Mona Oates & Wen-Hua Chen Exhibit

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op’s May exhibit will feature the work of surrealist painter Mona Oates and floral painter Wen-Hua Chen.  A First Friday gallery opening will include an unveiling by Oates of her three most recent oil paintings in a series called “Fleeting Stages”.  The evening’s reception will also serve as a farewell art show for Chen as she will be returning to her homeland in Taiwan, providing a last chance for the public to view and purchase her artwork in Rochester.

The paintings of Rochester artist Mona Oates evoke imagery to the viewer that is both imaginative and thought provoking.  The mysterious organisms and strange architectural forms are depicted in otherworldly environments of her own creation.  Oates, 26, was born in Germany where she was active in music and arts as a child.  She pursued an art education after high school in Singapore through a United World College scholarship.  From there she continued her art studies while traveling to a number of Asian countries, and enduring some harsh winters in the Northern European country of Estonia.  She attended the University of Chester in England, graduating with a bachelor of fine arts degree and winning the University’s Fine Art Prize.  During this time she started to develop her artistic style of rendering surreal and abstract organic forms with refined old masters painting techniques.  In England she met her husband Joseph Oates, a Rochester native, and moved here with him in 2010. Since then she has been actively painting and involving herself in the Rochester art scene.  She is currently employed at Rochester Art Supply and is a member and House Artist at The Shoe Factory Art Co-op.

Wen-Hua Chen painting at The Shoe Factory. photo by Russ Lunn

Flowers are the favorite subject and focus of painter Wen-Hua Chen.  Her talent lies in realistic interpretations of varying species of blooms using watercolors or oils.  Also impressive are her painstakingly detailed studies of traditional Taiwanese graphic floral patterns.  Chen, 25, was born in Taiwan.  Although she was interested in art in high school, she got a BA in Philosophy at National Taiwan University in Taipei.  Having taken a number of art classes her senior year of college, she realized she wanted to pursue a masters degree in art.  Her parents encouraged her to apply for graduate school in the United States.  She attended Rochester Institute of Technology’s Fine Arts Studio MFA program and graduated in spring 2012. Her thesis exhibit at RIT not only featured her flower paintings but also a baby grand piano, its entire surface hand painted with a bold and graphic floral design.  On this objet d'art, her prized possession, she has resumed her classical piano training from childhood.  Since graduating, she set up a studio space along with her piano in the Shoe Factory Art Co-op’s gallery.  She had hoped to stay in the US but was not able to find employment in her desired field.  She will return to Taiwan at the end of May before her Visa papers expire.

Both artists will have their paintings on display along with a variety of artwork by other Shoe Factory House Artists on First Friday, May 3^rd from 6-9pm and Second Saturday, May 11^th from 12-4pm.  Oates will give a talk about her artistic inspiration and techniques with Q & A at 2pm on Second Saturday.  Additional gallery hours are on Wednesdays from 12-5pm.  Open to the public.  Artwork is available for purchase.  Free admission.

Location:  The Shoe Factory Art Co-op, 250 N. Goodman St., Studio 212 (second floor), Rochester, NY 14607. 
Contact:  Director, Beth Brown
Phone: (585)732-0036
E-mail:  studio212@shoefactoryarts.com
Website:  www.shoefactoryarts.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/theshoefactory
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/theshoefactory

Beachcomber Designs Jewelry

 Local artist Lisa Johnson is a seeker of artifacts, small pieces of manmade and natural objects which long ago have been discarded and forgotten.  These treasures unearthed in her wanderings, often on the shore of Lake Ontario, are what inspire Johnson to create jewelry for her business Beachcomber Designs. 

Discovering beauty in a common stone or a weathered piece of beach glass, Johnson is compelled to enhance the object’s simplicity by translating it into an attractive piece of jewelry to be worn and enjoyed.  She forges silver to dress up her earthy finds, or makes a mold of a textured natural object, such as a tiny feather, to create a silver replica.  

Another of Johnson’s passions is to create intricately woven beadwork.  Using ancient off-loom techniques such as peyote stitch and right angle weave, she painstakingly threads hundreds of beads into a finished piece of jewelry.

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op will feature Lisa Johnson’s jewelry for the month of April.  Among her interesting selection of wearable art will be necklaces, bolos, earrings, bracelets, and rings.

The public is invited to meet the Brighton artist on FirstFriday, April 5^th from 6-9pm and on Second Saturday, April 13^th from 12-4pm.  Additional gallery hours are on Wednesdays from 12-5pm. 

Jewelry by Beachcomber Designs is available for purchase along with a variety of other artwork on display by Shoe Factory House Artists.  Free admission.

Location:  The Shoe Factory Art Co-op, 250 N. Goodman St., Studio 212 (second floor), Rochester, NY 14607. 
Phone: (585)732-0036
Website:  www.shoefactoryarts.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/theshoefactory
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/theshoefactory

A Tasty Art Show

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op, an art gallery in Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts, is hosting a tasty art show at nearby Starry Nites Café.  The exhibit “Let Them Eat Cake! Portraits of Pastries” will whet the appetite of café patrons by displaying artistic depictions of baked goods by 15 imaginative artists. These delectable artworks of subjects such as cakes, muffins, donuts, and pies are in the form of paintings, photography, mixed media, fiber art, and glass. 

