Join us for First Friday; our gallery and studio spaces will be open to the public!

Step into a world of intimate connections and profound revelations with "Paper Lanterns," a captivating exhibition by Michele Ashlee-Meade. This showcase invites you to explore the depths of human vulnerability through a mesmerizing collection of black and white portraits accompanied by handwritten notes from the subjects themselves.

Michele Ashlee-Meade wanted to give the faceless a face. That’s why, ten years ago, she picked up a camera. She knew that the unhoused, displaced, and mentally ill had stories to tell. She used her keen eye and deep community connection to photograph the humanity behind the faces that so many others turned away from. Her photography has evolved through the years, but has remained true to capturing photographic storytelling. Influenced by the likes of Marcia Resnick and Lee Jeffries, Ashlee is able to capture raw emotion and tell personal, from-the-heart narratives with her lens.

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First Friday is a monthly citywide gallery night that encourages collaboration between art venues in Rochester, NY. This initiative showcases area artists and smaller arts institutions by promoting the First Friday evening of each month from 6-9pm as a community night for experiencing art. First Friday ensures a healthy art scene and a healthy city through regular exchange between venues, artists and patrons.