1975 Gallery was founded by Erich Lehman in 2008 to expose talented artists from Rochester and around the world to a local community that might otherwise overlook those artists. In addition, 1975 Gallery has sought to foster art collecting in general.

   In the early days the gallery incubated inside Surface Salon where Erich produced many popular and successful exhibitions that were somewhat limited by the awkwardness of shared space.

   Eventually Erich moved 1975 Gallery into a dedicated exhibition and sales space at 89 Charlotte Street behind the Little Theatre where Ugly Duck Coffee is today.   As the gallery's reputation grew so did the crowds.

   In October, 2015 Erich produced  1975 Gallery's final exhibition at Charlotte Street. Since closing the the bricks-and-mortar space on Charlotte Street Erich has organized and promoted a number of exciting pop-up exhibitions around Rochester including a satellite exhibition associated with Rochester Contemporary's "Current Seen" program done in partnership with the Joy Gallery & Shepard Studio (498 West Main Street in Rochester). In recent years he has mounted two ambitious exhibitions ("Just Folks" & "SKETCHY!") at RIT City Arts Space and a numerous pop-up art scavenger hunt giveaways that leveraged his large social media following.

 How is this venue listed on the Rochester Art Collector's SOURCES ​page?

   “Commercial Art Galleries & Venues That Function Like Commercial Art Galleries"

General Description/Business Model:
​
   1975 Gallery is a "pop-up" gallery. Although 1975 Gallery does not have a permanent "bricks-and-mortar" location it meets many of our criteria for inclusion as a “commercial gallery.”

​   1975 Gallery operates on the consignment model with proceeds of all sales shared by the gallery and the selling artist. 1975 Gallery is not the exclusive represent for artists outside of their exhibitions except as described below or on an ad-hoc basis. However, Erich has expanded into the realm of art consultancy as a way of supporting artists and collectors.

​Description of the Exhibition Schedule:

   Over the past couple of years 1975 Gallery has produced one or two exhibitions each year. Exhibitions are usually active over a three to six week period.

   Every exhibition kicks off with an opening party. Many exhibitions also feature a closing party as well. 

Hours of operation:
​
   1975 Gallery is open to the public but only when an exhibition is active. The exhibition hours vary based on the particular circumstance associated with the current exhibition. Generally speaking, however, you can expect 1975 Gallery exhibitions to be open on one or more evenings during the week and on the weekends during the day. Gallery hours during weekdays are unusual but not out of the question. Visits by appointment are usually available.

Description of the Exhibition Environment:

    Typically exhibitions are held in a dedicated, single-purpose space created from a vacant storefront or in collaboration with a non-profit, university gallery or business partner. In any case, you can count on the work being well lit, beautifully installed and exhibited with care.

How is the venue staffed?

   The owner or a staff member is always present when the venue is open to the public. Supplemental staff members are often either volunteers or artists featured in the exhibition rather than employees.

​Information About The Type of Work Exhibited:
​
​   1975 Gallery tends to focus on current or recent work made by living artists and created in nearly all media and in a variety of styles with an emphasis on two dimensional work. The gallery prefers group exhibitions over exhibitions that feature only one artist.

What information is available about the artists and artwork during an exhibition?

   Each artwork has a wall label with a number that corresponds to the exhibition/price list. Ample copies of the list are usually available and may be taken by any visitor. Aside from pricing the exhibition list includes the artists' names as well as the title of each work.  The exhibition list may or may not contain information about the media used to create the works.

   Unfortunately, 1975 Gallery does not usually offer hard copies of artist backgrounds, bios, statements or curricula vitae. However, the owner - who usually acts as curator or co-curator - is deeply knowledgeable. He will enthusiastically discuss any of the artists and explain their work at length. Staff are usually not be as knowledgeable as the owner. But then again who is? Local artists featured in an exhibit may be available to talk about their work as well.

   1975 Gallery typically hosts one or more artist talks/panels during an exhibition.

What is the typical price range for works presented by this venue?
​
   It's not unusual to find works of art in each exhibition available  for around $100. The average price is typically in the $400-$500 range. Each exhibition usually has a handful of pieces priced above $1,000.

How does this venue handle sales of art work?

