There is a small gallery to the right of the entrance at Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn, New York, called the Gallery Julius.  It is a space reserved primarily for emerging regional artists who send work to the art center’s curator for consideration.

Common Places is the current exhibition: photographs by Willson Cummer of Fayetteville, New York, taken while on hiking excursions to parks near his home.  He and his wife are kindred spirits, the term for people I meet on the road-less-travelled sections of the trails at Green Lakes State Park.  We have that in common.

These photographs also have sunshine in common, and a sense of serenity and timelessness.  There are ten similarly-sized and framed photographs in this show, all priced at $650.

Artist Statement

These photographs are from my project called Common Places. I use a few word plays to develop the concept. First, I made these images in parks — places held in common, set aside from private development. Also, these pictures are of unremarkable places. While I love to climb in the Adirondacks this work is about common parks near my home in Fayetteville, New York. Finally, I am interested in the use — primarily in the 1700s — of the commonplace, a scrapbook of sorts in which people collected stimulating quotes, letters and printed items. These pictures are my commonplace. 

All current spring exhibitions will be on display until May 12, 2019.  The Schweinfurth is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday 1 pm – 5 pm.  Admission is $7 and free for exhibiting artists, members and children.