Call for Artists for Holiday Exhibit!

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op announces a call for artists to exhibit work for their December show, “The Greatest Gift of All”.

Artists are asked to submit original, handmade fine arts and fine crafts (any medium) for the holiday gift giving season.  Artwork can be holiday related or non-holiday related. 

All mediums and sizes considered.  Juried by The Shoe Factory Art Co-op.  Submission deadline is November 12th, 2011.  Artists’ reception is First Friday, December 2nd from 5pm-9pm.  Show duration:  December 2^nd- 24^th.

For more information and submission form for this upcoming opportunity, visit the “call for artists” page on their website www.shoefactoryarts.com .

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op is located at 250 N. Goodman St., Rochester, NY 14607. 

Exhibit will be held in the Main Gallery, Studio 212.

Contact:  (585)732-0036 or e-mail studio212@shoefactoryarts.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/theshoefactory

Rochester Furniture Makers Come Out of the Woodwork!

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op, Rochester’s alternative art gallery, announces their November art exhibit “Once Upon a Coffee Table: Fine Art Furnishings”!  20 furniture makers and artisans of home décor will be featured in this juried exhibit.   On display will be hand crafted tables and other functional creations made with a scintillating variety of hardwoods, veneers, inlays, metalwork, glass, and paint finishes.   

Styles will range from fine to funky and showcase the talent of the Rochester region’s finest furniture makers who will have their portfolios on hand for their patrons’ viewing pleasure. Woods used in the pieces are mahogany, East Indian rosewood, cherry, white ash, poplar, birch, white oak, walnut, walnut burl, quilted maple, rock maple, curly maple, Macassar ebony, Gaboon ebony, purple heart, wenge, and recycled wood.   

Furniture is for sale and custom orders are encouraged!  Upon viewing these beautiful works, a visitor might be inspired to order a custom dining room table made to their specifications to proudly serve their family and guests for the holiday season.  Also on display will be artistic handmade lamps and unique wall pieces.

Opening reception will take place on First Friday, November 4th from 5-9pm.  Furniture makers and artisans will be on hand to meet and talk about their work.   Free admission.

Exhibitors: 

Emily Awad, Neal Barrett, Peter Basil, Phil Bliss, Michael Borowski, Sage Churchill- Foster, Byron Conn, Domenic Fiorello, Scott Grove, Susan Jenkins, James Johnson, Donald Kitchen, Kathleen Kosel, Lowell Lunn, Graham Ottoson, John Pennisi, Carter Rich, Jonathan Schnapp, Susan Stair, Rebecca Tracey, William Tracey, Mollie Wolf, Thomas Zachman 

The exhibit will be held in The Shoe Factory Art Co-op’s main gallery located at 250 N. Goodman St., #212 (second floor), Rochester, NY 14607.  
Show duration:  November 4^th -26th.  
Exhibit hours: Weds. thru Saturday from 12-5pm. 
Contact:  (585)732-0036 or e-mail studio212@shoefactoryarts.com 
For more information, visit their website at http://www.shoefactoryarts.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/theshoefactory

The MAG is Doggone Wrong!

As director of The Shoe Factory Art Co-op, I am appalled at the Memorial Art Gallery’s decision to select Brooklyn based artist Tom Otterness to design and build a sculpture of monumental proportions to be installed on the grounds of the museum’s future Centennial Sculpture Park.  This decision was made knowing the artist’s history of once “adopting” a dog from an animal shelter, chaining it to a fence, and shooting it to death in order to film the animal’s agonizing end of life for an “art” project.  I am saddened that this disturbing information did not cause the MAG to cross out Tom Otterness from their list of candidates.

Since our first exhibit last November as a grass roots art gallery, The Shoe Factory Art Co-op has had eight art shows featuring the work of more than 200 artists, about 95% of them from the Rochester region.  The Shoe Factory has been a proud neighbor of the Memorial Art Gallery, adjacent to their property on N. Goodman St.  As gallery director and promoter of local artists, I have been excited about the MAG opening their grounds by removing their iron fence and the prospect of their new sculpture park benefiting the Neighborhood of the Arts and our community as a whole. 

I am not only extremely surprised and disappointed by the MAG’s decision to hire this figurehead of artistic animal abuse, but I am also now faced with being forced to look at this giant sculpture every day and have my stomach turn. 

The MAG’s argument seems to be that Tom Otterness is now contrite about his heinous act of long ago.  They seem to think he is an all around nice guy and great to work with and should be forgiven.  Whether he is genuinely contrite or whether this happened a long time ago does not change the fact that he committed a violent act against an animal and ended its life for the sake of art. It is part of his art bio and he is forever linked to animal abuse because of it.  As an institution that teaches about art, the MAG has a great responsibility.  By showing their respect for this artist through hiring him for an expensive and important public art installation they send a strong message that anything is okay to draw attention to yourself for the sake of art and not to worry!  People will forgive and forget if you kill an animal on a creative whim! This will not impede your art career by any means!

