Authentic faith, meet excellent art.
Forefront 2017 is a two-part event. The morning conference is a set of talks, workshops and roundtables about how Christians can pursue excellence in every artistic medium. The afternoon/evening festival is a set of amazing performances from leading artists from all over the country — showcasing what it means to live out your faith at the forefront of the arts.

 

Learn from the best.
In the morning conference, learn from accomplished artists about how to take your work to the next level and live out your faith by pursuing excellence.

Featured Artists

Connect with creatives.
Forefront is the perfect place to meet like-minded creatives in your field. Make new friends and future collaborators. And stay in touch after the event with the all-new Forefront Artist Network.

 
 

Experience great art.
In the afternoon/evening festival, watch incredible performances of dance, film, sound layering, and music — and experience a gallery of innovative art and photography.

Featured Visual Artists
These are the talented visual artists who will be displaying their creations in the beautiful gallery space at Forefront 2017 in Rochester, NY.

Steve Carter
Steve Carter is passionate about building and understanding communities. Professionally he works in marketing and brand development, and occasionally takes photos. In high school he got a 98 on his U.S. History Regents (he’s really proud of that) and currently he has a thing for side projects. If you see him in a coffee shop, he’s probably either working on Explore Rochester, Boomtown Table, This Is Not a Park, Upstate Social Sessions…or something that doesn’t yet exist.

Jason Barber
As a born and raised Rochesterian, Jason is no stranger to the ins-and-outs of the city that that he loves. This familiarity with the arts and cultural development of the city is key to his passion for seeing and uncovering great artists. He is part of the Wall\Therapy Mural festival core team. Jason also sits on three committees for the Memorial Art Gallery that help to promote the development of events and membership for Millennials. He is also the Gallery Coordinator for the Rochester Brainery. Jason holds a master’s degree in education from Roberts Wesleyan College and a bachelor’s degree in art history from SUNY Purchase.

Jason will be displaying art in the gallery and also running a workshop during the Conference.

Meghan Clemm
Meghan Clemm is a fine art photographer from Rochester, New York, currently living in Grove City, Pennsylvania. After studying photography in Columbus, Ohio, Meghan moved to northwest Pennsylvania, where she developed her artistic voice and photographic vision through a project where she produced one image every day for a year.

The work Meghan now creates generally takes more than a day to complete, as each piece is meticulously planned and executed. Elements from costuming to lighting, location, and editing all work together to make the creation of each image an adventure. The final product is an expression of deeply held emotion. Each image depicts a new, mysterious world where anything can happen and the sky isn’t always blue. The use of ambiguous locations and obscured faces allows the viewers to identify with the ideas of the work and even imagine themselves within the scene.

Meghan has achieved regional recognition in northwest Pennsylvania for her fine art photography, participating in solo and group shows in Pittsburgh, New Castle, Grove City, Slippery Rock, and Butler. In the fall of 2015 Meghan was juried in to the Pittsburgh Society of Artists Guild, where she remains a member today.

Richard Christman
Richard Christman is a co-leader of Forefront, photographer, and writer who was recently featured in Rochester’s Art House Press magazine. His style, both visual and in word, revolves around the aesthetics and themes of the gentrification and revitalization of the American rust belt, often featuring scenes of Rochester, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh. Forefront Festival 2017 will be his third gallery featuring original pieces printed on steel.

Nicolas Giorgi
Nicolas Giorgi is a senior Communications major at Grove City College with a concentration in design, instrumental in the creation of a visual arts program there. Stylistically, he attempts to utilize simplicity to make accurate pieces that need no explanation, inspired by classical Bauhaus design. His goal is to create distinct pieces of art using the traditional hand-made characteristics of screen printing. Forefront Festival 2017 will be Nic’s first exhibition of his work to feature screen prints.

Schedule
Here’s when each act is happening on April 29. Times are approximate.

Conference

  • 8:00 AM: Doors open for Conference
  • 8:30 AM: Opening Remarks
  • 9:00 AM: Keynote (Dr. Benjamin Myers)
  • 10:15 AM: Breakout sessions including workshops and roundtables
  • 11:30 AM: On-stage interview (Barry Cooper, Andrew Nemr, Isaac Deitz)
  • 12:30 PM: Conference ends / break for lunch

Festival

  • 1:30 PM: Doors open for Festival
  • 2:00 PM: Festival begins
  • 2:15 PM: Dance performance (Andrew Nemr + Max ZT)
  • 3:15 PM: Short film screening (Isaac Deitz)
  • 4:15 PM: Percussion performance (Aaron Locklear and friends)
  • 5:00 PM: Sound layering performance (Didrik Soderstrom / The Hnossa Project)
  • 6:00 PM: Dinner (food trucks!)
  • 7:30 PM: Concert (The Gray Havens)
  • 8:30 PM: Festival ends

The Details
Here’s where it’s all happening.

Day
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Time
Conference portion: 8:30 AM-12:30 PM
Festival portion: 2:00-8:30 PM
Full event: 8:30 AM-8:30 PM
Location
Grace Road Church
50 Liberty Pole Way
Rochester, NY 14604

Parking
Parking is available for FREE on the street. Parking is also available for just $3 in St. Joseph Parking Garage, which is located at 72 N Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY 14604 — just a short walk from the event venue. The garage will be open from 7 AM-10 PM.

Get Tickets
The prices below are ONLINE ONLY. Tickets will be available at the door for a higher price.

Conference Only

$10

Morning (8:30 AM - 12:30 PM)
  • Main stage keynote and panel
  • Workshops and roundtables
  • Access to visual art gallery
  • No access to festival performances
Order on iTickets

Festival Only

$15

Afternoon/Evening (2:00 PM - 8:30 PM)
  • Amazing performances: dance, film, sound layering, music
  • Access to visual art gallery
  • No access to conference sessions
Order on iTickets

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