The Stand
‘Reviving Place’ puts residents’ visions of Onondaga Lake Watershed to canvas
This Friday, the Onondaga Environmental Institute will introduce its latest project “Reviving Place Exhibition” at the Ska-nonh Center.
The artwork featured in the exhibit was created by four local artists—Sandra Fioramonti-Sabene, Kate Woodle, Roland Powless and Kamiiron Pritchard, who is a South Side resident.
The artists were able to articulate what Syracuse residents valued in their community and about the Onondaga Lake Watershed. Residents met during community meetings in the South Side neighborhood, Liverpool and Tully Valley to share what they found unique, special or important about their particular area. Next the feedback from each neighborhood was translated into visual representations by the artists involved.
An informal conversation with the artists will follow the exhibit, which begins at 6 p.m. allowing attendees to view the paintings and meet the artists. Children attending will have a designated coloring station to express their artistic talents.
Amy Samuels, the Institute’s Education and Outreach coordinator, believes many will gain a lot from the exhibit. She also, “hopes people will think about what they value in their own community and what’s important to them through the exhibit.”
South Side artist Pritchard described art as an extension of himself, in a press release about the exhibit. He has been commissioned to paint portraits of Syracuse locals, landscapes and historical scenes, using charcoal, pencil, clay, pastel, oil and acrylic.
Powless’ artwork on the Tully Valley map was heightened by his personal awareness of Onondaga Nation, and Woodle created a painting using her 25 years of experience with illustrations of the natural world.
Additionally, students at the Ed Smith School from the East Side of Syracuse also had the opportunity to explore what they found special in their neighborhood, along with what they wanted for the future of their broader community as part of the Onondaga Lake Watershed. Students drew maps of what they currently value in their neighborhoods and worked with a professional artist to create a map of what they wished for Onondaga Creek and Onondaga Lake.
The Skan-nonh Center is located at 6680 Onondaga Lake Parkway in Liverpool, and the exhibit continues through Oct. 2. Reproductions of the artwork and a 2017 wall calendar based upon the paintings will be available for free during the Sept. 30 reception, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m.
— Preview compiled by Rachel George, The Stand Staff reporter
