RoCo

First Friday is around the corner, and the RoCo Upstairs permanent studio artists are inviting you to take a peek into their spaces and talk art! Open Studios on First Friday June 5, 6-9pm: 🧵Bespoke Designs 🌻Studio Michealino 🔦k.torg studio 🫧Christine Banna ⛓️Lunar Beserkr Art 😶‍🌫️Department of Dreams Collection Plus a special guest artist: Fab Feminist Art! You’ll also be able to check out what they’ve been working on Saturday June 6 and Saturday June 13 from 12-5.

Ever hear of a little tv show called Thundercats? What about Ozzy and Drix? Baby Looney Tunes? Our recent member spotlight Dennis J. Woodyard had a hand in animating these beloved series and many others! Click through the link in the bio to read more about Dennis’s long history in the animation field and his advice for young and emerging artsits. 

Dennis will also be at the Rochester Indie Comics Expo (RICE) this Saturday and would love to meet you! —> 280 E Main St. Sibley Square from 11am-4pm.

Say hello to Aidan Sofia Earle (@aidansofiaearle ), one of our Summer COMP Studios residents! Aidan has an extensive background in various mediums, including textile dyeing and painting for theater and fashion, props and costumes for Broadway productions and even Saturday Night Live and John Oliver, and hands-on art handling as a preparator. Much of Aidan’s current work consists of found objects and trash collected from streets and sidewalks. The project Aidan is working on at COMP will consist of several multimedia collages of landscapes around Rochester, made of discarded objects found in those locales and embellished with embroidery thread and paint. Aidan hopes viewers of her work consider what they throw away on a daily basis, and our culture of consumerism and single-use items. Come see the work, meet the artist, and ponder these questions when Aidan’s exhibition opens on First Friday June 5 from 6-9pm! Open studio hours will also be held on Saturdays June 6 and 13, including artist talks from both residents on June 13. #COMPStudios #Residency #ArtistResidency

The Auction for Early Buyer positions is happening now, and it just might be your opportunity to shop the 6x6x2026 artworks before the crowd! 
 Instead of refreshing your browser and hoping for the best, you can bid for a guaranteed early access buyer position meaning you’ll get to purchase artwork ahead of everyone else. A few of the positions have sold already at their “Buy it now” price but there still five positions left to bid on.  Why you should think about it...
• All 6x6 artwork are one of a kind and pieces sell fast!
• Early access = better chances of getting the artworks you really want
• You’re supporting a great organization (RoCo!) while getting an advantage ; ) all proceeds support our future exhibitions and public art programs. How it works:
Place a bid for for the buyer position you want → win a position → get an early access code → shop on May 31 before the virtual art sale kick-off on June 1 Bid now and secure your spot: /6x6x2026
 #RoCo6x6 #fundraiser #nonprofit

LINK IN BIO! Don't miss this unique opportunity to exhibit your work at Rochester Contemporary Art Center @roco137 Artwork and photo cred: @ehinderoconnie @lida_riedlinger @anne.b.mccune @patdeluca.art @rebeccalefevre.art @emilyhill.waxwerk

There’s more than one way to see 6x6. For many years a reoccurring part of our annual fundraising exhibition 6x6, is 6x6 Pics! Each week, we highlight curated selections in two ways: 👯‍♀️Partner Pics, curated by local organizations and community members who bring their own mission, voice, and point of view to the artworks they choose. These will be highlighted on Saturdays. 🫧 Themed Selections, that highlight available works around a theme and focused on those hard to see, hard to find and all around missed out on artworks. These will be highlighted on Fridays and Mondays. tldr: it’s all about connection between art, community and you. Are you an org who would like to be a part of 6x6 pics next year? DM us #RoCo6x6

Grab your 6x6 postcard and mark these days in your calendar because you’ll want to remember them! 📋 In Gallery Preview days are May 29, 30, 31 🖥️ The Virtual Art Sale Kick Off is June 1 🎟️ General Online Purchasing Begins: June 3 🪩 Then the In-Gallery Opening is June 5 (First Friday) While those days seem far away now, the time will quickly catch up on us! We cannot wait for you to see this years art <3 also...the auction for early buyer positions happening now, and closes May 30

