I have been a customer of The Great Frame Up in Rochester for many years (and always been pleased)…read more Just recently they framed two large pictures for my living room and two smaller pictures for my home office and they are just beautiful!! The space is inviting, the workers who help you have wonderful expertise and the work is always done efficiently and professionally. Highly recommend!!

I had a great experience with Great Frame Up. After my brother gifted me a vintage Rochester map, I…read morewanted to frame it to hang in my living room. Since it was a weird size, I couldn't find something from a standard store and knew I would have to custom frame this. I heard recommendations for this place, so I decided to give it a try. I went in on a weekend day and there were two ladies working, Lauren helped me. We talked through framing styles and what would look best with the other woods in my living room (I took pictures so we could match colors). We went with a deep brown - very simple, no embellishments. They have different levels of glass that go with each - regular clear glass, anti-glare, and museum grade. I went with regular glass and no matte. The more intricate things you add on or fancier styles of frame all cost more so consider that as you're planning your purchase and they'll give you quotes on the differences in pricing to find out what fits your budget and what you want the end result to be. I paid in advance in full, but there was an option to do just a deposit if that's up your alley. I came back a week later to pick up the finished print and was so happy with the end result. If you're planning to get something framed for a gift (especially during the holidays), plan ahead as it takes a few days up to a week to do the framing.

Cat Clay is definitely my favourite stop on First Fridays at The Hungerford Building...or…read moreFungerford. Sabra Wood is a clever clay artist and you may have seen her celebrity mugshot mugs around local boutiques such as Shop Peppermint. If you are ever in the studio, you can spot the artist immediately by the cute cat ears diadem she wears. She really is the sweetest human in the building and always has awesome snacks! I recommend planning a visit on this Holiday season for some local shop love and gift procurement. Your loved ones will appreciate all the quirky and funny puns.

What should I visit first ???? Atlas-Eats or Bentley ?????…read moreIts up to you !!! But if you need a wonderful hand crafted gift Bentley's Studio first !

Just came from a fantastic first pottery lesson with Christin. My wife and father and I LOVED it…read more Christin is a great teacher and a wonderful person. The prices are very reasonable, and we learned a ton! We ended up with an average of 3 finished pieces of pottery to take home. We highly recommend this for both classes and the pottery in general. What a wonderful experience! Definitely going back.

I was browsing the Internet for a painting to fill some empty wall space and had a general idea…read morewhat I wanted. I grew up on the St. Lawrence River, which divides the U.S. and Canada. I wanted something that brought me back to my roots, back to my childhood and teenage years of fishing, jumping off the dock, hanging out on the raft, tubing, watching the ships cross the channel and going out on the jet ski to jump the waves they left in their wake. So I sought out of some local artists in Upstate New York familiar with the St. Lawrence. That's when I discovered the work of Paul Allen Taylor based out of Rochester. I immediately saw a canvas print I liked titled, "Ogdensburg - Prescott International Bridge." When I first spoke to Paul about this print, you could tell he wasn't just interested in making a sale. He explained to me the story behind it. He said he had just recently commissioned the original in acrylic for an Ogdensburg resident, both of whom went out on the St. Lawrence together to capture the image seen in the painting. Paul didn't need to do any further explaining. I wanted it. I originally ordered the 14x48 unstretched print for $179, plus shipping to my residence in New Jersey. I didn't think to ask Paul to stretch and frame it since I was worried the package would arrive damaged. But Paul was considerate and acknowledged that the cost to stretch and frame a 14x48 print would be higher in my area than it would for him to do it himself and send to me ready to hang on my wall. So I agreed to let Paul do the whole job and I'm glad I did. The package was wrapped perfectly with no possibility to be damaged, I wasn't left to search for a competitive price at local framing shops, and the final cost did not end up as high as I had anticipated. Also, Paul was an excellent communicator throughout the purchasing process, updating me frequently on the status of my order. He was also willing to give me multiple frame options, but the first or second selection he made was perfect. Now this masterpiece rests on my wall, which will forever remind me of my childhood and teenage years. It's also going to be a great conversation starter when guests are over. Thank you, Paul!

Anytime we visit Rochester, we have to visit the Eastman Museum. It's a great museum, featuring not…read moreonly the permanent exhibit, the house, the outdoor garden but also the rotating exhibits. Everyone is also very nice and welcoming. I absolutely love photography so I love seeing the old pictures and the cameras that took them. It's so cool to see the evolution of the camera. They also have a few movie cameras too. They also had a whole wall displaying the colors used when Technicolor was first introduced. I also like seeing how much better pictures got over time too. When we visited recently, there was a wonderful exhibit that I absolutely loved. It combined my love of flowers, horticulture and photography. It was so cool that this man grew these beautiful tall flowers across a large portion of his property and photographed it all. He also created some other beautiful pieces. I especially loved three large panels. While touring the house, you see many fascinating items from Eastman's life. It's a beautiful home. You can just imagine the parties he must have hosted there. I would love to have attended a party that he had in his dining room. He had some beautiful things. the foyer where you go to the other rooms or upstairs. He had some interesting artifacts too like his pipe organ that had around 6k pipes. I bet it sounded amazing because there were also buttons that made it sound like a whole orchestra. The gardens there are absolutely beautiful when not under construction. They have so many wonderful varieties of flowers and other plants. I can't wait to go back and see it after the construction is done. There was also a beautiful picture of Macchu Picchu outside. If you love photography, you must visit. They have a nice gift shop too.

