At Monroe Community College
The Mercer Gallery
We can thank those who come out to support the arts and we celebrate the fact that we do have a lively art community here in Rochester, and you can come and see the Annual Member's Show at The Mercer Gallery. University art galleries in our area serve a vital function and that is they offer the opportunity to see a wide array of artworks that otherwise might be hard to find!
On Sunday, May 31st, the opening for The Print Club was well attended, with almost 40 different artists represented in this Annual Member exhibition. Most art galleries act like retail stores, trying to make sales. Since the Covid pandemic it has become a lot harder for retail sales to gain back their strength. So, in the breach the university gallery - like the Mercer Gallery, introduces the public to lots of new things...
As I have been working on a book project about The Print Club, I was eager to see this new show, and I also participate by showing one of my recent prints in this Annual Member's Exhibition. Before I even went in to see the show I was introduced to Keely Wu, a young artist and printmaker who is just finishing her first year teaching printmaking at R.I.T.
Two prints by Keely Wu: "Hamster Death" and "Just A Bird"
Once inside The Mercer Gallery, I found two framed prints by Keely Wu - and in this show they have character/characters: "Hamster Death" ( a drypoint etching and screen print ) and "Just A Bird" ( screen print ). There is a bit of the comic in both of these figurative, and colorful prints. This is just the beginning...
Prints large and small at The Mercer Gallery
The Print Club 95th Annual Member Exhibition
A deep dark print by Nick Ruth was given "Best of Show" award ( above on the left ) and there were several honorable mentions given to other artists. I think one of the prints that stood out was by Myles Calvert of a gigantic teapot. The wall label said it was a woodblock print, so I just wonder how this image was made!
Print by Myles Calvert
More than 20 years ago, I was once the President of The Print Club, and now in attendance is the current President, Richard Kegler, who spoke about the Member's show and gave out awards. Richard has a letterpress monoprint in this exhibition with the title "Stars Not Aligned", and it has curious patterns or superimposed grids making an abstract environment. Another past President was at the show, and she exhibited a lithograph of an interesting monument with a title of "The Stone Empress" ( see below )...
Katherine Baca-Bielinis
Landscape prints by Laura Wilder
