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While walking around downtown Syracuse this summer, Daniela Nikolavsky saw a unique, surrealist portrait by Hannah Alvaro displayed on an abandoned storefront. She contacted the artist about featuring her work in an exhibit — “A Portrait of Upstate.”

“I wanted to see, can a person with an idea come to Syracuse and do something about it?” Nikolavsky said. “This art exhibition shows that people are interested in art, art can connect people, so I’m very hopeful.”

Alvaro is one of many artists featured in the exhibit, which will be displayed at 701 N Salina Street through Oct. 27. They come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, using styles ranging from abstract painting to murals, but what brings them together is their home in upstate New York.

The exhibit is more than just a collection of art. It’s the first step in creating a cultural arts district in Syracuse, an effort spearheaded by Nikolavsky, Nicole Watts and Ronnie Harris.

Watts has lived in Syracuse for almost 20 years. She started a nonprofit called Hopeprint that aims to help people resettling in Syracuse and “facilitate sustainable development so that all might prosper in place.”

“For this first exhibit, much of the art is pulled from talented artists throughout the region, and we look forward to seeing hyperlocal artists on the Northside drawn out through events like this,” Watts said.

The Northside of Syracuse is culturally rich and very diverse, she said. With a cultural arts district, they hope to celebrate the cultures of the neighborhood.

“While we may read in the paper, see on the news, or know anecdotally that Syracuse welcomes among the most resettling refugees in the region … most people in our region do not have approachable ways to learn from all these new neighbors,” Watts said.

Watts and Nikolavsky have applied for the Our Town grant, which is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. They want a cultural arts district to serve as an opportunity for people to find a piece of home in Syracuse. Culture is manifested in the arts and is an accessible way to encounter other cultures, Watts said.

Courtesy of Shavonne Joliee

‘A Portrait of Upstate’ displays the work of artists throughout the Syracuse area. The exhibit takes place this weekend at an abandoned building on the north side of the city.
Courtesy of Shavonne Joliee

One of the artists in the exhibit, Brandon Lazore, is a traditional Haudenosaunee painter. In the exhibit, his paintings depict animals, nature and landscapes with traditional designs.

“We need a whole neighborhood district for the art and murals and different events and shows that are going on,” Lazore said. “A mural or something like that can change the feel of a neighborhood.”

In the exhibit, he shows some work he has done with traditional painting on canvases, but he is also a muralist. He has been painting murals since the 1990s, and his work is on display in the Shaw Quadrangle at Syracuse University.

“I’ve always wanted to see underpasses of (Interstate 690) muraled … there’s so many walls around Syracuse that are just blank,” Lazore said. “You know, there’s so much possibility with all the blank canvases in the city.”

Shavonne Joliee, another artist in the exhibit, said that she and Nikolavsky hit it off immediately. As “creative women in the community,” they had a lot in common.

Joliee studied graphic design and illustration at Daemen University and graduated in 2001 before working at Kodak. She loves photography but said painting brings her “more peace,” returning to the form during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a mother, she is excited for her children to see her paintings.

Joliee also said that the event is in a good location for the community. She added that she would be glad to see a cultural arts district in Syracuse.

“There’s so many reasons to celebrate art and music, and (it’s amazing) that she’s creating a space and a location,” Joliee said. “You know, a destination for that in our city is really special.”

Published on October 25, 2023 at 9:48 pm