCo on the opening of the show and you can hear what people have to say about the annual show.  I noticed Mark Stash, the editor of "Life in the Finger Lakes" magazine - he was one of the people interviewed in the video and you can see three of his landscapes that he donated to the present show.

Wide variety of subjects and treatments in the 6" x 6" Show at

Rochester Contemporary

This is probably not an easy show to mount in a gallery especially with workers climbing up and down to fit everything in.  I want to thank all the workers and volunteers who put this show on the map!  This is something that RoCo should be very proud of, and it brings in a whole new audience each time! See this show before the last day on July 20th, then you can pick up the pieces you purchased!  Enjoy!