​   1975 Gallery will take payment on site as soon as you are ready. Works are sold on a first-come, first-served basis however the gallery may hold a work of art for a prospective buyer under certain limited circumstances. The gallery will accept cash, credit, debit, personal check, and e-payment.

​   Note: 1975 Gallery will also allow installment purchases in many cases. Work that has been purchased in full may be taken by the new owner once the exhibition closes or if the final payment is received after the exhibition closes, then the new owner may pick the work up after the last payment has been received by the gallery.

   1975 Gallery does not maintain a backroom inventory of unsold artwork however the gallery owner may occasionally act as matchmaker with an artist in cases where a collector wants to consider works not included in an current exhibition or works that may still be available from a past exhibition. A small number of unsold works from a recent exhibition may be offered for sale for a limited time after the exhibition closes through an online gallery. ​You can find the 1975 Gallery online shop HERE.​

   Local delivery and delivery outside of the Rochester area are both possible (at the buyer's expense, of course) but delivery of artworks is not encouraged by the gallery due to the complexity of shipping art. A handling charge will almost certainly apply.

How does this venue market and promote their exhibitions?

​​​   Social media, website, email & word of mouth​. Please follow 1975 Gallery on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

​Does this venue offer any art related services or products besides the artwork itself?

Yes. The owner, Erich Lehman, is available by appointment as an art consultant. 

A Different Path Gallery closed.  New gallery to open???

   ​   The owner, Katherine Weston, closed A Different Path Gallery, sold the building and relocated to Vermont this past summer. A Different Path Gallery was an art fixture for nearly a decade on the west side of Monroe County within walking distance of the SUNY Brockport campus and shouting distance to Lift Bridge Book Shop, Java Junction Coffee and The Strand movie theater among other business institutions along Main Street in the Village of Brockport.

   The gallery was a hotbed of creative expression for those makers whose base of daily activity tended to hug the western edge of Monroe County. Rooms above the gallery housed one or more artist studios. A charming boutique gift shop with many artisanal and handmade items was located adjacent to the gallery space through an open threshold.
​
                                                                       STAY TUNED...
​
   Our sources tell us that an artist has purchased the building and may open a new gallery in that space before too long. Our fingers are crossed!

Axom Gallery moved.

   Late in the Fall of 2019 Axom Gallery in conjunction with with the gallery's partner business, Axom Home, moved to a new location at 661 South Avenue. They were previously located for many years on Anderson Avenue near Good Luck restaurant, Anderson Alley and the Village Gate. The move returns them to their home territory in the South Wedge neighborhood where the owners, Robin & Rick Muto, have lived and started their businesses decades ago.

   When you visit the new location you'll immediately see the benefits of their new first floor storefront location and their dramatically larger retail space for walk-in customers. The artwork on exhibition is integrated throughout the retail area of the business. I'm told by Rick Muto, Axom Gallery's co-owner/curator, a more defined exhibition space will be developed over time. Still, very often the art will be shown in the context of their design offerings since most art buyers  install the art they buy inside of their homes and offices.

Cad Red opened.

   Cad Red opened their doors at in the Village of Pittsford at 34 South Main Street in the fall of 2019 with their first exhibition in October. The owner opened the gallery as a compliment to her beautifully curated antique and housewares business immediately next door but due to the quick success of the gallery she has decided to focus her entrepreneurial efforts on art rather than antiques.

   This lovely, intimate new gallery is located in a recently restored historic building nestled between other active businesses and where foot traffic is high. Two large storefront windows draw in light as well as passersby.  Convenient parking is available immediately outside the front entrance to the gallery. 
​
   Cad Red will host solo exhibitions as well as small group shows. The work will mostly feature living regional artists in most media including but not limited to photography and works on canvas. The gallery may also include artists working outside of the Rochester/Finger Lakes area on occasion. 

Fleuron Gallery closed.

   Fleuron opened their doors at in the center of the Village of Honeoye Falls at 10 North Main Street in June, 2018. That new retail venture was set in a charming early twentieth century storefront with big windows. Fleuron was what we call a "hybrid" commercial art gallery. In this instance the fine art gallery was nestled between a botanical boutique at the front of the shop and a small graphic design work space tucked away behind the gallery, up a small flight of stairs. Sadly, this sweet little village gallery closed in sometime during the winter of 2019.