This is a house that reflects the zeitgeist and sensibilities of it's first owner, as do Elvis's…read moreGraceland and Hearst's San Simeon. If you're one of the world's richest men, how do you design your home? It turns out, George Eastman, best known for earning camera patents and running a multi-million dollar international firm, had a wild and wacky side. Who else would install not just a cathedral-style Wurlitzer near the central stairwell, but hire an organist to play it every morning at 08:00 as an alarm clock? He once took an African safari and decorated his home liberally with the mementos: An elephant's head is in place of pride in the atrium. Eastman's mother lived to an advanced age, and had her own wing in the house. For me, this was some of the most interesting and personal parts of the house. Her bedroom window had the best view of the formal gardens below. The nurse's quarters were adjacent to hers. The state of the art wheelchair was on display, and looking into the medicine cabinet (behind glass) were the medicine bottles she used. Raise your hand if you're surprised morphine was there? Except for the china pattern, the piano, and the furniture, Mrs. Eastman is almost invisible. Perhaps that was her preference. In summer the gardens are open to the public. There's a gallery/ photography museum next to the house on the first floor; the price of admission is covered in the same visit fee. Seniors, students, children have discounted ticket prices.

I won free tickets to see Dustbowl Revival at the Nazareth Arts Center. The show was phenomenal! I…read morehadn't been to this venue before this show. It was a bit difficult for us to find it since our GPS led us through the winding campus roads. There was ample parking in front of the Arts Center which was a delightful surprise. Since we got there fairly early, we took a short stroll around the concert hall. There were beautiful sculptures and art pieces around, a cute seating area (for students I'm guessing). The evening didn't start out great. The usher literally led us to the wrong seats, on the opposite end of the theater. It was an ordeal finding our seats and the people we passed while looking for our seats were quite rude which put me in a bad mood. The seats were a bit cramped; I couldn't stand up to dance. They were comfortable enough to sit in though! The acoustics weren't fabulous from where I was sitting by the right side door. During the intermission, I stepped out. Again, the people down our row were rude and grunted at us as we tried to get passed them. The water fountain outside of the door did not work! The concessions stand only took cash and it was super crowded. I ended up going to a vending machine downstairs. The bathroom I went to (downstairs) was very clean and spacious. It was much nicer than I had expected it to be. Overall, I have mixed feelings about the Nazareth Arts Center. On the one hand, it was a pretty and clean facility with decent seats. But on the other hand there were so many small things like the incompetent usher and broken water fountain that really turned me off to it. I'm willing to give it another try and come back for another show in the future (hopefully with a different crowd).

2nd x I've come here. This time to see the "Stars of Russian Ballet". Please, the whole program…read morewas mediocre at best,some outright awful dancers. The worse Corsaire pas de deux I've seen in my entired life.

This is a fun new place to take the family- highlights renewable energy sources and local arts as…read morewell. Good for a family or curious folks who like to see renewable energy in action. The rooftop has solar panels- there will be food and drink up there once the weather warms up. 2nd floor has a cycling/spin room that has bikes that generate electricity and show how much you are generating. There are 2 wind turbines right behind the building. The plan is to have the entire building operate on alternative / renewable energy sources. There is an atrium and skylight in the center of the building with a grow wall with plants. Local artists' work adorns the walls. Plenty more to say and see here- come check it out!

I'm so glad this place is still around. I actually wasn't sure where to find a poster for an event…read moreand remembered this spot was on Monroe Ave. While it may be unusual for me to be on the hunt for a Ryan Gosling poster (no, I won't be hanging it in my office...), I found what I needed here without much hassle - all for $10. I'd rather buy locally than online and it was so much more convenient swinging by here on my way home. Beyond that, I've perused this shop many a time to find cool art deco prints, Rochester subway maps, and vintage magazine covers (specifically love the New Yorker ones - great gifts!). They have some stuff you might not find elsewhere and you can get it framed if your heart so desires. I usually will stop in here to check out their selection after grabbing a bite to eat at Aladdin's or elsewhere on this strip of Monroe.

They are closing up around labor day weekend. Posters are half off, postcards aren't on sale yet…read more Delarious prints and stickers are available. He does framing and plaques still while he closes up.