Price Check: Our Next Project

Roslyn Esperon and Courtney Rile are up to the same old tricks!

Visit http://PriceCheckNY.wordpress.com for a description of our next project over the summer of 2009.

Catalog Now Available!

Click the “Catalog” link on the top right of this page for more info…

Gallery Named in Critic’s Top 5

Central New York art critic Katherine Rushworth named Contemporary Gallery number 4 on her Top 5 list of art shows and events of 2008 for her Dec. 28 article in Syracuse’s Post-Standard.

“No. 4: The short-lived, but memorable, Contemporary Gallery. The gallery opened in a vacant Harrison Street storefront June 11 and closed a couple of months later; but while it was open, it created a definite buzz. The gallery’s brief presence offers a great model to anyone looking for a low-risk, high-reward way to step into the gallery world. Organizers Courtney Rile and Roslyn Esperon featured works by local artists in a user-friendly environment; offering visitors an overstuffed chair, magazines and even a cupcake or two. It might be the Barnes & Noble model of the art world.”

As you can imagine, we are very pleased to be on the list!

Bloglicious

In case you are wondering what we’re up to, Roslyn and Courtney both became hooked on wordpress because of this blog for Contemporary Gallery.  They each have their own blogs now for their own adventures:

Roslyn explores arts administration at NYU and experiences the art world of the Big Apple…
http://smallgirlbigcity.wordpress.com  

Courtney travels around the U.S. and internationally on an around-the-world ticket…
http://courtneyrile.wordpress.com 

Please leave us comments if you come to say hello!

Gone but not forgotten

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it’s true.  The gallery has come to an end.  August 1 was our last day.  Yes, I will miss relaxing in our lounge, eating Roslyn’s chocolate snowtop cookies, looking at art books and admiring the playful art on the walls.  It was a lot of fun and hard work and at the end we have both decided we would do it again.  We’ll see how the cards fall next summer….

In the meantime, the gallery lives on in the media, in a gallery catalog that is currently in production, in a seed fund for future galleries (currently only my $50 contribution, but hey it’s something), and on this website.  Please let us know if you are interested in a copy of the gallery catalog ($20) by emailing rile dot courtney at gmail dot com.

Thank you to all who have participated and supported us in our endeavor! Including…

J.F. Real Estate
Bill Delavan
Maryellen Casey
Daniella Mosco-Wozniak
Aunt D
Dean Potter
Anyone who put a cash donation in our jar
Everyone who bought art from us!!
John Craddock and the Syracuse Int’l Film Festival
Tomomi and Christian of Roji Tea Lounge
Theresa and Jen of Razzbarry
Reggie Sanford
and many others…. 

Thanks!  Stay tuned for info on the gallery catalog…

-Courtney

p.s. In a previous post I committed to buying a piece of art from the gallery… For the record, I bought Tijana Djordjevic’s nose-picking plate.  It’ll always remind me of the gallery.

Upcoming Events

This Week:
Wednesday, July 23 at 7 PM: Film Screening- most likely a dark and mysterious film about the future
Thursday, July 24th at 7 PM: Manuscript Launch for Poet Lenore DeCerce
Friday, July 25th from 5 – 8 PM: Closing Reception

Next Week: Open for regular gallery hours on Wed. – Fri. from 11 AM – 7 PM with the last film screening on Wed. night at 7 PM.

City Eagle coverage

Thanks to the City Eagle for their wonderful coverage of Contemporary Gallery!  There are some photos along with the announcement of our extended dates in this week’s City Eagle (available at almost any downtown restaurant or coffee shop).  Next week’s issue, coming out on Thursday, will feature poet Lenore DeCerce, who is launching her new manuscript at our gallery this Thursday, July 24th at 7 p.m.

Check out the photo the City Eagle Editor Ellen Leahy took of me playing with Sam Harmon’s interactive hair installation…  Thanks Ellen!

Courtney Rile plays with Sam Harmon's interactive hair installation at Contemporary Gallery

The photo is also posted online on their website with the press release about our extended hours HERE

Letter to the Editor

An edited version of what’s below was published on Thursday as a letter to the editor of the Post-Standard in response to Katherine Rushworth’s article. Nancy is passionate about pointing out that our presence as a temporary art gallery is indicative of a progressing environment for the arts in Syracuse. The fact that we exist is a positive sign of what’s to come. This brings up an interesting point.