Gallery 74 has transformed into WOC ART Collaborative

   Over the years Ralph Thompson developed and nurtured a powerful artistic studio space called Gallery 74 that became a magnet attracting creativity in all forms. Although the gallery was used as a studio and exhibition space for his own creative purposes he welcomed other artists in all media as well as dancers, actors, musicians, community groups and more. Exhibitions and performances were regular elements of the gallery's operation. Thompson didn't apply for grants or solicit outside donations. He just opened the doors and the community he cherished found a home. In 2019 he decided to retire but that's not the end of his or this story!

   One very important measure of a successful life is the new growth that springs from the legacy of that life. In 2017-2018 Ralph Thompson welcomed Rachel Y. DeGuzman when she was looking for a place to host a series of "Long Table Discussions" around race, intersectionality and community in Rochester. Coming out of those discussions and others in January, 2019 WOC ART Collaborative began planning their future in a generous space adjacent to and carved out of Galley 74.

   Since that time DeGuzman has built a multi-generational collective of Black women & women of color creators in Rochester committed to bringing the power of their individual accomplishments, visions, and social justice practices to create an institution rooted in intersectional equity for women, femme, gender-variant and non-binary artists of color. WOC ART Collaborative was born in cradle of Ralph Thompson’s Gallery 74.

  Founding WOC ART Collaborative members include Rachel Y. DeGuzman, N’Jelle Gage-Thorne, Reenah Golden, W. Michelle Harris, Delores Jackson-Radney, Tianna Mañón, Rachel McKibbens, Nydia Padilla-Rodriguez, Danielle Ponder, and KaeLyn Rich. Many more creatives have been drawn to the cause and joined the organization as affiliate members. Expect to see some significant activity from WOC ART Collaborative in 2020.

   After a year of careful plannning WOC ART Collaborative now fully occupies the same space as the former Gallery 74 including the entire the third floor of the the Kee Lox building at 215 Tremont Street in Cornhill. There are two very large rooms and two smaller rooms which will eventually be reorganized as five rooms with three smaller rooms for storage, studio arts and podcasting and the remaining two larger rooms for administration, exhibition, meeting, social gathering and performances.

Gallery 384 closed.

   This past spring Gallery 384 closed but not because the it wasn't succeeding. It was! Gallery 384 was what we call a "hybrid" venue. In this case the gallery was a mutually beneficial collaboration between gallery operator,Howard Koft, and the owners of the East Avenue Inn; located on the corner of East Avenue and Alexander Street. Artworks by local artists were allowed to exhibit in the motel lobby area, restaurant and hallways on the first floor. While the gallery organizer did not take a share of the sale proceeds a small portion of each sale contributed to a local charity. Gallery 384 had been in active operation exhibiting and selling artwork for about four years before it closed due to the sale of the motel which was demolished soon after the deal closed in the summer of 2019.

Kristen Campo Fine Art & Design opened a retail location.

   Kristen Campo, owner of Kristen Campo Fine Art & Design took an important step in the Fall of 2019 when she opened a bricks-and-mortar location for her gallery at 3025 Monroe Avenue in Pittsford. Her brand new retail gallery is strategically placed on a high traffic stretch of Monroe Avenue across from Jewelers between Pittsford Wegmans and what may someday be the new Whole Foods. This stretch of Monroe Avenue has to be the hottest, most successful, high end retail stretch in all of Monroe County.
​​
    Campo has combined over 20 years of creative expertise as an art dealer and interior designer in the greater Rochester area. She grew up in a family of artists and worked towards a BFA at Nazareth College. She gained her knowledge working in local art galleries for 17 years before obtaining her LLC in 2017 and branching out as Kristen Campo Fine Art & Design. In less than two months, her fledgling gallery headed to Miami to exhibit for its first time in Pinta Miami 2017, during Art Basel week. In 2019 she organized and promoted a large scale "artfare" in Rochester's  Strathallan Hotel.

Norchar's gallery space is on hiatus.

   Norchar has hosted bimonthly art exhibitions on the first floor of their office on Park Avenue for the past few years. The exhibitions were distinctive in that they were beautifully curated and expertly installed; not usually the case when artists exhbit in spaces where the artwork is not the focus of the environment. In addition, Norchar hosted well attended opening parties to celebrate the exhibitions and invite the public in for a look. Norchar is poised to expand in 2020. As a result, the owners did not feel like they had the capacity to continue on with the exhibitions for the time being.

