Meet the (cover) artist: January and February

January and February were busy months here at the RPO as we prepared for our successful first-ever Season Announcement Concert (with new Music Director Ward Stare at the helm!). Now it’s time to catch up on our cover artist blog series! “Meet the (cover) artist” are a series of blog posts that highlight the talented people behind our program cover art. These eight works of art were chosen anonymously from a collection of almost 7,000 at the Rochester Contemporary Art Center’s (RoCo) annual 6X6 exhibition, which invites anyone to create a piece of art on a six-by-six inch square space, using whatever medium they prefer. RocCo is currently accepting submissions for 6X6X2015; submissions must be postmarked by April 18, 2015.

In January, we featured a watercolor by Alice Styles called “White Woods.” Styles’ artwork was chosen for January because the colors and subject matter seem to reflect a winter theme.

January cover
"White Woods" by Alice Styles

Name: Alice Styles of Greece, N. Y.
Why did you want to participate in the RoCo exhibit? Painting is a hobby for me. I also enjoy home sewing, especially machine made small quilts.
What inspired your painting? My painting designs come from nature photographs that my family or I take and from my garden. I learned much about creating art from some wonderful courses at the Creative Workshop at the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester.
What medium did you use in your artwork, and why did you choose this medium?
Transparent watercolor is my favorite medium. I chose it for its brightness and glow.
Why do you love painting? The fun of painting is always trying to capture that perfect painting that is out there somewhere just waiting to be found!



This month, we are featuring an untitled piece by Anchorage, Alaska resident Megan Taylor. While 6X6 originated in the Rochester area eight years ago, the exhibition has grown to include thousands of artworks from 65 different countries and every U.S. state in 2014. While the RPO chooses the winners of the Bravo award anonymously, we were pleased to find one of the winners was from as far away as Alaska! Taylor’s composition, created with a combination of acrylics and mixed media, drew the attention of the RPO judges for its use of texture, and the red color palette suited Heart Health month and Valentine’s Day in February.

February cover
Untitled by Megan Taylor

Stay tuned next month for another installment of Meet the (cover) artist!