ART | 'The Art of Connection' 

So much about being an artist is learning to see differently or more clearly, and working through happenstance toward discovery. Rochester-based plein air painter Jim Mott has a uses his skills to connect with people he may not otherwise get to know, and go to places he may not otherwise go. In 2000 he initiated what he calls the Itinerant Artist Project, creating regional and national tours by exchanging small paintings for the hospitality of strangers. Last year, he created a new project, Landscape Lottery, for which he had people roll a set of dice to get numbers that corresponded to map coordinates. He'd then go to the location, make paintings, talk with folks in the vicinity, and have them roll the dice for his next destination. This week, The Yards will host Mott's presentation, "The Art of Connection: 20 Years of Socially-Engaged Art Projects," followed by a discussion.

Thursday, July 18, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Yards, 50-52 Public Market Way. $5-$10 sliding scale. 210-0533; facebook.com/attheyards.