   The owners have indicated they will take another look at exhibitions in their Park Avenue location at some point in the future. We hope they decide to take up the project again. In the meantime they will be missed.

Pittsford Fine Art opened.

   ​Pittsford Fine Art opened their doors informally at the four corners in the Village of PIttsford as the curtain was falling on 2019, Their grand opening will be in early January, 2020 but they were already exhibiting and selling art from the get-go in December.

   Pittsford Fine Art is co-owned and operated by ten artist-partners: Kathy Armstrong, Steve BonDurant, Gilbert Jordan, Laurence E. Keefe, Chris Kolupski, Nancy Lane, Chris Manaseri, Rebecca Maynard, Robin McCondichie, Bill Mowson, and Roland (Chip) Stevens III. The gallery will show representative samples from each of the partners in the front of the space plus one artist featured on a more-or-less monthly basis. Visitors will be able to see more works by the partners as they move through the gallery.
​
   After January 7, 2020 the gallery will be open Tuesday through Sunday at noon and will remain open on those days until 6:00 pm except on Fridays when they will be open until 8:00 pm. 

Rochester Community Collage emerged.

   In case you haven't noticed collage art is SUPER hot in Rochester at the moment. in 2019 a new group of artists founded Rochester Community Collage. This new group offers studio arts programming as well as exhibition offerings. Rochester Art Collectors has listed this group under "ARTIST STUDIO/GALLERIES, ARTISTS' SPACES & CO-OPS" on our SOURCES page. You won't necessarily find this group in a dedicated gallery space. Instead they host pop-up exhibitions around town. Artist groups and coops help make the Rochester arts scene vibrant and interesting. One thing we can tell you for certain is there's never a dull moment around the Rochester Community Collage group!

   Most people know the Art Museum of Rochester either by its acronym, AMoR, or its distinctive logo rather than the business name itself. The logo sports a cherry red heart nestled atop the M. The logo says a lot about the place: friendly, informal, chiiillll.  Just take on look at the owner's picture next to this post. He's a super-nice guy and it shows whenever you're around him.
​
   AMoR is definitely NOT your run-of-the-mill art gallery. It's a hybrid space that offers billiards and booze alongside the art.

   Just in case you're not convinced about how hip this place is you can walk from the art gallery area directly into a tattoo parlor.  As if that's not enough proof, we've been there on at least one occasion when a group 8-10 gamers were playing Super Smash Bros. in the front room more or less in the middle of an art exhibition. True story.

   Let's face it, running a business on art sales alone is tough. Hybrids are one way to make the numbers work. AMoR has found a way do more than just pay bills and to do so for many years running. To be perfectly honest, we seriously doubt Scott Napier run his gallery any other way.

 How is this venue listed on the Rochester Art Collector's SOURCES ​page?
​
"Commercial Art Galleries & Venues That Function Like Commercial Art Galleries"

General Description/Business Model:
AMoR is a "bricks-and-mortar" business. We consider AMoR a "hybrid commercial gallery" because when you consider the art components on their own AMoR meets many of the criteria of a traditional gallery. The art is not an afterthought. The owner has a strong personal interest in the work and thinks of himself as a gallerist. 

​AMoR operates on the consignment model with proceeds of all sales shared by the gallery and the selling artist. AMoR does not represent artists outside of their exhibitions except as described below or on an ad-hoc basis.

​Description of the Exhibition Schedule:

   AMoR rotates its exhibitions regularly. While they may not hit the once per month exhibition pace found at commercial galleries they usually have around eight exhibitions in a calendar year. Exhibitions run three to six weeks long.

   Exhibitions usually kick off with an opening party. Some exhibitions include a closing party as well. 

Hours of operation:
​
   AMoR is open to the public during regular business hours but their business hours aren't what you might expect of an art gallery. They're open from 5:00 pm to midnight Monday through Saturday and Sundays from noon to 6:00 pm.  Visits to the gallery may also be made by appointment.

Description of the Exhibition Environment:

   AMoR is located in a building what was built as a home and later converted & adapted to a retail “boutique” application. As a result the layout feels a lot like a large home when you walk through.

