In flourishing civilizations, public art was funded by the ruling class as a marker of how well society was doing. But in America today, arts funding always seems to be first on the chopping block. So it’s rather amazing that during the Great Depression, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal sought to create jobs […]
Paintings
Drawing from experience
My first glimpse of Caitlin Yarsky’s talent was at the 2008 Artist’s Row at the Rochester Public Market, when I spied a tall, epic painting of a girl adventurer visible quite a distance from Yarsky’s booth. The subject was leaning out from her grasp on the mast of a ship and studying the horizon, oblivious […]
The stirrings of life
Oxford Gallery’s current show, “The Heart’s Unrest,” features the cheerfully colorful work of Buffalo-based artist Charles Houseman and Rochester artist David Dorsey, and provides the perfect mental escape while Rochester’s weather decides if it’s springtime or not. Gallery director Jim Hall says he pulled the show’s title from a quote by Austrian physicist and philosopher […]
“Da Vinci — The Genius”
Humble beginnings don’t predict all there is to a life. Leonardo da Vinci was born out of wedlock to a peasant woman and a respected notary, but due to a precocious talent that exposed him to the movers and shakers of the day, he would go on to became one of the most celebrated figures […]
Ecstatic impressions
One function of art for the artist is fulfilling the urge to interpret and recreate what sings to us. Somewhere within the steady work of this practice, we better understand and feel more fully part of this strange and magnificent place, and share what we see and value with others. Creating is essentially an act […]
“6th Rochester Biennial”
The 6th Rochester Biennial opened last Saturday, featuring six small solo shows of work by established, regional artists chosen for their exceptional commitment to their craft. The exhibition contains a vast range of media, techniques, and subject matter, affording the audience a glimpse into the diverse array of skilled artists working in our communities. Each […]
“Mad Sally with Things on Strings” by Joy Adams
Many people who are labeled “eccentric” are simply living their lives defiantly unencumbered by meaningless norms — and in doing so, may find more soul-fulfilling ways of moving through this strange trip. And these types can teach the rest of us a thing or two. The current exhibit at Axom Gallery showcases the engaging work […]






