public programs

 

 

 

 

 

A COMMUNITY COLOR STUDY

Public Art Collaboration at Thursdays on first & 3rd

Throughout the summer of 2012, Rochester Art Center, in partnership with the Rochester Downtown Alliance, facilitated a community art project at Thursdays on first & 3rd. This public project focused on two major elements of art making and its practice – abstraction and collaboration.

Since the inception of abstraction as an artistic movement, artists have searched for ways to represent an idea, feeling, or experience without producing a work that was representational – that is, an image or an object that appeared similar to its visual referent. An example of this would be a painting or a sculpture of a goose that looks like a goose. Fundamental aspects present in all painting such as color, form, and line become very important within abstraction.

As is the case with our project, music has had a great influence on abstract painters wishing to characterize the tone, space, and color of music through painting. In our example, Wassily Kandinsky has produced multiple concentric circles of varying color. This can give the feeling of rhythm, individual notes, or a complete musical score. In making this large painting together at Thursdays on first & 3rd, we were able to represent the feelings, thoughts and emotions of Rochester residents as a community—all of the individual works are now presented together, making the work complete only through collaboration.

Over 1000 participants created tiles for the project and the completed murals are currently on display in the Grand Lobby at Rochester Art Center.

Image: Wasilly Kandinsky, Squares with Concentric Circles, 1913

Thank you to the Rochester Downtown Alliance for their support of this partnership.

 

 

The Rochester Art Center is a dynamic gathering place, with open, vibrant, interior spaces that build community and enhance interaction with art. Throughout the year the Art Center offers its space for collaborative partnerships and diverse programming beyond the visual arts. Various arts and non profit groups in the region are welcome to apply as a Rochester Art Center Public Programs Partner. Past parnterships have included, a free afternoon performance by the Choral Arts Ensemble and a unique theatre production presented by Vertigo Theatre Factory. If your organization is interested in presenting an event at the Rochester Art Center please contact Public Programs Director Naura Anderson at nanderson@rochesterartcenter.org.