   There's a vestibule entry that leads into a large front room that may have been an enclosed porch. Step up from the front room into what was probably the living room when this home was first built. A brick fireplace is on the far wall. Walk through a central hallway past stairs towards the back of the building into a large open space that may have been the original dining room and kitchen. A well used pool table breaks up the space takes up about 1/3 of this area. You may find yourself navigating around players in order to see works installed in proximity to the pool table. There's a small public powder room off to one side. The tattoo parlor is in a large addition near the powder room.

   Art is exhibited for sale in all these areas of the first floor with the exception of the tattoo parlor where you'll see lots of art owned by the folks that want to decorate your skin. In addition, there are display cases for small artworks/collectables and racks for t-shirts as well as other AMoR related merch & ephemera.

    AMoR is not a white cube. Art work hangs on every vertical space including a couple of niche areas on the first floor and all the way up the open stairwell to the second floor. Most of the walls are plaster or drywall. One large wall is finished with corrugated aluminum giving the space a distinctive aesthetic.

   Although in some areas the ambient lighting is dim the artwork is hung and displayed respectfully and with appropriate lighting. Mostly the work is hung gallery style; each piece set on it's own with room for the work to “breathe”.  However, we've seen work hung salon style, floort-to-ceiling, more than once at AMoR. Most of the work that is exhibited for sale is installed on the first floor.

   As a side note, due to the nature of some of the art on exhibit, there are times when the work is not presented framed. In those cases the artwork is literally tacked or otherwise affixed to the wall. Much of that sort of work is made from cardboard, paper, mixed media, or odd materials including everything from appropriated traffic signs to miniature railroad cars. If you want "precious," there are some shows that probably aren't for you.

​   Once you reach the top the stairs you won't see much artwork from the regular exhibitions. Oh, there's art upstairs but as far as we can tell it's mostly permanently installed. The second floor is about pool, drinks and, if you insist, coffee or tea.

How is the venue staffed?

   The owner or a paid staff member is always present when the venue is open to the public.  Just like the owner, the paid staff is very friendly and more than willing to chat but, with respect to the art, they are only helpful to a point. Unless you talk to the owner you won't learn much about the artists or the artwork. on the other hand, we’ve had more than one interaction with patrons who were fairly knowledgeable about the work displayed as well as the artists who made it. 

​Information About The Type of Work Exhibited:

   AMoR shows current or recent work made by living artists and created in nearly all media and in a variety of styles with an emphasis on two dimensional work. The gallery seems to prefer group exhibitions over exhibitions that feature only one artist. Nearly all the artists who show at AMoR are either resident in Rochester or connected to Rochester.

   There is a special emphasis on emerging artists and artists who depict urban settings or are influenced by an urban vibe. Works by "street" artists - muralists and those that come from a graffiti and public art background - are common. Still, we've also seen artists there who don't fall into that category at all including some of the most moving abstract works we've seen exhibited anywhere in Rochester.

What information is available about the artists and artwork during an exhibition?

   Typically each artwork has a wall label with the artist's name, title and price. Occasionally, the work is labeled with number and the numbers correspond to the exhibition/price list.

   Unfortunately, AMoR does not usually offer written artist backgrounds, bios, statements or curriculum vitae. However, the owner - who usually acts as curator or co-curator - will be able to talk with collectors about the artists. Staff are usually not be as knowledgeable as the owner. Unless you go to the opening or  you're lucky, you probably won't run into any of the exhibiting artists while you’re in the building. In terms of background info, you're pretty much on your own.

   We have never seen AMoR  host an artist talks/panel during an exhibition.

What is the typical price range for works presented by this venue?

   It's not unusual to find works of art in each exhibition available  for around $100 or less. The average price is typically in the $300-$500 range. On occasion - depdending on the aritst - you may see work at AMoR  priced above $1,000. We've seen at least one show with work priced as high as several thousand dollars.

How does this venue handle sales of art work?

​   AMoR will take payment on site as soon as you are ready. Works are sold on a first-come, first-served basis however the gallery may hold a work of art for a prospective buyer under certain limited circumstances. The gallery will accept cash, credit, debit and personal check. Note: AMoR will also allow installment purchases in many cases. Work that has been purchased in full may be taken by the new owner once the exhibition closes or if the final payment is received after the exhibition closes, then the new owner may pick the work up after the last payment has been received by the gallery.

