Third Thursday

Snapshots of the Syracuse art scene
By NewsHouse Staff
April 5, 2010 - 10:38am
Explore the creative efforts aimed at keeping the local arts community thriving.

If the following profiles on artists, galleries and collectors are any indication, the Syracuse-area art scene has support and is quite alive in many respects.

Several participate in Third Thursday, a free event that involves two dozen Syracuse galleries and museums on the third Thursday of every month. The next event is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. on April 15.

Clayscapes Gallery does more than display
By Heather Crowley
March 3, 2010 - 1:37pm
Clayscapes blends together the experience of a gallery, studio and classroom.

A simple material pulled from the earth -- clay. That’s what it’s all about at Clayscapes. Some galleries focus on paintings, others on sculptures. But at Clayscapes Pottery, the theme of the work centers around using your hands to mold, shape, and create a piece of art. Don’t be frightened by its warehouse-like look, or its off-the-beaten-path location. Clayscapes is a gallery for anyone who appreciates great works, created from raw, native materials.

'We were the masks'
By Christine Mehta
March 2, 2010 - 5:01pm
SU Professor displays his 40 year-old Mexican art collection at the Community Folk Arts Center on East Genesee Street.

What began as hobby for Dr. Alejandro Garcia has become an entire gallery full of vibrant photography and Mexican folk art.

Garcia, professor of social work at Syracuse University, has collected Mexican masks, clothing and pottery for the past 40 years. As a child growing up in Texas, he was told that Mexicans lacked culture. Garcia knew that this couldn’t be true. In his youth he made his first trip to Mexico, where he bought his first piece of art while serving in the military.

Irish artist, teacher and businesswoman
By Kyle Bonn
March 2, 2010 - 4:49pm
Former SU professor, Jan Navales makes and sells textile screenprint art from her studio in the Delavan Center.

Alone in a quaint, cluttered studio at the Delavan Center in downtown Syracuse, Jan Navales crafts fabric art, with a distinct Irish upbringing, and more than 30 years experience. A self-taught artist, Navales returned to her hometown in Syracuse to create and market her work full-time.