[Guest post by Pete Tonery]

When you live in a community for a long time it’s not hard to take some things for granted. You file away your clichéd impressions of people, places, events and organizations. Then something comes along and you say, “I didn’t know that!” All of a sudden that thing you thought you knew turns out to be something entirely different.

So it is for me and the Genesee Center for the Arts & Education, or what I always thought of as The Genessee Co-Op.

Let me clarify. “The Co-Op,” as I remember it had many aspects to it back in the day. It sold organic foods, had a community darkroom and offered pottery lessons and firing and was run by highly qualified Hippies. I went there occasionally but never for classes. I just filed it away in my head; “This is That.”

So I was startled out of my stupor when I picked up and read the fall 2013 catalog for the Genesee Center for the Arts & Education (hereafter, GCAE.)

THEY HAVE A LOT OF GREAT STUFF! The GCAE is far different than my dusty clichéd memory. Yes, they still have a darkroom and pottery but their significant offerings are education in a specific range of arts: Pottery, photography, printing and book arts- including papermaking!

Their faculty is very impressive, cluttered with MAs, BA’s, and BFAs. These are top notch teachers; working professionals and college faculty. It is hard to access this caliber of teacher outside of enrolling in college. That’s why I am so impressed with GCAE.

The range of offering is striking too. For example, you can still learn to process and print REAL FILM (in color AND B&W!) but you can also learn about digital SLRs, video editing and mastering Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator. They have a studio and lighting equipment to rent as well.
How about learning to engrave and print from lino or woodcuts? There is bookbinding, engraving and lessons in real letterpress.

For pottery there is (my fav) “Pots and Pale Ale,” not the pot associated with the Co-op in my distant memory, but, “Bring a friend and sip a frosty ale while learning how to throw a pot on the wheel.” Talk about adult education! That is my idea of a good way to learn.
There are many more offerings including serious stuff such as photojournalism and mold making.
Something old is new again!

Check it all out at: Genesee Center for Arts & Education