   AMoR does not maintain a backroom inventory of unsold artwork although you might see work from the last show still on the stairway walls heading to the second floor. The gallery owner may occasionally act as matchmaker with an artist in cases where a collector wants to consider works not included in an current exhibition or works that may still be available from a past exhibition.​
As far as we know, AMoR does not offer delivery. Everything is local pickup.

How does this venue market and promote their exhibitions?

​​​   Mostly word-of-mouth with a touch of social media as well as a website. Facebook is probably your best bet. Please follow AMoR on Instagram and Facebook.

​Does this venue offer any art related services or products besides the artwork itself?
​
   No.

Rochester: Makers Gallery is in transition.

   Over the past several years artist and gallerist, Alex Gruttadaro, developed one of the more exciting and successful hybrid commercial art galleries in our area on the third floor of 34 Elton Street in Rochester. In addition to running the gallery he also ran a coffee bar and an event venue out of the same space. Sales in the gallery were strong. His event business was so good he suspended the coffee bar business to make more room in the calendar for events.

   His business successes, however, came at a price. According to Alex, the demands of running an active gallery, coffee bar and event space consumed all of his time leaving very little for his own creative and personal pursuits. As a result, at least for the time being, Alex has recently returned the Makers commercial gallery space back into his private art studio.

   Alex has not ruled out re-imagining a new sort of gallery informed by his experiences with Makers or even re-launching Makers Gallery. While a new gallery may appear before too long it won't be before Alex has had a chance to immerse himself in his art and his family. Stay tuned!

Rochester: RIT City Art Space is open.

   RIT's new City Art Space, at 280 Main Street (in the former Sibley's department store building), opened with a large private celebration on Thursday, December 10th. The new gallery opened to the public on Friday in time to take advantage of the December "First Friday" exposure.

   City Art Space is a significant upgrade in exhibition space combined with a dramatic re-branding as compared to prior iterations of RIT's "Gallery R" spaces - first on Park Avenue and then on College Avenue near the Memorial Art Gallery. The new gallery has large windows that look out on Rochester's famous Liberty Pole sculpture, designed by James Johnson, as well as main street giving the space a big city feel.

   According to their press release, City Art Space is a premier exhibition venue for RIT students, faculty, alumni and more. It is also a site for experiential learning for students across RIT’s College of Art and Design and beyond. The gallery will serve as a preeminent venue for the College Art and Design, which houses six schools: Art, American Crafts, Design, Film & Animation, Media Sciences, and Photographic Arts & Sciences. RIT faculty, staff and students from all six schools contribute their time and talent to sustain the gallery’s exhibition programming, and students gain valuable experience working in a professional gallery setting.

   City Art Space is open to the public during regular hours. Although I didn't see any notices to this effect, if City Art Space follows Gallery R's policies, there will be no admission fee to get into the gallery. As in the past much of the work shown in the gallery will be offered for sale.

Rochester: 1975 Gallery has re-emerged in a new format.

   After a three year hiatus 1975 Gallery re-emerged in pop-up form in the fall of 2018 with a sizable Halloween themed group show titled "Dearly Departed". Both the location on South Avenue next to Surface Salon and the theme were carefully chosen to reflect back on the gallery's roots. 2018 marked ten years since gallerist, Erich Lehman, launched 1975 as a pop-up inside Surface on the opposite side of South Avenue from this year's exhibition. 1975 Gallery gave up their bricks-and-mortar commercial retail location on Pitkin Street behind the Harts Local Grocery after five years in 2015.

   Lehman says Dearly Departed was successful. Hundreds of patrons packed the gallery on opening night and sales were brisk even though the exhibition lingered only six days and had very limited hours. Sales from the show continued even after the exhibition officially closed. He may post some or all of the unsold works from the show on 1975's website before too long. 

   In addition to holding down a full time day job at RIT Lehman is also the co-curator and core organizer behind Rochester's internationally renowned public art project Wall\Therapy.  Given his time limitations It's not surprising he thinks about 1975 Gallery's future strategically. While another traditional retail location isn't in the picture for 1975 Gallery at the moment other plans for the gallery are apparently in the works. We understand Lehman is working on an even more ambitious 1975 pop-up exhibition in the first half of 2019.

