John Rhoden sculpture show at
The Memorial Art Gallery
Rochester, New York
When going to a museum, you might make the journey to see works of art you are familiar with and that you have enjoyed in the past. This is like going to visit an old friend! Indeed, there are pieces at The Memorial Art Gallery that I go to see like their Stuart Davis painting ( "Landscape with Garage Lights"). Of course there are other paintings I enjoy like the Cezanne upstairs, or maybe the Fairfield Porter landscape on the main level. I had met Fairfield Porter in my first year at Cornell, and followed his work for years!
This visit is to see a show of sculpture by...who is this? John Rhoden? At The Memorial Art Gallery the exhibition is "Determined To Be", and it is a nice surprise! It seems that this artist is long overdue for some recognition ( and that could be said of many other artists ). Maybe it was OK for John during his lifetime, he may not have been drawn to the limelight. The artist certainly had a figurative impulse, and I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of video with Garth Fagan dancers! This combination was a brilliant idea!
John Rhoden sculpture with video images of Garth Fagan Dancers
Outside of The Memorial Art Gallery, where has John Rhoden's sculptures been exhibited? His creative drive is evident, and I wonder if there were shows of his that I had missed? Over the years there may have been a racial bias at work in the art world that is being exposed here. In any case his work is terrific, and I am glad that The Memorial Art Gallery has made a statement with this in mind.
"Reflections: The Light Within"
watercolors by Luvon Sheppard and Steve Hill
Over on East Avenue, at The Rochester Museum & Science Center, we went to see my colleague Luvon Sheppard's watercolors which he painted outdoors along the Erie Canal with his friend Steve Hill. On the day that we visited the show, the place was alive with all kinds of kids out and about! Glad to see that the teachers could schedule a school trip! There are so many features that the kids find exciting in this museum, but just not enough time to take everything in..
Luvon Sheppard's recent watercolors made along The Erie Canal
The show is called "Reflections" and - it will be on view on the Third Floor of the RMSC for the better part of a year. Luvon's paintings are modest in size, but they have a big ambition to capture some of the poetry of the outdoor experience along the canal.
Steve Hill is a painter who went on the excursions along the canal to document what he found there, and his paintings will also be on view for the year. I know this territory myself, having painted along the canal many times, and I think that both Steve and Luvon have a wonderful sense of light and air in their work!
I know that Luvon and Steve also share a bit of history - having been teachers at the workshop called: "All Of Us" in the early 1970s.
On a different note: It has come to my attention that one of the mainstays of the art community - the Oxford Gallery will be closing soon! Hats off to Jim and Ginny Hall for keeping things going there over the years. Of course they were not the only gallery owners there - it has a long history, and I was pleased to show a number of my own paintings at the Oxford Gallery and even made some sales! This gallery has been an anchor for an art community and they will be missed!
Finally, here is a recently published article about my own artwork that you may want to read. There is a link to this piece online, so ENJOY! https://usawire.com/alan-singer-art-industry-technology-tradition/
