Canvas and Cannabis: First Fridays at Wicked Reserve Dispensary
Wicked Reserve Dispensary
1150 University Ave., Bldg 5, Suite 7
Apr 3, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Wicked Reserve has joined Rochester’s iconic First Fridays and we’ve opened our doors as a brand-new venue in the Neighborhood of the Arts. Each month, our dispensary will transform into a creative gallery space, showcasing original work from talented local artists.

Stop in, explore fresh perspectives, meet the creators behind the pieces, and experience cannabis and culture coming together under one roof. Whether you’re here to shop, browse, or connect with the community, First Fridays at Wicked Reserve is your new spot for art, conversation, and good energy.

April Highlighted Artists: Celeste Blair and Richard Sassone

Celeste states, “Nature is ever changing and challenges me to capture the feeling of the environment. What motivates me is a yearning to connect with nature and experience the feeling of being one with it. My art is a visual invitation to my audience, to experience that emotional connection of the moment and place. Nature is my muse. Watching my brother paint, when I was an early teenager, I decided it was exciting and started taking painting lessons. These painting lessons were an absolute commitment for me and many times I dragged family members out in some of the worst weather so I could attend my lessons. I am drawn to themes that are rich with moodiness and the splendor of nature. I like to find how these places and things link in emotion and spirit rather than detail. My images are never realistic-looking; purposefully drawing in the viewer from a nostalgic or a soulful experience. I’ve somewhat abandoned “reality” by creating my own impressionists style of scenes that are created with minimalism. My paintings are intended to say something tangible about how special nature or environments are and what it gives spiritually and emotionally, giving the viewer the ability to escape the chaos and busyness of everyday life. My exhibits include work that I have made in water-based mediums which affords me the ability to paint loosely and quickly while trying to avoid getting caught up in detail instead of the impression. I work on multiple surfaces including canvas, cradle board and illustration board. I am interested in Tonalism and Luminism and how it creates atmosphere and emotion. I hope to collaborate with environmental and eco-conscious people and organizations going forward, highlighting the importance of preserving and protecting our natural world.

Richard Sassone: Rich believes that “the deeper message in his art asks the observer to discover and awaken the hidden child of wonder and awe in themselves. This magical journey comes alive when Mr. Sassone manifests his ideas into form with this in mind. He believes in pushing the limits of creativity by challenging his own inner visions of creativity through the development of new artistic skills and new technologies to make his artwork more visually appealing and beautiful.” His website is sassoneart.com and he is currently showing “Mona Lisa discovers THC” at Wicked Reserve Dispensary.