Rochester’s vibrant arts scene is a huge part of our local culture. From galleries to street art, museums, festivals, murals, and more, it’s a rich area for anyone wanting to experience beauty and to explore the way we think about ourselves, each other, and the moment in which we live—through art.
The many artist-in-residence (AIR) programs in the (585) enhance this atmosphere by allowing artists space and time to focus on their craft and create new work but also by bringing them into close contact with other artists so that collaboration and mutual inspiration can merge. Artists are also encouraged to form connections with members of the community, sometimes teaching or exhibiting their work. There are several AIR programs in our area that draw talented people.
Wendell Castle Workshop
The late Wendell Castle was a multitalented artist who is considered the father of art furniture, and he made his home in Scottsville until his death in 2018. Castle worked primarily in wood but also in metal and other materials. His studio contains unique equipment not found elsewhere, creating an exciting opportunity. The workshop offers classes that draw students from all over the country. In 2025, the inaugural AIR program at the workshop is hosting two artists who are a great match for the space Castle developed during his lifetime and for the palpable energy he left behind.
Interdisciplinary artist Annalisa Barron first came to Rochester in 2018, “right when Wendell had his last show at the MAG,” she explains. She had seen Castle’s work in books and now seeing the work on display as well as getting a taste of the larger art scene in Rochester helped her decide to stay in the area. She now splits her time between Rochester and New York City.
Barron has extensive experience in metalwork, and during her residency this spring, she will start teaching metalworking at the workshop, spearheading a new series of classes. “I want to basically find a way to . . . create a reason to build a totally new community,” she explains. Barron wants not only artists and designers to come to the classes but people from all walks of life. “I think that metal work is an incredible gateway between blue-collar folks and fine art.” In terms of her own work, during her residency, she plans to create a piece in textural forged steel, inspired by her Norwegian background, that is more sculpture than furniture. The piece will “play with the idea of what it’s like to sit in a place.” She is hoping her work will be an intense sensory experience. “I want to have the chair be the main thing that you’re thinking about while you’re sitting in it.” Although Wendell Castle has passed on, Barron very much feels that “we still have the presence of something really sweet happening here.”
Musician and artist Christian Wargo, currently based in Indiana, recently finished a three-year tour cycle as a bass player and backing vocalist for the band Fleet Foxes. After the tour concluded, he decided to take some time to explore visual art when he heard about this opportunity. “I kind of can’t believe I’m here, to be honest,” he says, calling it a dream come true. “Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that I would be in Wendell’s shop using Wendell’s tools.” Wargo has been interested in woodworking and functional art since high school. During a school field trip to a museum dedicated to the works of American artist and designer Wharton Esherick, Wargo fell in love with the idea of functional art. “Coming from an artist background and seeing a woodworking artist, fully realized . . . I loved it, and I ate it up.” He began researching other artist woodworkers and found Wendell Castle’s work. “I mean I was just a fanboy,” of the work of these artists, he says. Wargo became a career musician but never lost the passion for woodworking. During the residency, he has had the opportunity to get to know Wendell’s wife, artist Nancy Jurs, and his daughter Alison Castle. “Wendell and Nancy were a ‘power couple’ who generously encouraged other artists,” he explains, saying that everyone has been extremely gracious and helpful. Wargo was even able to restring Wendell’s guitar. “It’s wild.” The project he is working on during his residency is a large carved wooden piece that could double as seating. Alison Castle encouraged him to “go big,” during his time here; the nature of a special place like this workshop, Wargo explains, is to “reach for the stars.” The woodshop has the biggest and best machines, and he hopes to draw from the techniques that Wendell pioneered. workshop.wendellcastle.org
Visual Studies Workshop
Visual Studies Workshop (VSW) has long history, explains assistant curator Hernease Davis. The focus here is on photography, film, and new media such as video game artistry. “We really try to support those who are expanding their fields and pushing their mediums,” she says. Artists come from all over the country and the world to participate in the program, and this fully funded residency is open to artists at any stage of their career. Resident artists, especially those from out of town, are encouraged to interact with interested local people and engage with the community. After forty-six years on Prince Street, VSW has now moved to a new space at 36 King Street, a more accessible building that will be more welcoming to the public. vsw.org
Flower City Arts Center
Although the ceramics program is the strength at Flower City Arts, it offers much more. Kate Whorton, ceramics director, explains that “Flower City Arts gives residents a chance to try other mediums and to collaborate with artists from other disciplines. This makes for a rich environment for exploration.” Recent artist-in-residence Kai Lemis says that the program “allows for ample conversation and exchange of ideas.” Lemis was also able to teach here for the first time, calling it “a wonderful experience.” Keely Wu, a recent resident artist specializing in printmaking and book arts, called the program an “invaluable experience.” Wu values the connections they have made at the center and appreciates the specialized equipment, such as large etching presses, as well. flowercityarts.org
The Yards Collective
The Yards is a small, women-owned business rooted in community and creative collaboration. The Yards AIR program ran from 2013–2023, but it has been on a pause due to funding constraints. “My hope is to try and find a grant to support the program and relaunch it in January 2026,” explains director Kristina Kaiser. While artists tend to work on their own in studios, Kaiser says, a program like this fosters a communal feel, allowing participants to “connect with their fellow makers.” Past sessions of the program allowed artists to delve into their practice, in some cases serving to jump start their careers. The program drew fiber artists, painters, sculptors, musicians, and performance artists. Participants had the opportunity to exhibit their work at the Memorial Art Gallery, and there was a collaboration with the local avant-garde theater troupe The Velvet Noose. theyardsrochester.com
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2025 issue of (585).
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