Why open a gallery for the summer in Syracuse, NY?
“Why not?” answered Roslyn Esperon and Courtney Rile. The two met working together over two years ago at Delavan Art Gallery, which is temporarily closed until September. In the meantime, their new gallery is temporarily open.
Contemporary Gallery has been born with the exhibition, Whimsy: Celebrating the Power of ‘Why Not?'” The temporary contemporary art gallery opens June 11 at 230 Harrison Street in Downtown Syracuse, thanks to the support of J.F. Real Estate. The opening reception is on Friday the 13th in conjunction with the opening of the Everson Biennial down the street. Designed as an afterparty for the Biennial, the reception will run on June 13th from 7 — 10 PM. The exhibition will continue through Friday, July 18 with plenty of special events to be announced on the gallery’s website:
http://contemporarygallery.wordpress.com
The art featured in “Whimsy: Celebrating the Power of ‘Why Not?'” includes art books, drawings, fabric art, film, illustration, installation art, intaglio prints, works in mixed media, paintings, photo etchings, photography, sculpture, and video art. The majority of artists represented come from the New York State area. The theme “whimsy” is inspired by its definition: 1. The quality of being quaint, odd, or playfully humorous, especially in an endearing way; 2. An idea that has no immediately obvious reason to exist. Since the gallery itself was created on a whim as a labor of love, it seemed appropriate for the theme of the exhibition to exemplify these characteristics. A series of film screenings will share the same theme with films curated by John Craddock, Assistant Director of the Syracuse International Film Festival. Contemporary Gallery Co-Founders Roslyn Esperon and Courtney Rile met in February of 2006. Esperon was interning at Delavan Art Gallery when Rile was invited back to Syracuse from traveling by Bill Delavan to be the Gallery Coordinator. Over two years later, the two have continued to work together at the Gallery in various capacities and have also become friends. They both thank Bill Delavan for his guidance and support. When it comes to the timing, Rile says, “It worked out well because Delavan Art Gallery is closed for the summer and Roslyn will be moving away in the fall. We had a perfect window.” Roslyn Esperon just graduated this May with a BA in Art History from Syracuse University, where she received wide recognition as a Coronat, Remembrance, and Syracuse University Scholar. Esperon will be attending New York University in the fall to earn a Masters degree in Arts Administration. Courtney Rile is currently Marketing and PR Coordinator at Delavan Art Gallery as well as Director of Communications at the Cultural Resources Council. She is also a freelance writer, curator, photographer, video editor and video professor at ITT Technical Institute in Liverpool. Rile earned a BFA in Video Art from SU in 2004 and went on to coordinate the “Greenberg In Syracuse: Then & Now” 2005 exhibition at ThINC’s Company Gallery and curate video art at Ohm Lounge in Downtown Syracuse before traveling. Contemporary Gallery will be open for regular business hours on Wednesdays from 11 AM — 9:30 PM and on Thursdays and Fridays from 11 AM — 6 PM. There is an ambitious schedule of special events, including film screenings, a book launch, official Th3 afterparties in June and July as well as a healthy variety of surprises along the way. For a list of artists, more information about the gallery and to see an up-to-date list of events, visit the gallery online at http://contemporarygallery.wordpress.com. Images Attached:
Brian Butler, Untitled, pen and ink
Suse Lowenstein, Dancing Mother & Child, sculpture and wood
more images available upon request
(Calendar follows)
CALENDAR (Listed by Subject and by Date):
Hours (beginning Wed. June 11, 2008)
Wednesdays 11 AM – 7 PM; Film Screenings 7 – 9 PM
Thursdays 11 AM – 7 PM
Fridays 11 AM – 7 PM
Upcoming Events by SUBJECT:
OPENING RECEPTION:
Fri., June 13 from 7 – 10 PM: Opening Reception with DJ Afar (following Everson Biennial
Reception) FREE
FILM:
Wed., June 18 from 7 – 9 PM: Film Screening #1
Sat., June 14 at 8 PM (tentative time): Films by Sara Kinney- FREE
Wed., June 25 from 7 – 9 PM: Film Screening #2
Wed., July 2 from 7 – 9 PM: Film Screening #3
Wed., July 9 from 7 – 9 PM: Film Screening #4
Wed., July 16 from 7 – 9 PM: Film Screening #5
Wed., July 23 from 7 – 9 PM (tentative): Open Video Showcase- FREE
Th3, THE THIRD THURSDAY AFTERPARTIES:
Thurs., June 19 from 8 – 10 PM: Official Th3 Afterparty- FREE
Thurs., July 17 from 8 – 10 PM: Official Th3 Afterparty- FREE
FOOD:
Tues., July 8 at 7 PM: Ice Cream Social
TBA: Salt Tasting
TBA: Cupcake Decorating Workshop
POETRY:
Thurs., July 24 at 7 PM: Manuscript Launch for Poet Lenore DeCerce- FREE
FINAL EXHIBITION:
Sun., July 20 through Sunday, July 27: Studio Jam Out- contact us for more info
Sun., July 27 from Noon – 3 PM: Studio Jam Out Brunch- Charge TBA
Upcoming Events by DATE:
JUNE:
Wed., June 11 from 11 AM – 7 PM: Gallery Opens to the Public
Fri., June 13 from 7 – 10 PM: Opening Reception featuring DJ Afar (following Everson
Biennial Reception) FREE
Sat., June 14 at 8 PM (tentative time): Films by Sara Kinney- FREE
Wed., June 18 from 7 – 9 PM: Film Screening #1
Thurs., June 19 from 8 – 10 PM: Official Th3 Afterparty- FREE
Wed., June 25 from 7 – 9 PM: Film Screening #2
JULY:
Wed., July 2 from 7 – 9 PM: Film Screening #3
Tues., July 8 at 7 PM: Ice Cream Social
Wed., July 9 from 7 – 9 PM: Film Screening #4
Wed., July 16 from 7 – 9 PM: Film Screening #5
Thurs., July 17 from 8 – 10 PM: Official Th3 Afterparty- FREE
Wed., July 23 from 7 – 9 PM (tentative): Open Video Showcase- FREE
Thurs., July 24 at 7 PM: Manuscript Launch for Poet Lenore DeCerce- FREE
FINAL EXHIBITION:
Sun., July 20 through Sunday, July 27: Studio Jam Out- contact us for more info
Sun., July 27 from Noon – 3 PM: Studio Jam Out Brunch- Charge TBA