Seneca Park Zoo and the George Eastman House joined forces to bring photographer David Liittschwager to Rochester to photograph and catalog the the contents of one cubic foot of the Genesee River ecosystem. Liittschwager dropped his cube about one hundred and fifty yards south of Rattlesnake Point across from Turning Point near the mouth of the Genesee and gave a lecture tonight at the Dryden Theater. He showed amazing photos of microorganisms that were taken just this afternoon and time-lapse video footage with Great Blue Herons standing near the cube. Rochester Contemporary plans to have a show of his Genesee River photos in February.
In the bathroom after the lecture everyone was complaining about how they were unable to hear the talk. We were in the front row of the packed theater and I thought it was just us. Judging by the voracity of the complaints I’m really surprised someone didn’t speak up. The visuals were stunning.
After the talk Roy Sowers gave me some fresh Sunflower stalk paper that he made. He had me smell it. It smelled like a barn. I asked where he works and he said, “the Center.” And then I heard part of the story about the a lawsuit over the Center’s new logo. I say part of the story because I don’t know any of the facts here but I am interested in these sort of issues.
The Center had called itself “The Genesee Center for the Arts and Education.” More than a mouthful. They changed their name to “The Rochester Arts Center.” Rochester Contemporary has been using “Arts Center” after their name for a long time. They may have usage rights to “Rochester Contemporary Arts Center” for all I know. Peggi and I did their logo when they changed the name from Pyramid and then it was just Rochester Contemporary in the logo. So, if I have this right, The Rochester Arts Center steals three of the four words in Rochester Contemporary Arts Center, effectively one upping Rochester Contemporary and making RoCo look like an affiliate or subsidiary of The Rochester Arts Center. We have friends in both organizations but it sounds like cease and desist or lawyer-up time to me.
Leave a comment