MUSE at the Arts & Cultural Council Gallery

"Icarus"

Every time I got an e-mail from the Arts & Cultural Council about an exhibit in their gallery, I meant to pop in for a peek, but life got in the way.  The few times I was in the building for meetings, I always enjoyed the displays, whether I liked the specific art itself or not.  When I took the postcard at Rochester City Ballet’s Nazareth performance for the upcoming MUSE exhibit, I put it in my huge pile of possible interesting things to do.  So it came as a shock to read in the local paper that this show would be the last at that venue before it closes, and the A&CC moves out of downtown. 

The gallery isn’t on the beaten path (it’s across from Village Gate, but still, that has to be a better location than the Eastman Business Park?), and it’s a bit forbidding that you need to buzz to be admitted in, both of which may have contributed to the lack of foot traffic in the past. 

"October Skies"

Friday’s opening night of the final artist to show in the space, Brian O’Neill, was packed, even though it was a chilly, rainy evening.  My friend Gwen and I stopped in before dinner and the opera, not knowing exactly what to expect in this collaboration between Brian and The Rochester City Ballet.  The paintings were stunning, and we both admired his use of vibrant colors and gold and silver leaf to give the works a shimmering quality.  Six of the roughly 30 paintings already had red ‘sold’ dots on them at 6pm, including “October Skies,” which really did evoke an autumn horizon.  

"Serendipity" and "Three Graces"

Two of my favorite paintings were hung side by side, so you couldn’t miss the connection:  “Three Graces” (a stunning painting of three beautiful blonde dancers in the waters of Corbett’s Glen, their photographic features blending seamlessly into the impressionistic surroundings) and “Serendipity” (an abstract inspired by its more realistic counterpart).  His portraits of the dancers were just as graceful as his subjects, many of whom seemed to be milling about (in any crowd, a bunch of young, waif-like, tall, blonde women would stand out, and I wished I had had the nerve to ask one to pose beside her likeness).  I also especially liked two other very different paintings:  “Pause,” which gave you the feeling of peeking through a frosty window of a rehearsal studio,  and “work-in-progress,” with its creative use of space. 

Gwen and I did get to introduce ourselves to the artist and tell him how impressed we were with his talent, and his proficiency in so many different styles.  We also chatted with his partner, Jim, an Associate Professor of dance at SUNY Brockport.  He amused us with a story from their prior house on Park Avenue:  one morning Jim commented that a stretch of wall could use a mural, and several hours later, Brian had completed a giant Tuscan scene!

The exhibit goes through April 24, so if you have a chance, it’s definitely worth stopping by.  Who knows – you might find a painting that wants to come home with you, or one that prompts you to commission a painting for your particular space.  At the very least, you will get to see a variety of work by a local talent, and say goodbye to this particular downtown gallery.

For more information about Brian O'Neill, this particular exhibit, the collaboration with RCB, or the A&CC, visit:

• http://www.brianoneillstudio.com/
• http://www.rochestercityballet.org/collaboration.php
• http://www.artsrochester.org/#gallery

"work-in-progress"

"Pause"