The summer festival season in Rochester continues this weekend with the 43rd edition of the Park Ave Summer Art Fest on Saturday, Aug 3 from 10a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Aug 4. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This annual celebration of arts and culture stretches for a mile and a quarter along Park Avenue from Alexander Street to Culver Road. Every year, this part of the picturesque Park Avenue neighborhood transforms into a mecca of shopping and entertainment. Better yet, admission is completely free.
Tattoos are becoming more and more popular every year, with 47% of Millennials and 36% of Gen Xers saying they have at least one tattoo. In total, that turns out to be 45 million Americans with ink. This turns out If you have yet to get your first tattoo, your best chance might be quickly approaching, as local tattoo shop Love Hate Tattoo hosts the 11th annual Roc City Tattoo Expo. The expo features a variety of local and visiting tattoo artists, piercers, vendors, and more, and will take place between April 26th and 28th this year.
Rochester Makerspace is hosting a Sunday Artists and Makers Expo on May 22 from 2 PM to 5 PM. Bring your friends or family and enjoy live music, plenty of refreshments, and an eclectic collection of artwork, crafts, and maker projects on display…
I received an email last week from George Conboy, Chairman of Brighton Securities. He asks, “Have you seen anywhere a photo of the transportation mural that was behind the long ticket counter at the old airport? I remember it as a vaguely Art Deco theme of general transportation with an emphasis, of course, on air transport.”
Mr. Conboy explained that he used to fly a lot during the “glory days” of air travel back in the 1960s when he was a kid. “I just liked that old mural. I used to see it all the time and it has always been in my mind.”
This is a great question. I had been told of this mural before but have never seen it myself. Photos of it online are practically non-existent, so this one will require some digging…
A local collective of artists/illustrators known as Hope Mountain have been publishing art books in Rochester for the past 4 years. Now they’re in the middle of Kickstarting this year’s Volume 5 and they’re asking for our help…
You might have stepped out of your house any day this month and thought to yourself, ‘Self, it’s kinda cold out. Maybe even colder than normal.’ If you did, you’re correct , it was the coldest month on record. If you did not, then please consult your doctor.
From local development to just plain news of the weird, here are your RocLinks for this past week…
Preface: I am a total geek and I have stopped caring who knows it. With that out of the way, one of my favorite things in the world to do is study old maps. And my favorite part of old maps are the titles! I told you, total… geek.
I’ve always been amazed at how much attention used to go into the details of these hand-drawn works of art. These days all we do is send a satellite up into space, or someone out to drive around and snap pictures of our streets – and don’t get me wrong, that’s pretty neat for other reasons. But Google streetview ain’t got nuthin on this. Go ahead, geek out…
With the holidays starting earlier and earlier each year, there’s a good chance many of you have already gotten a jump on your shopping lists. And if you’re looking for some local gift ideas, this one is for you…
A new collaborative art exhibit will open Sunday, May 11, at ARTISANworks . “Rochester (& Other) Landmarks” features the work of local photographer, Jonathan White, and graffiti artist, Antonio “Chico” Garcia.
To the average viewer the work may come across as a bit of a train wreck; seemingly random doodles, awkwardly juxtaposed against a familiar urban landscape. But like any good wreck, once it catches your eye, you’ll find it impossible to look away…
Local balloon artists Larry Moss and Kelly Cheatle are hard at work right now constructing an enormous, 5-story tall beanstalk entirely out of balloons in the atrium of Rochester’s landmark Sibley Building.
Unlike previous haunted “Balloon Manors” you may remember at area shopping malls, admission is completely free for the public to come and enjoy this one. Balloon Manor: The VERY Tall Tale of Jack and his Beanstalk is due to be completed today, and open for viewing thru Sunday, February 9…
In 2013 I gave myself a photo assignment. Pick 13 subjects, and take 13 snapshots of each… 13x13x13. Turns out this was much more work than I thought. So I’ve been accepting submissions from others. Today’s series of 13 comes to us from Tiny Fish Printing , a custom apparel printing company located near the public market.
T-shirts are an American staple. We all have our favorite one that we wear until our belly button shows through. They’re a great way to show our support for our favorite local institutions… restaurants, bands, clubs, etc. They allow us to show off our creative side, even we don’t have a creative bone in our body. And best of all, they keep us from being naked.
Uh, ok… Let’s just take a look at 13 awesome local t-shirt designs…
Are you looking for gift ideas this holiday season? Here’s one that’s sure to fill any proud homeowner with good cheer. Local artist Kimberly Kllc DiPietro makes awesome little house ornaments out of Sculpey®! There can’t possibly be a better way to commemorate one’s home than with America’s favorite oven-baked clay…
I went to a big expensive university to study art for four years. I’ve traveled to Italy and marveled at the work of the great masters. I’ve gone out of my way to tip-toe through all the fancy art museums and galleries in New York and Toronto.
