First Friday Rochester

Join Rochester Fine Art Market for July’s First Friday as we showcase the work of Rochester visual artist and poet Joy Payton Daum.

Joy is a visual artist and poet based in Rochester, NY, known for her work in gouache and sumi ink. Her art explores the consciousness of the soul, dreams, and moments of presence. It explores the gifts, the beauty, the mystery, and the darkness of being. Often using handmade Japanese papers, sumi ink, and gouache, she watches paintings emerge from what she sees in the fibers of the paper.

Joy holds a Bachelor’s degree from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. She has had her work exhibited in Brockport, NY, Rochester, NY, Chicago, IL, Philadelphia, PA, and Rome, Italy.

We invite you to stop in from 6-9pm, meet the artist, and experience her thoughtful, intuitive work in person. As always, First Friday offers a relaxed, welcoming evening to enjoy art, conversation, and community. Light refreshments to be served.

Image by Joy Payton Daum

Learn more about this event and others at firstfridayrochester.org

While you’re out for First Friday July 3, don’t miss Rochester Contemporary Art Center’s new public art installation, BELONG by Gianna Stewart.

In spring of 2025 several organizations including the New York Times documented the rapid redaction of certain words and terms from official government websites. Since then, groups such as PEN America have have attempted to track this erasure by compiling lists of words removed from government publications and censored by institutions attempting to comply with the administration’s directives. Simultaneously arts and educational organizations have been encouraged to remove many of these words from their grant applications and programs, and many have complied.

This tryptic carefully incorporates PEN America’s list into the letters BELONG, which is also one of the words on the list. Here the words are presented openly, in public space, and in direct opposition to the attempts to scrub them from public discourse.

Inside RoCo, you can buy a t-shirt version of Gianna’s public artwork – drop in from 6-9pm.

Learn more about this event and others at firstfridayrochester.org

Meet and view work by artist Andrea Nadel during her opening reception at Pittsford Fine Art this First Friday, July 3 from 5-8pm. The exhibition is free and open to the public during regular gallery hours.

Artist Andrea Nadel has loved drawing and painting since childhood. After a career as an attorney editor at Lawyers’ Cooperative Publishing, Andrea began her secondary career as an artist. She studied intensively to gain a great deal of knowledge about many aspects of art, such as value, proportion, and technique.

Andrea hit her stride as an accomplished artist within the last 12 years. She is a Signature Member and former president of the Rochester Art Club, and exhibits her varied work at Pittsford Fine Art as well as Penfield Art Association exhibitions. She has been featured in “Lake Affect Magazine,” and most recently in “Life in the Finger Lakes (May/June 2025).”

Andrea’s pieces range from detailed and realistic to impressionistic and abstract. There is no subject off limits. A consistent theme in her art is drama: her work typifies bright colors and contrasting elements that attract the eye, including metal leaf. It is difficult to classify her work in any one style or genre, as Andrea is always eager to try something new. Currently, she is experimenting with using just a palette knife with limited brush work as it provides freedom, encourages looseness, and creates an appealing texture.

As an artist, Andrea’s goal is to bring awareness of the beauty of our world一and ultimately joy一to herself and others. With that in mind, she takes commissions for portraits (pets and people) and has donated works of her art to charities such as Lollypop Farm and epi (Empowering People’s Independence).

“It’s challenging to meet other’s expectations when emotions run high,” says Andrea. “When those expectations are met, both the client and the artist are crying tears of joy! I can’t describe how wonderful that feels.”

Learn more about this event and others at firstfridayrochester.org

"Coastal Landscapes" by Ann Langkopf continues for on July 3 from 6-9pm at Carl Domenico's Studio 312. Come for mixed media artist Ann Langkopf and stay for Brazilian drumming by Ricardo!

Learn more about this event and others at firstfridayrochester.org

Join Kali Ann Art Studio for First Friday – Q***r Craft Night edition July 3rd for Pride Rock Painting!

Create painted rocks full of LGBTQIA+ Rochester Pride to leave around our lovely city. Take photos of where you have left them and tag ***rcraftnight to spread the love.

No experience needed, just come as you are. We’ll provide everything needed to play and create. This is a welcoming space for all! Whether you’re here to connect, unwind, or just try something new. Come play with paint and other mediums to spread pride.

Join co-hosts Ashley from Ashtetic Art Classes and Shelly from Wind Land Sky for a craft night filled with community and encouragement!

*Please register for this workshop at the link below. Space is limited and we want to ensure we have enough supplies for all attendants. All supplies are provided. A $5 project fee is collected during registration. https://www.ashtetic.com/event-details/q***r-craft-night-6

Our Mission: Q***r Craft Night is a monthly arts & crafts workshop focused on providing a safe space for our q***r and nonbinary communities.