Adding this significant and profitable public art project to Tom Otterness’s resume offends my principles and strong feelings about defending the rights of animals.  The thought of being associated to Tom Otterson in any way, shape, form, or proximity disgusts me and makes me want to move my gallery out of the Neighborhood of the Arts, or even out of Rochester entirely.  This is my reward for what I’ve been working so hard for in this neighborhood? Trying to provide underserved local artists as well as myself to have a venue to their show art?  To have this giant insult of an artist’s work looming over our neighborhood?  This is so hugely disappointing and discouraging for me.  I’m having difficulty even understanding and processing my anger and trying to put my gut feelings into words.

Other cities don’t want Tom Otterness’s art and neither do I.  I’m asking others to join me in protest and making it known to the Memorial Art Gallery and the world that we do not approve of tarnishing our city’s reputation with a permanent Tom Otterness sculpture.  We, as citizens of Rochester, are independent thinkers and will not sit back and allow the misguided decision of a few cast a dark shadow on the hard work and progress of the many who have stood up for animal rights.  We refuse as a community to send the message that we reward people who commit violence and abuse towards animals.

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op has been in the process of planning a call for artists exhibit for February 2012 entitled “Unconditional Love: Cats and Dogs”.  This exhibit will honor our feline and canine best friends through an open call for art of all mediums to be created by artists from the Rochester area and beyond.  This exhibit will coincide with the month of February’s Valentine’s Day and Spay Day and is intended to express support, love, and care for animals through art.  Tom Otterness is not invited.

Signed,

Beth Brown
Director of The Shoe Factory Art Co-op

   

Sign Petition #1 Over 2,800 signatures from Rochester and around the world and counting!

 Sign Petition #2

Complain to the Memorial Art Gallery

Underdogs for Justice / Mad at MAG website

"Boycott the Memorial Art Gallery" Facebook Page

"Boycott the Memorial Art Gallery" Twitter

"Rochesterians Against Tom Otterness" Facebook Page

"Boycott Tom Otterness" Facebook Group

Interview with Rochester painter Nancy Jo Gambacurta

Nancy Jo and husband Ken Kassel
Nancy Jo’s work can be seen in the House Artists Gallery at The Shoe Factory Art Co-op.  44 of her paintings are featured in her solo exhibit “October Sunset: The Paintings of Nancy Jo Gambacurta” in our Main Gallery thru October 29th.

Shoe Factory:  Where did you grow up?  Where do you live now?
Nancy Jo Gambacurta:  I grew up in Brighton and Penfield.  I attended Penfield schools, MCC, SUNY Binghamton and Empire State College.  I currently live in Irondequoit in Summerville by Lake Ontario.
SF:  What is your art medium?  What materials do you use? 
NJG:  I started as a sculptor but now I’m an acrylic painter painting mostly on canvas, sometimes on canvas paper.
SF:  How do you make your art? What is your process? 
NJG:  I photograph the subject, draw a thumbnail sketch and then do a small acrylic wash painting. From that I produce a large acrylic painting on canvas, sometimes several on the same subject.  I always work in a series, 3 to 10 paintings at a time.
SF:  What are you currently working on? 
NJG:  I’m currently working on a series of Adirondack paintings focusing mostly on streams and rivers.
SF:  What or who are your influences? 
NJG:  I love the work of many 20th century artists but have been most influenced of late by Georgia O'Keefe and Rockwell Kent.  I also love Janet Fish and Wayne Thiebaud.
SF:  Have you always been an artist? How has being an artist changed or affected your life? 
NJG:  I always loved to paint, draw and sculpt but became determined to be an artist after seeing Michelangelo's Pieta at the World's Fair in NYC in 1964.  I started taking private lessons at age 14.  Being an artist has always satisfied an inner calling and made me feel happy and complete.  It also always kept me broke!  I have worked a variety of different jobs over the years to keep afloat.
SF:  What is your favorite art-related experience in life so far? 
NJG:  Traveling out west and to the Adirondacks and studying sculptural forms in landscapes.  I also love painting the human form and flowers and gardens.  I look for the inner structure in all forms.  That's the sculptor in me.
SF:  What is your ultimate goal as an artist? 
NJG:  To produce a large body of work and continue to grow in my work.
SF:  Why did you become involved with Shoe Factory Art Co-op? 
NJG:  I joined the Shoe Factory to be part of a group of artists I respected and to have contact with other artists.  I also was hoping for some exposure in the cultural district.
SF:  What are your needs as an artist in Rochester?  What would you like to see changed?
NJG:  I would like to see more recognition of non-traditional work and avoid an art scene run by suburban flower painters.   

Teton Range

Roots on Sawyer Mountain

Welcome to The Shoe Horn! Seeking writers!

Welcome to The Shoe Factory Art Co-op's online magazine!  Our goal is to bring you news about artists and artwork in the Rochester, NY area and beyond! 

We are looking for writers to contribute reviews of our art shows, musings about artwork, interviews of our artists, submit poetry related to our exhibits, and take photos to illustrate the articles. 

If you are itching to volunteer your writing skills and want to do any or all of the above, contact us!  Submit your article proposals and poetry submissions to studio212@shoefactoryarts.com.  Your work will be reviewed, and if accepted, edited and published by our Shoe Horn staff. ~Beth Brown, Director