Earlier this week, the Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester
announced that it will be closing its doors at 277 N. Goodman St. at the end of
April. Following a board meeting held at noon today, the organization sent out
a joint announcement with Rochester Association of Performing Arts (RAPA) that
the council will move into its new headquarters at the Kodak Center for
Performing Arts at Eastman Business Park on West Ridge Road. The new space will
include a gallery as well as offices and a meeting space. The move is expected
to be completed this April.
In the press release, RAPA CEO and President Jim Vollertsen
expressed excitement in welcoming the council to the space, and stated that
RAPA looks forward to “the executive committees of both our organizations
working together on partnership opportunities.”
Arts & Cultural Council Board Chair Grace Tillinghast
added that the council is “thrilled with this opportunity, not only for the
council’s new home, but also to be part of what promises to be the premier
performing arts facility in Western New York.”
Check back with City for ongoing coverage as the Arts & Cultural Council
story continues to unfold.
This article appears in Mar 19-25, 2014.
Reg. Arts Council move to Ridge Road: This seems to go from bad to worse! Shall we drain EVERY art business out of the downtown? THINK…what art community do you serve living on Ridge Road far from music/art/writers? Does anyone actually believe that an art gallery in the Kodak building will entice visitors from….anywhere? ARTISTS; DO NOT PAY TO EXHIBIT IN THE SPACE UNLESS YOU’RE WILLING TO BUS IN YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO SEE THE SHOW!
We have all but lost any community support for visual art in this town. I see this as only another example of “why”.
I hate this whole story! Years ago, someone floated the idea (it might have been RBTL or the Philharmonic) of forming an United Way for the arts. Instead, we get stupid magazines, crashed and burned Ren. Sq., and another failure in the making with RAPA…when will we learn?
Try this scenario…City brings together a meeting of the arts groups and tries to gain concensus about what to do before the whole house of cards tumbles!