Rochester Contemporary Art Center is a non-profit located in Rochester, New York, that exhibits and supports contemporary art of all forms. Founded as Pyramid Arts Center in 1977 by Tony Petracca and Gina Mosesson, the gallery was located in several different storefronts and warehouse spaces around Rochester NY. In 2001 it was renamed Rochester Contemporary (often referred to as RoCo) and moved to its current location in Rochester's East End District. In 2007 'Art Center' was added to the name. It exhibits six shows in the main gallery per year and another 18-20 in small project spaces.
In 2007 Rochester Contemporary Art Center initiated First Friday, a monthly citywide gallery night involving up to 20 other art venues around the city of Rochester.
In 2008, RoCo launched what has become a growing international small art phenomenon known as 6 x 6. Each year, 6 x 6 returns with thousands of original artworks, made and donated by celebrities, international & local artists, designers, college students, youths, and others. Each artwork is 6x6 square inches, signed only on the back, and exhibited anonymously. All entries are accepted, exhibited and are available for sale to the public for $20 each (in the gallery and online for global purchasing) to benefit RoCo. Artist names are revealed to the buyer upon purchase. Anyone may enter up to 6 artworks of any medium and there is no fee to enter the exhibition.
Rochester Contemporary Art Center is a member focused 501(c)3. Currently it has over 800 members, about 60% of which are artists. Member artists participate in an annual Members' Exhibition.
Famous quotes containing the words rochester, contemporary, art and/or center:
“The clog of all pleasure, the luggage of life,
Is the best can be said for a very good wife.”
—John Wilmot, Earl Of Rochester (1647–1680)
“This socialism will develop in all its phases until it reaches its own extremes and absurdities. Then once again a cry of denial will break from the titanic chest of the revolutionary minority and again a mortal struggle will begin, in which socialism will play the role of contemporary conservatism and will be overwhelmed in the subsequent revolution, as yet unknown to us.”
—Alexander Herzen (1812–1870)
“... one of art photography’s most vigorous enterprises—[is] concentrating on victims, on the unfortunate—but without the compassionate purpose that such a project is expected to serve.”
—Susan Sontag (b. 1933)
“There is nothing more natural than to consider everything as starting from oneself, chosen as the center of the world; one finds oneself thus capable of condemning the world without even wanting to hear its deceitful chatter.”
—Guy Debord (b. 1931)