Declan Ryan

Fela Kuti was a defining figure in 20th century music, and the best-known pioneer of the Afrobeat genre. He used his visibility as an artist to advocate socialism, Pan-Africanism, and to fight against government corruption in Nigeria. A tireless activist, Fela Kuti was arrested more than 200 times during his career. Academy Award-winning director Alex […]

This month marks 100 years since the start of Prohibition, and the Rochester Cocktail Revival crew is throwing a party to celebrate the anniversary. Fortunately, this time around, revelers can enjoy their gin fizzes and sidecars in dapper attire without keeping watch for the fuzz or the Feds. Stay for the live jazz, DJ Chreath, […]

Author Sonya Bilocerkowycz found herself in Ukraine during the 2014 revolution and subsequent conflict with Russia. During her time there, she was witness to history and met a host of unusual characters. Her book, “On Our Way Home from the Revolution.” ties these narratives together with her own family’s story. The launch of this book, […]

This is, with the possible exception of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” the only theatrical work I am aware of that started as a real-world dare to try selling Tupperware in drag. Dixie Longate did just that, then wrote a show around it, and has been touring the country in character since 2007. It’s a no-frills affair, featuring […]

The second installment in a two-part series curated by artist and community organizer Rachel DeGuzman, “Black & Female in ROC: The Remix” will be held at Visual Studies Workshop this week. The first installment included a discussion focused on the experiences of elders from Rochester’s black female community. Continuing this dialogue, DeGuzman worked with videographer […]

Stew is a dish that everyone craves this time of year, but it’s uniquely difficult to find on a takeout menu. Fortunately, Genesee Country Village offers an opportunity to learn to make your own at this farm-to-table workshop in its “Adulting Class” series. Historic specialty cook Peggy Roll will teach attendees to create an old-fashioned […]

Now in its 16th season, Theatre Young Kids Enjoy T(YKEs), will this month present the musical, “A Winnie the Pooh Birthday Tail,” in honor of author A.A. Milne’s 138th birthday. On the eve of his Eeyore’s birthday, he’s lost his tail, and it’s up to Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and the rest of the Hundred Acre […]

Maureen Outlaw Church, Anne McCune, and Phyllis Bryce Ely are three landscape painters who share a studio headquarters in The Hungerford Building. All three work with encaustic wax, which gives their work a powerful textural element. Even with a common medium, subject, and studio, the three painters’ work diverges to cover a huge range of […]

Compassion is an essential ingredient in any community. The Strong is highlighting this value on Martin Luther King Day, with a long afternoon of inclusive programming for kids and families. In addition to taking in the current and ongoing museum exhibits, visitors can catch a sensory-friendly performance of interactive puppet show “Go Home Tiny Monster” […]

Writers & Books has partnered up with Geva Theatre Center for another edition of the annual “2 Pages / 2 Voices” staged reading. This whirlwind tour of local talent is a windfall for those of us with short attention spans: writers are limited to two pages of material for each dramatic work, and limited to […]

Before the selfie, the thirst trap, and the influencer, there was oil on canvas. Rochester’s very own Memorial Art Gallery is home to a fine sampling of historical hotties immortalized in the frame or on the pedestal. Join MAGsocial for the next event in its series of themed tours, this time putting the spotlight on […]

Located in the Finger Lakes village of Clifton Springs, Main Street Arts is a not-for-profit gallery that maintains an open call for art year-round. Its first show of the new decade, titled ‘Sprawling Visions,’ pulls together works submitted from 26 artists from around the country, over a three-year period. Executive director and curator Bradley Butler […]