This blog post was written by Writers & Books’ Development Associate, Tate DeCaro.
2016 will be my fourth year in a row participating in Rochester Contemporary Art Center’s (RoCo) 6×6 Exhibit, and the submission date for artworks in close upon us: April 17 (or postmarked by April 16)!
If you’re not already familiar, the RoCo 6×6 show is an international small art phenomenon, returning for it’s 9th year. The exhibit is made up of thousands of 6” by 6” artworks, made and donated by celebrities, international & local artists, designers, college students, youths… really anyone that wants to donate! Using the term “artist” liberally, I’m going to call us ALL – that is, everyone in the world – an artist, because if you want to be a part of this exhibit of artworks, you can be!
The exhibit consists of an eclectic mix of styles and mediums that come from the young and old (and everyone in between), from locals to national and international participants, from those who make their living as artists to those who, like me, create only a few pieces a year, if that. Each piece is exhibited anonymously, so you judge them based solely on how they speak to you, not how the name attached to them does. And each artwork is offered for sale to the public for $20 each, to benefit RoCo.
For the past four years I have submitted a few pieces each year, usually something cross-stitched, and I generally end up purchasing… well, more pieces than I made! I have ten 6×6 pieces in my home, ranging from a series of four pastel drawings of a red panda, to a print of a baseball player throwing an actual ball (sawed in half and affixed to the canvas). This year I’m submitting two pieces that are a little bit different – I can’t tell you what they are (that’d be cheating!) but let’s just say they’re going to be eggsciting…
The thing I love about the exhibit is seeing the wide range of artistic talents, and, in particular, uses of materials. I have the great pleasure of also being one of the volunteers who puts up the exhibit, so I get an up close and personal look at a lot of the artworks, and I love to see how people use different mediums like paint or ink on canvas or paper, found objects, clay, thread, etc. etc., to create so many thousands of individual pieces. Last year I brought my entire family to see the show – parents, brother & sister in law, and my two nieces (11 and 12 years old) – and all of us purchased one artwork. It was such fun to walk around as a group and to see what everyone picked. In the end, each of our choices reflected our personalities.
In addition to submitting and purchasing artworks, I have also volunteered to work the Opening Party & Artwork Sale the past two years, which is always a blast. RoCo’s space becomes packed with art enthusiasts all vying for a good lotto number so they can be amongst the first to rush to purchase their artwork of choice!
Here are the details for 6×6:
- Artwork Entries due: April 17 or postmarked by April 1
- In-Gallery Preview (no purchasing): May 30 – June 3, 12-9pm
- Opening Party & Artwork Sale: June 4, 4-10pm
Be sure to note the deadline for submitting art! If you have any questions you can always visit RoCo’s website: http://www.rochestercontemporary.org. I hope to see your artwork on the RoCo walls, and I can’t wait to see you at the opening on June 4th!