Honeyoe Falls:  Fleuron is open.

   Fleuron opened their doors at in the center of the Village of Honeoye Falls at 10 North Main Street in June of 2018. This new retail venture has it's home in a charming early twentieth century storefront with big windows. Fleuron is what we think of as a "hybrid" commercial gallery. In this instance the fine art gallery is nestled between a botanical boutique at the front of the shop and a small graphic design work space tucked away behind the gallery, up a small flight of stairs.

   You might ask, why the name Fleuron? Well, fleuron is a French word meaning, “horticultural ornament”. It comes from the centuries old typographic and printing traditions that date back to the Renaissance. When you learn more about the owner, Lisa Mauro, and her vision you'll understand why that particular word is a perfect descriptor.

  Mauro received her BFA from Parsons School of Design and an MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology. In addition to operating the gallery she has a graphic design business and she teaches graphic design at Nazareth College. That's not all. She is not only an avid maker she is also an avid grower. The front of the shop features her own organically grown, fresh specialty cut flowers available from May–October. So, she has married her advanced education in the arts with her passion for graphic design and gardening.

   The gallery will mostly focus on contemporary artists living in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region. Exhibitions will rotate on a more-or-less monthly basis. Some shows will feature one artist while others may have a theme with the sort of call-for-work, jurying and curation that goes along with group exhibitions. In addition to living artists the gallery also offers fine art prints by notable national and international artists from the mid-twentieth century.

Pittsford Village: Sylvan Starlight Creations is open.

   Sylvan Starlight Creations, open since the summer of 2018, is an artisan gallery and fine art shop located in the Village of Pittsford at the eastern end of Schoen Place.

​   The business features the fine artwork and exquisite craftsmanship of more than 60 of the area's top local artists.  There is always a lot to see inside the shop: from fine art & paintings to jewelry, metal art, home decor and so much more!  They offer a wide range of mediums, styles and prices, There is always something for everyone in this lovely village shop.

   One or more local artist/artisan will be highlighted monthly with an exhibition and an opening party to kick off the show. The retail space will be shared with dozens of other local artists and artisans day in and day out so you don't have to wait until you see an artist of interest. Stop in anytime.

Rochester: Rochester Fantasy Art Gallery is open.

   The proprietor, Thomas C. Chaffer, saw a "fantasy art" niche and decided to fill it. Chaffer had been doing Art Instruction for over 6 years based out of a space in Fairport before moving to the new location in the City of Rochester at 873 Atlantic Avenue. He opened his doors about a month ago.

   His plan is to show artwork that falls between "fine art" and fantasy/science fiction illustration. He is beginning by showing Rochester-based artists and that will certainly continue. However, he also plans to expand the scope of art on exhibit to include works made all over the United States; including work done by widely recognized masters in the fantasy/science fiction genre. Although the exhibition space itself is fairly modest in size there's a congenial outdoor area for warm weather entertaining. Chaffer's studio is located just behind the public space.

    Before too long the gallery website (www.rochesterfantasyartgallery.com) should include lots of additional information about the new venue.

Nan Miller Gallery has re-emerged in a new format.

   One of Rochester's longest running commercial galleries, Nan Miller Gallery, closed it's only bricks-and-mortar storefront near the end of 2017. At that time gallerist, Nan Miller, indicated she was retiring from the business after decades of service to corporate clients and individual collectors across the globe. We recently learned Nan Miller has decided to re-launch without the burden of a full blown commercial retail location so that she can continue to represent artists and act as an art advisor.  Nan has retained her former website and domain name to more easily reconnect with her long established client base.

   As of 2018, Miller represents a select stable of her favorite artists who encompass a broad range of styles, mediums and price points. She educates clients about artists’ techniques and how their artwork relates to collecting in today’s market, as well accommodating their specific needs. Nan specializes in artwork not readily accessible to the area, such as images by Modern Masters, renowned metal sculpture, cutting-edge glass, wood and mix-media designs.

   Nan has served as a key player in the art industry for 45 years. Her former retail location was the longest running family-owned art gallery in Rochester.

Kristen Campo Fine Art has opened.