The show will feature the work of Phil Bliss, Diana Bonilla, Marian Cameron, Starr Fazzina, Mark Groaning, Ryan McAlpine, Janel McKee, Mary Beth Lee, Mary Lee Pagliaroli, Jessica Pembroke, Tom Ritz, Ria Tafani, Dani Wagner, Pauline Wegman, and Mollie Wolf. 

Artwork is available for purchase. Admission is free.


Star Spangled Muffin acrylic by Phil Bliss

Also on view is the café’s glass display case of tantalizing fresh baked pastries one can choose from to accompany a Starry Nites gourmet coffee or specialty drink.  Beer & wine, homemade soups, salads, and sandwiches are also on the menu.

Show runs February 18^th through May 12^th.

Starry Nites Café is located in the unique Flat Iron Building at 696 University Ave., Rochester, NY 14607.  Open daily and nightly.  Call (585) 271-2630 for hours or visit www.starrynitescafe.com .

To view more artwork by local artists, visit the Shoe Factory Art Co-op’s gallery at 250 N. Goodman St., Studio 212, Rochester, NY 14607.  Phone: 585-732-0036 Email: studio212@shoefactoryarts.com Website: www.shoefactoryarts.com .

Holiday Art Exhibit

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op announces their December art exhibit "...and to All a Good Night!".  Art lovers interested in buying artwork for gifts this holiday season will do well to visit the gallery featuring current work by Shoe Factory "House Artist" members. 

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op will be among the many open studios participating in this year's annual Holiday Gala at the Anderson Arts Building in Rochester's Neighborhood of the Arts.  Artists inhabiting the four floors of this historic brick building will open their doors inviting patrons into the usually private environment where they create their work.  A wide variety of art mediums are on display in the many unique studios for viewing and purchasing at this festive annual event. 

The Shoe Factory's gallery will have paintings, photography, mixed-media, fiber art, and jewelry created by members Chloe Bennett-Larson, Phil Bliss, Beth Brown, Wen-Hua Chen, Susan Jenkins, Lisa Johnson, Scott Lamont, Russ Lunn, Stan Merrell, Mona Oates, Colleen Virdi, David Walter, Mollie Wolf, and April Younglove. 

The Shoe Factory's "...and to All a Good Night!" art exhibit will be open during the Anderson Arts Building’s Holiday Gala on First Friday, December 7th from 5-10pm, and Second Saturday, December 8th from 11am-5pm.  Additional Shoe Factory hours are on Wednesdays from 12-5pm through December 19th.  Free admission.

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op is located in Studio 212 on the second floor of the Anderson Arts Building, 250 N. Goodman St., Rochester, NY 14607.

Phone:  585-732-0036 
Website:   www.shoefactoryarts.com 
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/theshoefactory
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/theshoefactory

Tone It Down a Notch!

 

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op celebrates their two year anniversary with a minimal art exhibit.

Art lovers who believe that less is more will enjoy “Tone It Down a Notch: Minimal Art”.  The show consists of 32 current works of art created by 18 individual artists basing their style on the minimalist art movement of the 60’s and 70’s.  On display are paintings, mixed media, photography, digital art, and sculpture, each piece expressing simplicity in technique, form, size, or color.

"Culture" digital archival print by James Mai of  Normal, Illinois

Artists from New Jersey, Georgia, Illinois, Nebraska, and Texas have submitted work to the show as well as artists from the Rochester region.   Participants include Chloe Bennett-Larson, Beth Brown, Marian Cameron, Nils Caspersson, Sally Deskins, Starr Fazzina, Gail Haile, Mary Ann Hanna, Susan Jenkins, Joe Kewin, James Mai, Sunyoung Moon, Mona Oates, Alessandro Perriello, Christopher Priority, Melissa Stimpfle, Dianne Webb, and Mark Whitney.

The public is invited to an artists’ reception for “Tone It Down a Notch: Minimal Art” on First Friday, November 2nd from 6-9pm.  Artwork will be available for purchase.  Free admission.

Location:  The Shoe Factory Art Co-op, 250 N. Goodman St., Studio 212 (second floor), Rochester, NY 14607. 
Exhibit hours:  First Friday, November 2nd from 6-9pm, Second Saturday November 10th from 12-4pm, and every Wednesday 12-5pm thru November 28th.
Phone: (585)732-0036

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op regularly seeks artists to submit work to their juried exhibits. November 10^th is the next entry deadline for “Let Them Eat Cake! Portraits of Pastries” to be held at Starry Nites Café, 696 University Ave. For more information visit the “Call for Artists” page on the Shoe Factory’s website at http://www.shoefactoryarts.com/CallforArtists.html.

Mona Lisa Tribute

Art lovers who yearn to visit the Louvre in Paris to view the Mona Lisa need go no further than The Shoe Factory Art Co-op for their upcoming show.  The gallery will feature the exhibit “I Want My Mona Lisa: Tribute to a Renaissance Icon” for the month of October. 

