‘A Change Is Coming’ to RoCo 

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There are two not-to-be-missed shows in February at Rochester Contemporary Art Center.

In the main gallery is “A Change is Coming,” featuring three contemporary artists who use their print-based work to respond to concerns about equity and sustainability.

St. Louis, Missouri-based artist Julia Curran’s experiences of dealing with an autoimmune disease has informed the vibrant, mixed-media compositions she makes, which often depict whole bodies — or just organs, bones, or other fragments — in natural environments. RoCo says her work serves as a way to process and communicate her “fascination with what it means to be in touch with one’s body in a disembodied culture, our presumption of agency over flesh, and the interconnectedness of our internal and shared environments.”

Texas-based Philippine-American printmaker and muralist Kill Joy’s interests in mythology, nature, and memento mori symbolism blend in striking lino-cut explorations of reverence for the earth and calls for action in environmental and social justice. Her work is rooted in the aesthetics of traditional Mexican protest posters, and she’s a member of the pro-environment, pro-immigrant artist collective Just Seeds.

South Korea-born artist and University of Rochester professor Mizin Shin is an internationally-renowned printmaker whose “network models” reflect the interdependency of manufacturing, production, and consumption systems. Her work is presented in various forms, from posters to video work, sculpture, and more immersive installations.

The exhibition will include Shin’s current print campaign ‘Use Your Voice #StopAsianHate,’ which she began in response to rising hate crimes. The venue will host a screen print workshop on Feb. 12. in which participants can make and take home signs from the artist’s campaign collection to put up in their communities. Proceeds will be donated to Asian and Pacific Islander organizations.

In RoCo’s LAB Space is “40/40 Vision,” a collection of collages that share the mid-life inner world of former Democrat and Chronicle journalist and artist Erica Bryant. Upon turning 40, Bryant began to create a series of 40 collages that document and explore 40 dreams, as a self-created rite-of-passage into the next stage of her life. The scenes are strange and engaging, and built with a keen blend of texture and depth.

Both shows open Friday, Feb. 4, 6 to 9 p.m., and remain on view through March 12.

Rebecca Rafferty is CITY's life editor. She can be reached at [email protected].