M & T Clothesline Art Festival

The longstanding crown jewel of regional art events, the M & T Clothesline Festival, will be held this year on September 11 & 12 on the campus of the Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Avenue, bringing hundreds of artists from across the state to town to display their unique work. For details, see our Festivals & Special Events section; and call (585) 276-8900.

Ready, Set, Play

The Strong National Museum of Play at One Manhattan Square will host the Ready, Set, Play Flower Show on September 14 & 15. The juried show, a Garden Club of America event, features playfully-themed arrangements such as Raggedy Ann Meets Barbie, Mr. Potato Head, Crazy for Crayola, Wood You Come and Play, Ring Around the Rosy and Shoots and Ladders. Call (585) 263-2700.

Claude Bragdon and Fritz Trautmann

A new exhibit at the Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Avenue, examines the previously unexplored relationship between two Rochester artists and visionaries, Claude Bragdon (1866-1946) and Fritz Trautmann (1882-1971). Episodes from an Unwritten History opens on August 13 and will be on view through December 12. Fifteen original works by the artists will be displayed, demonstrating how their shared ideas about cosmic forces in art and life fueled a lifelong friendship. Visit http://mag.rochester.edu for details.

Robin Dettman

Photographer Robin Dettman’s Mount Hope Avenue, Genesee Valley Park series from his “Changing City” project will be exhibited at the Link Gallery in City Hall, 30 Church St., through September 13. Dettman’s images give the public an opportunity to view and contemplating changes as they occurred over time. Visit www.cityofrochester.gov to learn more.

A Life Reviewed

Emma Powell has put together an exhibit of twenty-five photographs currently on display at the George Eastman House, 900 East Avenue. Her show, A Life Reviewed: George Eastman Through the Viewfinder, is an artistic biography of George Eastman, created using a variety of Kodak cameras. The exhibit will remain on view in the West Gallery through October 31. Call (585) 271-3361.

State of the City/Common

A group exhibition featuring Trevor Flynn, Amy Casey and Spectres of Liberty is planned for August 6 thru September 19 at Rochester Contemporary Art Center, 137 East Avenue. State of the City 2010 is designed to engage artists, creative professionals and the public in considering the future, and envisioning the history of upstate cities. A Patron Preview is scheduled for August 5; and an Artist Talk is planned for August 8…And, opening on August 6, running through September 19 at Rochester Contemporary is Common by Vicki Hartman. The show explores humanity within the relationship between the individual and the whole. Call (585) 461-2222.

Rochester Biennial @ MAG

The 4th biennial invitational showcase of recent work by six regional artists will be on display from July 25 thru September 26 at the Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Avenue. The artists, selected by Grant Holcomb, Marie Via and Marlene Hamann-Whitmore this year for exhibition, are A. E. Ted Aub of Geneva (sculpture), Anne Havens of Rochester (multiple media), Alberto Rey of Fredonia (painting and video), Lawrence M. “Judd” Williams of Spencerport (sculpture) and Julianna Furlong Williams of Spencerport (painting). Call (585) 276-8900.

Claude Bragdon Celebration

This summer and fall, Rochester will rediscover one of its luminaries of yesterday – architect, illustrator, critic, and theater designer, Claude Bragdon. The city-wide celebration includes two exhibits, a full-color book, lectures and tours in honor of the “many-sided genius” who designed scores of Rochester structures, staged the famous Song & Light Festivals of 1915 thru 18, and penned more than twenty books. Opening the festivities is this University of Rochester exhibition, Claude Bragdon and the Beautiful Necessity, on display thru October 16 at the U of R’s Rush Rhees library. Call (585) 475-6766.

Colorama

The George Eastman House, at 900 East Avenue, will host a new exhibition titled Colorama from June 19 thru October 17. The show is presented in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Kodak Coloramas – gigantic panoramic images that dominated Grand Central Terminal from 1950 to 1990. For forty years, the Coloramas presented a photo album of American scenes, lifestyles and achievements. This new exhibition will present 36 reproductions of the scenes created by Kodak, photographed around the country and right here in Rochester. After Colorama leaves here, it will embark on an international tour. Call (585) 271-3361.

Albert Paley @ MAG

Rochester sculptor Albert Paley has earned an international reputation over a career spanning more than three decades. His works have been shown from Washington DC to Houston to Los Angeles. This exhibition, entitled Albert Paley in the 21st Century, brings together 37 sculptures and models, and 16 drawings completed from 2000 to 2010; as well as a video of the artist at work. Call (585) 276-8939.

Rochester Contemporary

The Rochester Contemporary Art Center at 137 East Avenue currently hosts two exhibits. Other Worlds features new sculptures by Paul Knoblauch and recent drawings by John Kastner. His illustrations for the new book, What’s Up with Yuk? by Nannette Nocon are part of the exhibit. In the LAB Space are Works by Crissy Welzen. This show features her new work that begins with 5x5” c-prints which she paints with oils and other mediums to create subtle alternations to the ‘original.’ Call (585) 461-2222.

Considering the Photographic Negative

The George Eastman House at 900 East Avenue opens a new exhibit, Persistent Shadow: Considering the Photographic Negative, on March 20 in their Entrance Gallery. Drawn from the Eastman collections, the show features a display of prints from a recently acquired portfolio by John Loengard of LIFE Magazine. The negatives range from Alexander Gardner’s Abraham Lincoln, 1863 to the Eastman House’s portrait of Babe Ruth by Nicholas Muray. Call (585) 271-3361.

Watershed Exhibit

The Rochester Museum & Science Center, at 657 East Avenue, opens a new exhibit on March 19. Developed by the RMSC with the Water Education Collaborative and the Monroe County Stormwater Coalition, the Watershed Exhibit in Expedition Earth investigates how stormwater pollution impacts our watershed and explores solutions in a hands-on manner. Call (585) 697-1942.

Photographs and Portraits

Two new exhibitions open on February 27 at the George Eastman House, 900 East Avenue. Roger Ballen: Photographs, 1982-2009 will feature 74 black and white images by the contemporary photographer; and Portrait showcases 27 works from the museum collection and the last two centuries of photography. Call (585) 271-3361.

New Galleries @ MAG

Two new galleries showcasing the Memorial Art Gallery’s ancient art collections at 500 University Avenue will open on December 16. The Helen H. Berkeley Gallery of Ancient Art will bring together works from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome including objects never before on view. Among the highlights are a pair of rare fourth-century Egyptian coffins. A few steps away, the At The Crossroads Gallery will feature works from the ancient Middle East and the Islamic world, among them a medieval Qur’an from northern India. Call (585) 276-8900.

Where We Live

As part of the City of Rochester’s “Coming Home” Celebration of its 175th Anniversary, the George Eastman House at 900 East Avenue will host a series of exhibitions showcasing Rochester in photographs. Submitted by the community as well as professional photographers, Where We Live opens on October 3 and offers unique images from the Eastman House collection. Call (585) 271-3361.

Midnight Oil/Looking East

Nazareth College Arts Center, 4245 East Avenue. Midnight Oil: Stewart and Calderwood will be offered in the new Fine Arts Gallery, featuring the artwork of Bill Stewart and Kathy Calderwood - each known for their ability to engage the viewer with amusing references to familiar images and symbols. The Margaret Colacino Gallery at Nazareth will open Looking East (On the Morning of the Second Coming) on October 2. The show features the photography of Paul Porell, a member of the Nazareth faculty. Call (585) 389-2170.