In this series, produced by Rochester Art Collectors, local art collectors open their private spaces to a small group of registered guests. The host collector offers an informal guided tour of their art collection. Each collector sets the best date, time, duration, maximum number of guests as well as other parameters of the program.

The overall feel of the program is informal and dress is casual. None of the works displayed are for sale. All of the works are owned by the collector(s).

The series was launched in 2021. This was the eighth program in the series.

"Total Immersion" tours are open to a limited number of Rochester Art Collectors members on a first-come basis. The exact address was only disclosed to the 20 confirmed attendees. This program, like every other offered by Rochester Art Collectors was free to attendees.

The group of confirmed participants were welcomed into a lovely late Victorian era private residence located in the City of Rochester. Guest were encouraged to casually walk through a unique art collection. Soon after the start time a guided tour that highlighted selected work from the collection was conducted.

In prior "Total Immersion" tours the host-collectors conducted each tour. In this case, our host invited several artists represented in the collection to talk about works owned by the collector and on display that day.

The artists who presented their works included Michael Powers Tarantelli, Annalisa Barron, Unique Fair, Ludmilla Begley, Richard Colon, Erica Bryant & Matt Vanderlee. A partial list of artists in the collection on display during the tour is listed at the bottom of this article.​

About the collector & the collection
​The collector has been acquiring art since living in New York City in the 1980s where the works reflected the collector's varied intellectual, aesthetic and cultural interests. After settling in Rochester the collector's discerning eye reoriented to include works created by notable artists from the region. More recently, a passionate & intense interest in the vision and ideas of underrepresented visual artists has dramatically deepened and expanded the range of this collection.

The collector enjoys commissioning new works. The most recently commissioned work - a truly remarkable portrait that recalls old master techniques and expressive qualities - will be on display. Honestly, even if we were only able to see this one new painting, the tour would be worth the time. There are numerous other works in the collection that are or the highest level and that have never been seen in a public exhibition.

   ​A second season of Rochester Art Collectors' social media fantasy art collecting game, Red Dot Challenge, is planned to begin late in the fall of 2024 and extend until early in 2025.

   The newest season of the game will follow the pilot that culminated with a big reveal event at Rochester Contemporary Art Center on February 1st of this year. Notable changes to the rules and guidelines from the pilot round are anticipated. None of the details for season two have been announced.

   If you would like to be a player in season two of Red Dot Challenge, please send a note to inspire@rochesterartcollectors.org.

On July 27th Rochester Art Collectors partnered with RIT City Art Space and one of Rochester's most important art collectors, art curators and art influencers, Erich S. Lehman, owner of 1975 Gallery, to bring you a provocative talk centered on a large new exhibition titled "SKETCHY!"

​“SKETCHY!” was trip through the art and creativity of skateboarding, featuring a look back at over 25 years of Rochester skate photography, decades of skateboard graphics, and the fine art of the skateboarding world.

Located steps away from one of Rochester’s most iconic skatespots – Liberty Pole – “SKETCHY!” will run all Summer long and will feature extra programming throughout the run of the show.

​Program Details

7:00 pm - Attendees spent about 30 minutes before the program began walking through the large and exciting exhibition.

7:30 pm - Rome Celli from Rochester Art Collectors introduced John Aasp, Gallery Director, College of Art and Design at Rochester Institute of Technology talked about RIT City Art Space. Then Rome introduced the speaker, Erich S. Lehman.

Erich S. Lehman - curator of "SKETCHY!", owner of 1975 and art collector - talked about the exciting, large scale exhibition featured at RIT City Art Space, "SKETCHY!", his remarkable art collection and the collecting interests of his generation in a talk we're calling "SKETHCY!" Gen X Collects.

After the talk attendees had another opportunity to look through the exhibition.

This program was FREE and open to the public with registration in advance through eventbrite.com

Rochester Art Collectors collaborated with Rochester Institute of Technology, Shop One, The Print Club of Rochester and University Gallery (all located in close proximity on the RIT campus) to provide attendees with a unique combination of experiences and lots of opportunities to add to our art collections on June 29th this year.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Our group gathered at RIT's lovely art boutique, Shop One at 2:00 pm. Attendees had time to see a wide range of fine arts and crafts created by RIT students and alumni and say hello to friends.

At 2:30 pm Rome Celli from Rochester Art Collectors welcomed the group and introduced Shop One manager, Maddy Schoenfeld and Wendy Marks, Director F&A Galleries.

​Then Wendy led a 30 minute walking tour that highlighted many of the public art sculptures located on the RIT campus.

The walking tour ended at the University Gallery, host of The Print Club of Rochester's 93rd Annual Members Exhibition, where we were able to see dozens of works from Rochester's finest printmakers AND take advantage of The Print Club of Rochester's annual Print Fair & Sale!

On May 23rd Rochester Art Collectors collaborated with Oxford Gallery to present a provocative DIALOG:ART program during the Gallery's HUGE spring exhibition, "The Stuff of Dreams", featuring works of art created by 46 regional artists (listed below) in a wide range of styles. Oxford Gallery is Rochester's longest continuously operating commercial art gallery.

DIALOG:ART is an ongoing series of facilitated discussions initiated by Rochester Art Collectors in 2018.

​Each DIALOG:ART program examines a different topic of mutual interest to collectors and artists. The goal is to foster greater understanding and respect between those who purchase art and those who make art.

Program description

Starting at 6:00 pm attendees had a chance to walk through the exhibition, "The Stuff of Dreams".  and socialize.

After 30 minutes Rome Celli welcomed attendees and introduced Jim Hall, owner of Oxford Gallery. Jim talked about the history of Oxford Gallery and offered some background about The Stuff of Dreams.
From about 6:45 pm until about 7:30 pm Rome facilitated a group discussion about the price of art. Everyone who attended was encouraged to participate. 

Here are a handful of related topics we touched on:

• How is the price of art set?
• How do consumers, artists, collectors, gallerists think about & experience pricing?
• The price of art vs. the value of art.
• How does pricing influence the decision to sell or buy a work of art?
• Does the price of any particular work vary based on circumstances? Should it vary?
• Is it appropriate to negotiate over the price of art? How do you discuss pricing?
• How does pricing work when you commission an artist?