Showing posts with label Rochester Contemporary Art Center. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rochester Contemporary Art Center. Show all posts

Thursday, September 24, 2026

Rochester Contomporary Art Cent opens ~Sanctuary: Borders & Belonging October 2, 2026

 A diverse group of artist participate in a discussion addressing today's political derisions. They will share stoire in art, group lectures, and more. See the complete program below. 


Sanctuary: Borders & Belonging in 2026 brings together a diverse group of national and regional artists, creatives, and documentarians in response to the current political and social landscape surrounding migration and immigration. Projects in the exhibition amplify immigrant voices, document criminalization and detention, examine border politics and architecture, and give impacted people space to share diverse immigration stories.

Artists in the exhibition include, Anaglog (Sound of Sanctuary), Pamela Araya, Pamela Dodds, Annette Dragon, Jim Mott, Saman and Sasan Oskouei, Tom Policano, Julio Salgado, Arleene Correa Valencia, Cher Valentino, Worldwide Documentaries, as well as over 60 artworks from artists who are immigrants, and a community video project documenting nearly 100 of our neighbors telling their immigration story.

We have a lot of events this October and November! From artist talks, to panel discussions, to public art walks and film screenings, we hope to see you soon!

Click over to rochestercontemporary.org to read more about each of these events. Call us if you have any questions ; )

*If you are an organization working to support immigrant communities and you'd like to attend and share your mission at the the Ice Breaker / Match Maker event on October 16 (organized by Metro Justice), please register on our website. Metro Justice will follow-up with you after you register.

RoCo + MCC + Fringe Festival

Join us in the park next to RoCo for the last two performances of Illumina, in partnership with MCC’s On the Edge Drama Troupe and part of the Fringe Festival. This interactive production invites participants will come together to create illuminated artwork inspired by our current public artwork installation BELONG by Gianna Stewart.


Friday, September 25 at 7pm
Saturday, September 26 at 7pm

Member Spotlight: Brittany M. Reid

Meet Brittany M. Reid: Artist, mentor, housecoat enthusiast and our current member spotlight!

A lifelong artist, Reid became more active in Rochester’s creative community in 2020. What began as a prolific analog collage practice has evolved into digital work, painting, and large-scale murals with collage continuing to influence the way they approach color and emotional tone.

These days, Reid has fully embraced acrylic painting and are finding something new in the process: freedom.

As an artist and someone who helps other creatives navigate the psychological side of making art, Reid is passionate about pushing back against the impossible expectations of productivity, visibility, and success that can get in the way of a thriving creative practice.

You’ll have to click through the link to see how housecoats fit into all of this!

COMP Studios Fall 2026

Motion, memory, water, animals, and dreamlike landscapes…our Fall COMP Studios residents Eujin V. Ra and Agam Neiman are emerging artists based in NYC The Hudson Valley. Both creatives have been spending time in Rochester developing special projects in the COMP Studios.

We're inviting you to come meet the artists during their opening on First Friday, October 2, 6–9pm, when COMP Studios and RoCo Upstairs will be open to the public.

*Plus the artists talk on Saturday, October 10 at 1pm.*

COMP Studios + RoCo Upstairs will be open:
Friday, October 2, 6-9pm
Saturday, October 3, 12–5pm
Saturday, October 10, 12–5pm *artist talk at 1pm

Inside the artists' studio

We know it's been a little while since the artists at RoCo Upstairs have been open to the public. On First Friday October 2, permanent studio artists will be open from 6-9pm. Stop by to chat with them and see what they've been working on!

Open studios include:
Bespoke Designs
Studio Michaelino
k.torg studio
Aidan Sofia Earle
Lunar Berserkr Art
Department of Dream Collection
and guest artist: Jon Gary

If you miss First Friday that's okay, they'll be open a couple extra Saturdays too!
Saturday Oct 3, 12-5pm
Saturday Oct 10, 12-5pm

Route of Refusal: A Public Art Walk

RoCo’s public artwork BELONG puts censored language directly out into public space. On Saturday, October 3 at 4pm we will walk from BELONG to Rochester’s Federal Building, where an ICE detention center is planned. As we go we'll spread these banned words along the route, extending this powerful artwork across Downtown Rochester.