As the gallery comes to a close (our closing reception is this Friday from 5-8 p.m. and our last day open is Aug. 1), how do you feel about our temporary nature? Many many people have expressed their sorrow to see us go, but it has also been a wonderful experience to exist even for a short while. Dean Potter, who has a way with words, described it as a performance. I like that idea… a performance in terms of weeks instead of hours. What do you think? Are we a positive sign of what’s to come or is it still frustrating because we can’t sustain ourselves? What is your hope?

-Courtney

To the editor:

I read Kathryn Rushworth’s latest Sunday art column in “Stars” with very mixed feelings.

First, it’s terrific she acknowledges Contemporary Gallery’s exhibit, “Whimsy: Celebrating the Power of ‘Why Not?’” I too enjoyed the warm standing room-only welcome this engaging and well-mounted show got on opening night, and the gallery’s frequent events are a savvy use of its space.

But Contemporary’s short life-span isn’t a sign Syracuse is a tight-fisted backwater. Rather, intentionally seasonal galleries are a sign of the diversification of art venues that begins to occur when communities actually achieve the status of “art towns.” They abound in places that are already precisely the kind of “destination” that local planners hope Syracuse will be.

Rushworth is correct that the local art scene shows disturbing underlying financial wobbliness despite burgeoning multimillion-dollar development plans that hinge on the arts. Some independent conventional galleries and organizations are having a hard time. We have not yet as a community looked deeply beyond plans for luring tourist dollars to ask harder questions. Beyond faith in the trickle-down theory, how will we make sure our local artists can make a living? How can we develop local art collection so that nationally-known artists who already live here will also exhibit here? How do we expect to grow the audience for all this art when mainstream media’s trend is toward shrinking arts coverage? Meanwhile, Contemporary Gallery is one exciting sign of life.

Nancy Keefe Rhodes

Press Release- Gallery Extends through Aug. 1

Contemporary Gallery Extends through August 1, 2008

Due to popular demand, Roslyn Esperon and Courtney Rile of Contemporary Gallery have decided to extend the exhibition “Whimsy: Celebrating the Power of “Why Not?” through Friday, August 1, 2008.

Since their grand opening on June 11th, Contemporary Gallery has added new artwork to its exhibition including large scale marking crayon drawings by Kent Mikalsen, steel and glass sculpture by Kelly MacIntyre, the abstract collaborative paintings of Michael Swatt and Michael Barletta, mouth-watering rings by Lindsay Huff and cityscape oil paintings by Katherine Weiss.

Other featured artists include: Brian Butler, Barbara Conte-Gaugel, Tijana Djordjevic, Emma Esperon, Lew Graham, Sam Harmon, Tara Hogan, Joshua Daniel Smachlo Kaplan, Sara Kinney, Peter Lowenstein, Suse Lowenstein, Ty Marshal, Kyle Mort, Justin Rabideau, Courtney Rile, Cheyne Rood, Stoneharp Studios, Kevin Thayer, Carrie Valenzuela, D.F. Ward, Sean Ward, Fred Wellner, Laura Wellner and Jason Yoh.

Contemporary Gallery is also pleased to announce several upcoming special events including the continuation of weekly Wednesday night film screenings taking place from 7-9 PM. Curated by John Craddock, the Assistant Director of the Syracuse International Film Festival, each film brings a new sense of whimsy to the gallery.

Open until 10pm on Thursday, July 17th, Contemporary Gallery will also be hosting the official Th3 Third Thursday after-party. Tasty treats will be provided by Sinfully Sweet Baked Goods and the cool summer beverages of Roji Tea Lounge will also be available.

Local Poet Lenore DeCerce makes her debut appearance on Thursday, July 24th at 7pm for the unveiling of her most recent work “Leaning Against the Bed with One Knee.” DeCerce has been writing since she was twelve and is a graduate of LeMoyne College with a degree in English and a concentration in Creative Writing.

The closing reception of Contemporary Gallery will take place on Friday, July 25th from 5-8 pm. However, the gallery will remain open an additional week, until Friday, August 1st, 2008. Regular gallery hours are 11 am – 7 pm Wednesday through Friday.

Open Late this Thursday!

Open late until 10pm, this Thursday is the official after party for TH3 the Third Thursday art hop! The tasty teas of Roji Tea Lounge and Chocolate Snowtop cookies courtesy of Sinfully Sweet Baked Goods will be available. Tentatively also scheduled is live painting starting at 8 pm by our own Michael Swatt and Michael Barletta. So swing on by to visit us at Contemporary Gallery during your arts adventures! We guarantee a fun time!