Earlier in the week I rode my bike down Rochester’s El Camino Trail. I’m not sure why, but art has never taken my breath away quite like this…
In 2013 I gave myself a photo assignment: Take 13 snapshots of 13 different subjects. Early on, someone suggested I do a series of traffic signal boxes – you know, the ones with the murals painted on them? At first I thought the idea was a little too obvious. I also thought many of the murals to be a little cliché. But soon I began to notice these things everywhere I looked. And then I felt like I couldn’t not do it.
While they may not be master works of art, these murals are definitely a unique part of our landscape. Some of them are kind of folksy; some are tongue-in-cheek; and many tell a story about the neighborhood. So, with the help of my friend Nicholas Swann , here are 13 of our favorite murals on traffic signal boxes…
Oh, and you’ll notice an extra one at the end. I’ve decided to paint one in my own neighborhood. You can tell me what you think…
I haven’t been able to find anyone who knows exactly when this mural was painted, but it’s been a fixture in Manhattan Square Park for at least 30 years, says Charles Moreland, Executive Director of Rochester Parkour . The outdoor venue has been mostly abandoned for the past 10 years, but its concrete walls and irregular geometry make it ideal for practicing the fine art of Parkour. Charles’ group can often be found moving throughout the park. Yesterday Charles noticed the mural had been covered with a fresh coat of gray paint…
A few months ago we interviewed the local artist known only as Spaceman. You’ve seen the iconic images on the streets of Rochester. Now you can own them (and contribute to two great causes). Proceeds gathered from the sale of these stickers, prints and t-shirts will go towards Spaceman’s efforts to clean up waterways in the Genesee Valley; including the Genesee River and surrounding tributaries. Spaceman also requests that a portion of the proceeds go to RocSubway for the upkeep of the site. Thanks Spaceman!
But don’t wait. Quantities are EXTREMELY limited so grab this stuff while it’s here.
Recently I asked, “Who is Spaceman?” This guy’s work has been showing up in unexpected places around town for a while now. Although I’m still not sure who the guy in the space suit is, the actual artist did come forward. And I had a chance to sit down with him at Boulder Coffee in the South Wedge. Among other things I asked him what he thought about people who call his work “trashy” or “criminal.” With the Geico Gecko watching us from the billboard across the street, he pointed to it and said, “Would you rather see a Geico ad at every four-way stop? I’m just trying to make people smile.”
For two hours we talked about his work, what motivates him, life in Rochester, keeping our waterways clean, philosophy, Tibetan monks, and other stuff. For obvious reasons he wishes to remain anonymous, so I’ll refer to him in this interview as “Spaceman Artist”. Here’s a taste of our conversation…
A few months ago this woman caught the attention of motorists on I-490 near downtown Rochester. The image immediately made me think of early works by Banksy or Shepard Fairey , artists who catapulted themselves into pop culture stardom by plastering their towns with often graphic and politically-charged poster art. I wondered, was this Rochester artist making a political/social statement? Or is this half-nude character with the peace sign pasty simply a random piece of visual titillation?
A few people on Facebook claimed to know the artist, but my attempts to track him (or her) down were fruitless. Then yesterday a friend* of mine spotted a similar image stuck to a 490/590 support column at the Can of Worms interchange…
Meet local rapper “Bricksonion”. Brick first started rapping when he was 13, but didn’t take it very seriously until he was about 23. Now he is known around town for his music , and for operating Rochester’s first mobile recording studio.
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![Artwork by Alexandros Hatzigiannidis. [IMAGE: Provided]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-makerspace-expo-01.jpg)
![I Square Under Construction [PHOTO: Author]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/denker/links/ISquare_Under_Construction.jpg)
![Do you remember the mural at the old Rochester Monroe County Airport? A reader asked if we could share photos of it. [IMAGE: Rochester Public Library Local History Division]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-monroe-county-airport-00.jpg)
![A local collective of artists/illustrators known as Hope Mountain is Kickstarting to produce a new book and put some artwork on Main Street. [Image: Peter Lazarski]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/hope-mountain-02.jpg)
![Icicles in the Subway [PHOTO: Ian Wescott - Flickr - https://www.flickr.com/photos/iandavid/]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/denker/links/subway_icicles.jpg)
![Rochester Map Typography [IMAGE: Rochester Public Library]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-map-typography-1910-detail.jpg)
![Rochester (& Other) Landmarks' is a collaboration between local photographer Jonathan White, and NYC graffiti artist Antonio 'Chico' Garcia. [IMAGE: Used with permission from the artists]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-other-landmarks-by-chico-and-white-04.jpg)
!['Balloon Manor: The Very Tall Tale of Jack & His Beanstalk' at the Sibley Building, Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/jack-and-the-beanstalk-balloon-sculpture-00.jpg)
![13 Rochester T-shirts [PHOTO: Tiny Fish Printing]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/13-rochester-tshirts.jpg)
![Art from the Wall Therapy project along Rochester's El Camino Trail. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/wall-therapy-el-camino-trail-rochester.jpg)
![The City recently painted over this mural, a fixture in Manhattan Square Park for probably 30 years. [PHOTO: Kristen Cavanaugh]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/manhattan-square-park-mural.jpg)
![Spaceman artwork now available for you to own. [IMAGE: SPACEMAN]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-spaceman-sticker.jpg)
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