Upcoming Events in Rochester

Looking forward:

Authors Aloud in the Cafe:

Poets Steve Lewandowski and G.E. Schwartz reading from their recent work. Presented by Writers and Books and The Little Theatre, 8 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, March 6th, 2012.

Little Theatre Cafe, 240 East Avenue. Free and open to the public.


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Spirit of the Dance, a collaboration between the Rochester Oratorio Society and BIODANCE. Friday, March 9th, 2012. Hochstein Performance Hall, 50 North Plymouth Avenue. Tickets: $25.00; $10 with ID, * must be students. Call 585-473-2234, for further info.

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Crafting Modernism:
Midcentury American Art and Design

February 26–May 20, 2012 in the Grand Gallery

The following description From Memorial Art Gallery 500 University Avenue Rochester NY Web Page:

The years following the Second World War saw an explosion of craft art in America. Men and women from all walks of life and corners of the globe rediscovered and reinvigorated such traditional media as ceramics, fiber, glass, metal and wood. In our own region, Rochester Institute of Technology and Alfred University became major creative centers.

This survey of the studio craft movement includes works by more than 170 artists and craftsmen, among them such masters as Harry Bertoia, Anni Albers, Isamu Noguchi, Wendell Castle, Albert Paley, Peter Voulkos, Harvey Littleton and Maria Martinez. Today, the work of these “midcentury modern” artists is highly sought by collectors.

The exhibition, which spans the years from 1945 to 1969, begins with the early postwar era, when the independent craftsman lifestyle became a compelling alternative to the anonymity of the corporate world. It then moves on to the turbulent late 1950s and 1960s, which witnessed the emergence of the crafted object as a work of art informed by Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Funk, social commentary and counterculture.

The importance of western New York in the history of the craft movement cannot be underestimated. Three institutions in particular are well represented in Crafting Modernism: RIT’s School for American Crafts (SAC), the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, and Syracuse University. At least 20 artists with work in the show taught or studied at one of these institutions

Admission:
$12; senior citizens, $8; college students with ID and children 6–18, $5. Always free to members, UR students, and children 5 and under. Half-price general admission Thursdays from 5–9 pm is made possible by ExxonMobil Chemical Company and Monroe County

Museum Hours:
Wednesday-Sunday 11 am-5 pm Thursday 11 am-9 pm
CLOSED Monday, Tuesday and major holidays