By Raquella Hess

Just because it's cold outside, it doesn't mean you have to get stuck in a brain-freeze! There are plenty of ways to beat the winter doldrums, keep your mind active, and even learn a few new things. Whether it's for a girls' day out or just to pry yourself off of the couch, take these dull, gray days as an opportunity to learn more about yourself and bring some color into your life. Take advantage of some of the local galleries, as Rochester's Art Scene is surprisingly alive and well all winter long!

George Eastman House
Sharing a hometown with one of the major pioneers in photography definitely has its benefits. The George Eastman House serves as one of the foremost museums for everything that is photography, boasting one of the oldest film archives in the United States as well as housing one of the top cinematic collections in the world. With weekly screenings at the Dryden Theater ranging from silent films to 80s classics, there is something for everyone in their library.

While his mansion is a work of art in itself, rotating exhibitions keep gallery-goers coming back for the often edgy, always fascinating portfolios and collections. If you're lucky enough to catch them, two groundbreaking exhibits running through January 27th are worth a trip. Lucha Libre: Masked Mexican Wrestlers includes photographs, films, and actual artifacts from Mexico City, providing an insight into the real, imaginary, and indeed obscure world of Mexican free-form wrestling. Also ending January 27th is Male and Female: Gender Performed in Photographs. The exhibit is one of confusion in costume and activity, but is undeniably a fun examination into what makes us man or woman (or both!).

Running through March 2nd is Heroes of Horticulture, an exploration of the modern landscape. In collaboration with The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) in Washington, D.C. and the Landslide program, which identifies and highlights historic landscapes at risk and documents their preservation efforts, the Eastman House brings a vision of growth and death coexisting as one. The exhibit focuses largely on landscapes at risk – whether from natural disasters or manmade occurrences – including trees and plants that have survived massive change all around their roots.
Visit www.eastmanhouse.org for more information regarding hours, admission, and current exhibits.

Memorial Art Gallery
Keep warm at the MAG with their American Art focus on Quilting. In addition to an impressive collection of classics always on display, there will be several new exhibits running through March. Wild by Design explores 200 years of American Quilting, but upon closer inspection becomes much more than simple squares of fabric. The collection exemplifies the theory that some 19th-century American Women were "painting with fabric," with beautiful displays of needlework and an intense creativity unparalleled in more drab works within the medium, creating scenes one would expect from a master, not a housewife.

On a similar note, Michael James' Reinventing Quilts in a Digital Age shows a more modern version of experimentation with fabric. His pieces are composed largely from digitally designed and printed fabric pieces sewn together in a traditional matter. Both exhibits run through March 16th.

Through March 2nd, MAG visitors will have the opportunity to view preparatory drawings for some of the Gallery's own American paintings, sculpture and prints. This up-close and personal look at the creative process is the chance of a lifetime to get inside some of your favorite masters' heads. Scaled-down reproductions will be displayed for comparison. For more information regarding hours, admission, and current exhibits visit mag.rochester.edu.

If you're up for getting involved in something consistent, check out the schedule of the classes they offer in painting, printmaking, sculpture, and even jewelry making! Beginner to advanced courses are offered, so find out more at mag.rochester.edu/creativeworkshop.

Artisan Works
This small, out of the way gallery may not look like much from the outside, but houses a rich and often astonishing collection of art from both local and traveling sculptors, painters, metalworkers, and nearly every other type of artisan one could imagine. Not only is the warehouse-sized gallery filled to the brim with pieces for sale, it also contains several themed rooms for exploring or hosting parties! Featuring a Rooftop Garden, Japanese and Victorian-themed dining rooms, an extended walkway of artists' studios and a room dedicated to Frank Lloyd Wright, there are endless possibilities and something to please everyone's palate.

Running through March is Reminiscence, a show that compares and contrasts well-known artists of American and Europe to local talents. This celebration of the "constant and timeless exchange of dialogue" between artists will hopefully increase awareness of the cause and effect relationship between artists, historical influences, creations and the subsequent impact on audiences.

Artisan Works is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday to the general public, and 7 days a week for private events. Admission is just $12 to guests and free to members. Artisan Works caters not only to artists, but opens their doors for corporate and school events, so the next time you're in need of a venue, try something totally unique. Find out more at www.artisanworks.net.

Raquella Hess is a staff writer for Rochester Woman Magazine.