College of Art and Design sponsoring Rochester Independent Comics Expo this weekend

An event showcasing more than 30 independent comic artists from across the Northeast and surveying Rochester’s independent video game scene will highlight the third annual Rochester Independent Comics Expo (RICE) this weekend.

The expo, organized by Western New York Comic Arts and sponsored by RIT’s College of Art and Design, is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 2, in Sibley Square, 250 E. Main St., Rochester, N.Y. A kickoff event, the “Rochester Comics Artist Showcase and Discussion,” will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 1, at The Strong, One Manhattan Square downtown.

Expo and kickoff event attendees will be able to meet exhibiting comic artists, purchase some of their original artwork, and explore Rochester’s comics culture. The events are free and open to the public. 

This year’s expo is co-organized by Frances Andreu, digital initiatives librarian at RIT; artist and educator Tom Lake; and Daniel Worden, comics historian and an associate professor in RIT’s School of Art, and supported by volunteers from a number of cultural and educational institutions around Rochester. 

The April 1 kickoff event at The Strong will feature a panel of renowned comic artists presenting their work and engaging in a discussion about today’s comics scene in Rochester. Guests will include RIT faculty and alumni, including cartoonist, musician, educator, and author David Chisholm, an adjunct professor in RIT’s College of Art and Design, whose new work, Enter the Blue, was recently reviewed by The New York Times.

The panel also will feature Caitlin Yarsky ’08 (illustration), an illustrator and artist of the Image Comics series Bliss and Coyotes, and the Dark Horse Comics series Black Hammer Reborn.

Expo attendees on Saturday will be a short walk from City Art Space, RIT’s downtown venue for art, design, and creativity located inside the Sibley Building. An exhibition of thesis work by MFA candidates in RIT’s Schools of Art and American Crafts will be on display this weekend.