We’re excited to launch our annual 6x6 Pics Partners with something extra special this year. 6x6 Pics is a curated set of 6x6 artworks selected by local organizations and community members, each bringing their own mission and voice. This year’s call for 6x6 art included an optional theme inspired by the City’s “Flower City” logo. These pieces will be shown in a dedicated “Square the Love” installation. Each of these logo artworks are $40, with $20 to RoCo and $20 to a local nonprofit. Our non-profit partner this year chosen by the City of Rochester, is Rochester Hope, a grassroots group providing compassionate support to the Rochester community and Rochester Hope also chose the 6x6 pics featured here. About Rochester Hope Founded in 2022, Rochester Hope was born out of a simple conviction: that every person possesses an inherent dignity and deserves to be encountered with compassion, respect, and hope. Located in Rochester’s North Clinton neighborhood, Rochester Hope operates a community food pantry, clothing distribution program, and shared community meals that serves hundreds of individuals and families each week. Today the organization provides food to more than 400 households weekly through its North Clinton Food Pantry. By purchasing these Flower City Logo artworks, you’ll not only get a piece of original art, you’ll also support RoCo and support Rochester Hope! Now…for the pics! These artworks were curated by Geneva McLain, an AmeriCorps fellow at Rochester Hope. #roco6x6

We’ll be thinking of this suite of exhibitions for a long time ❤️‍🔥 Today is your last day to view Anne Havens / Sue Havens, Lifelong Bills Fan, and Authenticity as Illusion. Our sincere thanks to Anne, Sue, Paul Nicholson, and the Institute for Electronic Art for sharing their compelling art with us. RoCo is open 12-5 today, come explore before these special exhibitions close.

To get your eyeballs ready for seeing tons of 6x6 art, we wanted to share our first theme-based 6x6 Pics! Among the thousands of incredible artworks, these ‘it girl’ pieces don’t beg for attention, they just have the kind of presence that makes an entire room feel cooler. We took one look at them and immediately understood why they’ll probably be some of the first to sell! We’ve curated this list of some of the it girls for you, so if you like a piece, grab her number ;) Auction for Early Buyer Positions are still going on and won’t close until May 30th Find your own favorites at roco6x6.org and be sure to write the number down! Don’t forget in gallery preview is coming up, May 29, 30 and 31

Today is your first chance to preview at all the creations included in this year’s 6x6! And the only day when scrolling non-stop on your phone is *completely* okay! Be sure to jot down the number of your favorite artworks and/or your own artworks! Remember, artworks are intentionally anonymous and with over 6,000 artworks it can take some time to locate your own pieces. Check out the FAQs page of the 6x6 website for other helpful tips and reminders. Look at all 6x6 artworks = roco6x6.org Bid on an early buyer position = /roco6x6x2026 #RoCo6x6 #Fundraiser #nonprofit

First Friday is featured in the 2026-2027 Explore Greater Rochester guide! This partnership with @visitrochester connects folks outside of the art community and is just one way we are working to grow First Friday, reach wider audiences, and bring more visitors out to the small art venues in Rochester. Special thanks to Diana Keating for the write-up! @rbjdaily #VisitROC #GreaterRoc #RochesterNY #thisisroc @theiceplex @roc.airport @monroecountyny Swipe for some photos from last week’s First Friday events! Next First Friday is June 5, events will be posted to the site throughout the month so start planning now! #FirstFridayROC  Images: 1-2. First Friday in the 2026-2027 Explore Greater Rochester guide 3. Studio 305 on Elton St. 4. @allmypixels and @justjoephoto at their exhibition at @100lumierephoto 📸@justjoephoto 5. Work by @aidansciort at @aldaskellerwineco 📸@leepartthree 6. @flowercityarts 7. Work by @whathappened2sonny at @thecocktaillab585 📸@whathappened2sonny 8. @jessmariephoto with work in the RED AAPI Exhibition at @altbarroc 📸@vfayefilm 9. RIT Visual Media Capstone Exhibition @attheyards 10. @pittsfordfineartgallery