Pride, appreciation, art — these were all big themes on Everson Museum’s opening of the CNY Arts 43rd Annual, “On My Own Time” exhibition. Family members beamed with pride as employees of Syracuse toured the museum, looking at the works of art they created on their own time.

The artists featured in the exhibit have full-time jobs. The exhibit encompasses 79 original pieces of artwork, coming from 16 central New York companies in total who endeavored to reveal the talent in their employees.

These companies put on art shows and coordinated to find the final pieces that would make it into the Everson Museum Oct. 7. These pieces will be on display through Nov. 11.

Artists who made it to the CNY Arts exhibit are amateurs: the focus of On My Own Time is to recognize those who have overwhelming passion for art, but do not have the resources to pursue it full-time.

“Starving artist is not a cliché: it is a reality,” said Arlene Abend, a judge for the final pieces at the exhibit. Abend is a weldor and owns her own antique restoration shop near the Syracuse University area. “The people here are strong enough to fit in and to get to their talent, in spite of lack of time.”

Some of the pieces drew many second glances and much admiration: Anthony Harris El’s “Reach” was one of them. “Reach” was a gigantic, airbrushed canvas of three faces — Ruby Dee, Nelson Mandela and Maya Angelou.

El is an IT consultant for the water department for the city of Syracuse, and works part-time for Syracuse City Council and Syracuse Commons. His Everson exhibit piece was wholly inspired by Oprah Winfrey’s visit to Syracuse in 2014.

The day she arrived at Syracuse, he began creating “Reach.” He wanted to give something to the person “who pretty much has anything.”

“These three individuals knew Oprah, and they all passed in 2014. The piece itself is called ‘Reach’ because all three individuals reached within themselves, and reached out to us, in some way, shape, or form,” El said.

Inspiration has several different incarnations: for El, it was a matter of giving back, and for Michael Roe, an Associate Professor at State University of New
York Upstate Medical University, it was a loving dedication to his wife.

Roe’s “Green Lakes Reflection No. 1” color photography piece was his first piece at On My Own Time, and he said it was all thanks to Cheri Roe, his wife. The photograph captured fallen leaves on the lake, as they turned color just in time for fall to make its entrance.

“It was my birthday request that he get three of his photographs get framed,” Cheri Roe said.

Roe persuaded her husband to submit a photograph, and it was clear “Green Lakes Reflection No. 1” held a special place for both of them as they narrated its story.

“It was fall, and the foliage change that year was really nice. Just a really beautiful day, like today,” said Cheri Roe, smiling as she recalled their day out.

Published on October 8, 2016 at 4:31 pm

Contact: dmurthy@syr.edu