Category: Artists
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Last time we went into the history of one corner of East Main Street and Elm with the entry Before Midtown; let us now cross over Elm Street to another history-rich lot of land. Vaguely triangular in shape, this expensive lot of commercial real estate was once the site of Rochester’s most prominent homes. For…
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I love tiny places. Small buildings, itty-bitty cafes, pubs and bars, wee ickle shops and teensy pocket parks. Far from being claustrophobic, I find that these finite spaces encourage the fullest use of every inch, from efficiency of purpose to expressiveness of décor. And, in many cases, it forces one to keep in touch with…
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This entry is a bit of a departure; while usually I’m plumbing pretty deeply into the past and drawing up places long gone patronized by persons long dead, this time I’m dropping my line into the shallower end of history’s fishpond. Come with me back to a cozy and familiar café in the heart of…
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It is as inspiring as it is slightly unnerving how the work of an artist’s hands can go on existing for so long after the artist has left us. The act of bringing sculptures and paintings into the world is one of planting seeds of trees under whose shade one may never sit. The artist,…
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When I was little, I was convinced skyways were the way of the future. I became five years old in 1990 and bridges stretched across the sky between tall buildings everywhere I looked, from science fiction to real life. I was convinced these interstructural walkways would grow in number and complexity until–at last–denizens of our…
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Murals, as we saw in the previous segment, could be a potent rallying point for a community. The once-bare walls could display figures, symbols and slogans uniquely reflecting the hopes, history and hardships of a neighborhood. More impactful to the community than the paintings themselves, however, was the act of their creation; the call to…
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Few sights are more familiar to the Rochesterian than the Liberty Pole. A central spot of celebration and of protest, people have loved and hated this iconic structure since it was erected in 1965. However, this famous Liberty Pole was not the first liberty pole to stand on this spot. Apparently it’s the third, albeit…