The arts have long had a complicated and uneasy relationship to real estate development and lately we've heard that Rochester’s real estate market is heating up. But do working artists have a horse in this race? How can artists best respond to instability and uncertainty generated by real estate speculation? What can artist collectives, collaboratives, or guilds offer? What are their limits?

This gathering is the first in a series of events intended to bring artists together to share, learn, and organize. This event is intended for artists, and will feature:
-debut screening of "Where Artists Should Be," a short documentary by Darien Lamen about the evolution of the art community in the Hungerford Building;
-discussion of a new grassroots, artist studio model "Rochester Arts & Causes Collective organized by Jay Rowe;
-remarks about the intersection of arts, real estate, and the gentrification conference by Calvin Eaton;
-discussion of studio access, funding, and sustainability issues facing artists in Rochester.

Roc Arts United encourages all artists who are currently renting a studio to complete this survey

ART COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

These talks are part of a biennial contemporary art project called Current Seen. Founded in 2017, then expanded in 2019 as Current Seen, the program will continue to evolve post-COVID, and change in response to the key issues facing our community. The 2022-2023 program focuses solely on important panel discussions, which we hope will inform and shape the next chapter of our art scene, as well as future iterations of Current Seen. Learn more about Current Seen here.