On display will be 46 versions of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece created mostly by local artists.  12 of these clever reproductions of the Mona Lisa were submitted by regional artists in a variety of mediums.  An artist from Minneapolis contributed her image in the form of mosaic.  High school students attending Rochester’s School of the Arts and School Without Walls created the other 33 mixed-media show pieces as a project directed by their art teacher Elisa Bond.  Using their talents and imagination, the artists have reinterpreted the world’s most famous portrait into their own works of art. 

Participating artists include Chloe Bennett-Larson, Phil Bliss, Beth Brown, Marian Cameron, Zach Collins, Starr Fazzina, Susan Jenkins, Scott Lamont, John Midla, Mary Reynolds, Jonathan Schnapp, Colleen Virdi, and Mollie Wolf. 

Participating art students from School of the Arts are Mia Archer, Zach Bellucci, Margaret Blaszczak, Richard Bombard, Samantha Diltz, Yaundrell Dixon, Mawia Elawad, Tom Enders, Carlos Feliciano, Teeandra Felton, Shannon Koch, Leah Garlock, Erin Gresko, Jordan Heffer, Melissa Jensen-Stewart, Michelle Johnson, Kendal Lewis, Leon Lin, Thalia Maldonado, Kandice McGee, Claudia Moellering, Eysa Mohamed, Mia Nesmith, Gracie Parker, Elycia Plaza, Jaymes Reynolds, Nah’Tivah Ross, Isaac Santore, Aaron Scott, Brianna Twyman, and Charlotte Wiltse.         

Participating art students from School Without Walls are Husain Rashid and Ariana Wynn.

The public is invited to an artists’ reception for “I Want My Mona Lisa: Tribute to a Renaissance Icon” on First Friday, October 5th from 6-10pm.  Many of the Mona Lisa artworks will be available for purchase.  Free admission.

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op's gallery is located at 250 N. Goodman St., Studio 212 (second floor), Rochester, NY 14607. 

Exhibit hours: First Friday, October 5th from 6-10pm, Second Saturday October 13th from 12-4pm, and every Wednesday 12-5pm thru October 24th.

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op has frequent calls for artists to submit work to monthly juried exhibits.  The deadline for the next call for entries is October 20th for their November exhibit “Tone It Down a Notch: Minimal Art”. 

The Shoe Factory also hosts rotating exhibits at Starry Nites Café at 696 University Ave.  “Let Them Eat Cake! Portraits of Pastries” will be the next show at the coffee shop with a deadline for art entries by November 10^th.  For more information visit the “Call for Artists” page on the Shoe Factory’s website at www.shoefactoryarts.com.

Double Whammy Art Shows

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op will be hosting two new art exhibits in September. The first show “Green: What Does It Mean?” will be held at The Shoe Factory’s second floor gallery and opens with an artists’ reception on First Friday, September 7th from 6-9pm. The second show “Clouds in My Coffee” opens a block away at Starry Nites Café that same weekend on Sunday, September 9th from 2-4pm.

In support of Rochester’s “Greentopia”, an eco-fest that starts the following week at HighFalls, 17 artists have created their own interpretation of “green” for The Shoe Factory’s “Green: What Does It Mean?” show.  Paintings, photography, mixed media, fiber art, found objects, and recycled glass will be on display by artists from the Rochester region and from as far away as Virginia, Illinois, and Michigan. 

 

Participating artists include Robin Annlot, Kim Bellavia, Chloe Bennett-Larson, Phil Bliss, Marian Cameron, Nils Caspersson, Margot Fass, Monica de Gastyne, Jennifer Fletcher, Kim Guare, Patrizia Lafler, Mike Maiellano, John Midla, Colleen Virdi, Mino Watanabe, Heather Whitney, and John Whitney. 

 

The show runs through September 29^th and will be open for the Landmark Society’s Inside Downtown Tour.

 

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op is located at 250 N. Goodman St., Studio 212 (second floor), Rochester, NY 14607.  www.shoefactoryarts.com

Exhibit hours:  First Friday, September 7th 6-9pm, Second Saturday, September 8th 12-4pm, WednesdayS 12-5pm thru August 29th, Friday, September 28th 5:30-8:30pm, and Saturday, September 29th 11am-4pm.



“Clouds in My Coffee” will feature 11 local artists at The Shoe Factory’s “satellite gallery” at Starry Nites Café.  On display will be clouds and coffee themed artwork in the form of paintings, photography, and fiber art created by Chloe Bennett-Larson, Phil Bliss, Beth Brown, Marian Cameron, Shannon Elliot, Cathryn Leyland, Stan Merrell, John Midla, John Retallack, Todd Ryan, and Mollie Wolf.   

The exhibit runs through November 24th.  Starry Nites Café is located in the unique Flat Iron Building at 696 University Ave., Rochester, NY 14607 and is open daily.  Call (585) 271-2630 for hours or visit www.starrynitescafe.com.

 

Admission is free for both exhibits and artwork is available for purchase.