Join artist Gianna Stewart, RoCo, and others for a community reading (at RoCo) of the censored words that make up BELONG. From there, we’ll proceed together to the Federal Building and leave our mark en route as an act of refusal.

This program is organized as part of the national Fall of Freedom weekend.

In the community

October 1: Free Art Night - ALTBar
October 4-10: Banned Books Read-In at Siren and The Sea
Submission Deadline October 10: The Women in Arts Networks "The Things We Feel" International Virtual Exhibition

Our programs are funded by people just like you! Please support our work by becoming a member today.

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Thursday, September 10, 2026

The Rochester Contemporary Art Center/ Book Launch & talk with Janet Zandy n ~Working Class Girls Dont become Artists~ September 10, 6-8 PM

~Fire & From~winners showcased, ~Sanctuary~ exhibits in Oct., Show your Art Drop Off Days coming up. 

Book Launch and Talk with Janet Zandy

September 10, 6-8pm

𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 needs art.

Yet, class perspective is rarely acknowledged in how art is seen and selected.

Join RIT emerita professor, Janet Zandy art RoCo from 6-8pm for a special talk and signing of her new book "Working-Class Girls Don’t Become Artists."

• $2 / free for RoCo members
• Light snacks/drinks provided.
• Greenwood Books will have the book available for purchase at the event!

Fire & Form Award Winners

On view until September 19

Congratulations to Connie Ehindero, Linda Bigness and Leslie Yolen for receiving awards acknowledging their excellent work in Wax Media.

Through their work, Ehindero, Bigness and Yolen all engage with the natural world, mysticism, spirituality, and the human desire to create. encaustic as a medium poignantly channel their experiences, calling upon line, shape, and bold and bright color to illustrate their perspective.


On view until September 19, don't miss this special trio of artists, and many more incredible encaustic works.

Images, left to right:
• Connie Ehindero, Excellence in Wax Media award sponsored by R&F Paints

• Linda Bigness, Excellence in Wax Media award sponsored by Enkaustikos

• Leslie Yolen, Excellence in Wax Media award sponsored by Enkaustikos

On view until September 19

Detour by Aaron Steffer features new work created with reclaimed materials like discarded signs, broken panels, street debris, and found wood and metal.

Still, Moving: A Firefly Meditation by Katharine Torgersen is an immersive light installation inspired by summer evenings spent observing fireflies.

Coming soon: Sanctuary 

Opens October 2, 6-9pm

This October we’re not only honored but moved to bring together a wide group of national and regional artists, creatives, and documentarians for Sanctuary: Borders & Belonging in 2026.

The exhibition includes many artists who amplify and celebrate immigrant voices, document criminalization and detention, and examine border politics and architecture. Sanctuary includes work by:
Anaglog (Sound of Sanctuary)
Pamela Araya
Pamela Dodds
Annette Dragon
Jim Mott
Saman and Sasan Oskouei
Tom Policano
Julio Salgado
Arleene Correa Valencia
Cher Valentino
Worldwide Documentaries

Additionally, the exhibition will include over 60 artworks from artists who are immigrants, and a community video project documenting nearly 100 of our neighbors telling their immigration story. 

Drop off days are coming up!

Members, it's your time to shine!

Drop-off days for our annual members show are coming up. All current members are invited to bring one artwork, within the size limits, to RoCo for inclusion in the exhibition.  

The Drop off Days 
- Thursday Nov 5, 12-5pm
- Friday Nov 6, 12-9pm
- Saturday Nov 7, 12-5pm

If you have any questions, need help with the entry form or would like to become a member to participate, please contact us!

First Friday Recap

September 4 was a great First Friday with wonderful attendance throughout the city! 

Venues
- if you're hosting a First Friday event on October 2, email it to First Friday as soon as you can for the most visibility.

Pictured, top left to bottom right: Rainbow Cammo, RIT City Art Space, Laurentide Clay, subsesctor. 

In the community

September 10-13: Ithaca is Books Festival
September 12: East Ave Fest
October 4: Make it and take it at the Art Mill Art Center

Our programs are funded by people just like you! Please support our work by becoming a member today.

Rochester Contemporary Art Center
137 East Ave, Rochester
United States of America
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