July 29, 2005
Hello from Rochester: Exploring ArtWalk
-
A Fabulous Outdoor Art Experience
If you have read my articles for a while, you know that
I am a visual arts lover. One of the highlights of my Rochester
trip was a walk through the Neighbourhood of the Arts.
My local experts Patti and Carrie met me in the morning and we started
off with a lovely breakfast at a restaurant called Jine's,
located in a bustling neighbourhood on Park Avenue. The friendly
feel of this city became evident when several passers-by stopped
by to chat with Patti and I was vaguely reminded of my home town
in Europe, where everybody knows everybody and people still say
hello. I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere on the patio as the local
residents read the paper, savoured their coffees, walked their dogs
or started to go about their errands. Sometimes smaller cities have
a more tranquil ambience to them.
After strenghtening ourselves with a nice breakfast we set off
to explore Rochester's Neighbourhood of the Arts. Set in the middle
of this neighbourhood is the Memorial
Art Gallery on University Avenue. With its comprehensive collections
spanning 50 centuries, the museum hosts travelling exhibitions and
operates a popular gift shop and restaurant. Every September it
hosts the Clotheslines Arts Festival. ArtWalk is Rochester outdoor
art museum and features sidewalk imprints, artistic benches, tiled
light poles, sculptures and other artistic endeavours.
The Neighbourhood of the Arts has won several awards and
I thought it was just an awesome idea to turn a regular nice-looking
neighbourhood into a stunning, creative destination full of outdoor
art installations. The idea with the decorative benches in particular
introduces the element of street life, inviting residents and visitors
alike to sit down and enjoy the visual pleasures offered by this
outdoor art experience.
Here are the fruits of my photo safari through the ArtWalk neighbourhood:
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We started our excursion on July
28 at the Eastman House. George Eastman, the founder of the
Kodak corporation, was Rochester's biggest philanthropist who
donated a vast portion of his wealth to educational, medical
and art institutions. |
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The beginning of "ArtWalk". This
is my favourite outdoor piece of art. As you can see, all outdoor
art is surrounded by beautiful flowers and manicured lawns. |
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Craft Company No. 6: This is a former fire
hall that has been converted into a retail shop for artistic
gifts, glassware and ceramics. |
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This horse and the policeman are located in
front of the gift store. |
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Here is another humorous take on the artistic
bench idea. |
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This colourful bench is tucked away inside
a children's playground. |
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This attractive block houses an antique store
called Flatiron Antiques, a restaurant called Edibles, as well
as a cafe by the name of Starry Nites. It is built on a triangular
lot and the building narrows at its western end, similar to
the Flatiron Buildings in Toronto and New York City. |
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A nice patio in front of the Starry Nites Cafe,
a comfortable hangout in the ArtWalk Neighbourhood. |
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This beauty was sitting in front of the cafe
and I just had to snap a picture of him. |
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A local tile shop advertising its wares with
the help of beautiful mosaics and a creatively crafted bench. |
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An almost Dali-esque wooden horse in front
of the art gallery. |
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The Memorial Art Gallery of Rochester, housed
in a beautiful neo-gothic building that used to be part of the
University of Rochester. |
After exploring this lovely neighbourhood, we continued our exploration
of Rochester and the next item on our itinerary was an exploration
of the well-preserved architecture
downtown.
Related Articles:
Hello from Rochester: The
CAT - An Awesome Beast
Hello from Rochester: A perfect getaway
for stressed-out Torontonians (and other urbanites)
Hello from Rochester: Exploring ArtWalk
- A Fabulous Outdoor Art Experience
Hello from Rochester: Discovering
its Architectural Treasures
Useful Links:
The
Rochester Visitors Association
The CAT Fast
Ferry website
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