   When the Nan Miller Gallery closed its bricks-and-mortar retail location late in 2017 Kristen Campo, one of Nan's longtime employees, decided it was time to step up. She had worked under Nan for more than a decade. Kristen knew the business from the inside and she had a good base of experience to draw from as she set out in 2018. In addition to working in a gallery Kristen is an established interior designer with an active client base, Incorporating artwork into her design practice has been a mainstay.

   Kristen Campo Fine Art does not have a retail location. Instead Campo has focused on bringing a wide array of established and emerging Contemporary artists to her current design clientele and to the art buying public through art fairs at various locations around the country.

   Campo realized a visionary goal in 2018 by organizing and presenting what she referred to as the first Contemporary Art Fair of Rochester in November at the Strathallan on East Avenue. By her count near 1,000 people filed through this the Fair over a three day period. She is currently planning a follow-up for  2019.

Canandaigua: Jeanne Beck Art Gallery & Studio is in transition.

   Jeanne Beck opened her gallery and studio in June of 2017 with a vision: to combine a her own art studio with a pubic gallery & exhibition space in the City of Canandaigua. She also wanted very much to help to make non-objective, non-representational and abstract artwork more accessible to the public and to collectors. It seemed to her that representational art is more widely accepted and abstract art is less well accepted in our region. 

   Her second floor unit, located on Main Street between Phoenix and Beeman Streets, was notable not only because of it's beautiful exposed brick walls and views of downtown Canandaigua but also because her studio work space was entirely open into the public exhibition space. Visitors were commonly treated to both works in progress as well as finished works created by many local artists.

   As time went on Jeanne expanded the scope of her endeavor beyond mere exhibitions into the realm of workshops and demonstrations on topics such as encaustic painting. In addition, she hosted "residency" programs for local artists that resulted in collaborative artworks that were then displayed.

   Late in 2018 Jeanne decided she was no longer able to balance her own creative interests with running the gallery. She will retain the space as her studio in 2019 and may well offer exhibitions in the future but she will not operate as a proper gallery for the time being.

Clifton Springs: Main Street Arts has converted into a nonprofit arts organization.

   Main Street Arts was created in 2013 as a for-profit art gallery in Clifton Springs, New York; a thirty-five minute drive from downtown Rochester. The Main Street management team developed a strong business selling art and then added a range of community-based arts programs including everything from workshops for area students to full-on artist residency programs alongside programs for non-artists. Over time it became clear to the director, Bradley Butler, that in order to fill the enormous needs/interests they uncovered Main Street would best serve their community by converting to a nonprofit arts organization.

   In an email to it's customers and friends on Monday, December 24, 2018 Main Street Arts announced the conversion to nonprofit status has been completed. Effective immediately Main Street Arts is a legally recognized nonprofit arts organization. As a result, donations to the new organization will be tax deductible, if you qualify and itemize your charitable donations. In addition, Main Street will be able to apply for grants from the government as well as other sources that require nonprofit status.

   ​Main Street Arts has had a strong regional orientation from its inception. On occasion the gallery supplemented it's regional offerings with artists from all over the United States. Looking forward, based on their new mission statement, it appears they expect to reach even further to include artistic works from all over the globe.

   Ten artists from the region are listed on the Main Street Arts website as being represented by the gallery: Pat Bacon, Chad Grohman, Patrick Kana, Meredith Mallwitz, Robert Ernst Marx, Lanna Pejovic, Jody Selin, Mike Tarantelli and Sylvia Taylor. It's not common for nonprofit arts organizations to represent individual artists. We'll have to wait-and-see if Main Street continues to represent these artists under it's new auspices.

Have Hope Tattoo and Gallery has opened.

   There's a new alternative art gallery at New Hope Tattoo and Gallery. The tattoo parlor opened in August of 2018. The first art art exhibition was held in September. To get to the dedicated gallery space inside New Hope you go past the reception area and down some stairs to the lower level.

  When you walk into the gallery you'll be impressed by the look. There are no white walls in this gallery. Instead New Hope has designed the space with what looks like reclaimed barn wood to match the finishes upstairs in the reception area.

   The business owner, Zach Wheeler, says he'll either curate what's shown in the gallery himself or collaborate as well as invite outside curators to plug in. He expects exhibitions to cycle in and out every couple of months or so.