The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts is pleased to announce All the Silver and Gold, an art exhibition featuring works by Adam O’Day, Pete Cosmos, Merk, and Ivonne Blanco, on view in the Bernier Room at the James W. Foley Memorial Community Center beginning May 5, 2025.
In the thick of the global pandemic of 2020—a time of collective heartbreak, isolation, and profound uncertainty—a creative spark found its way into an unexpected space. A 2,000 sq. ft. studio, provided by a local brewery, became both a sanctuary and a laboratory for massive, experimental expression. What began as a solitary exploration by Adam O’Day quickly evolved into a collaborative force when friends Pete Cosmos, Merk, and Ivonne Blanco joined in. Together, the four artists created over a dozen large-scale works that served as vessels for processing grief, joy, anxiety, and hope.
Fueled by the rhythmic pulse of Nigerian Funky Disco—particularly the transcendent sounds of William Onyeabor’s Good Name, with its telling lyric “silver and gold”—the sessions were part therapy, part celebration. These paintings are layered with the chaos and calm we all felt: fractured figures, vivid collisions of color, random symbolism, and collaged moments that echo the fragmented nature of memory and emotion during a global crisis.
All the Silver and Gold is more than a collection of paintings—it’s a time capsule of resilience, collaboration, and the healing power of art and music. We invite you to step into that moment with us, to find your own reflections within the chaos and color—and maybe, to dance a little on your way out.
All the Silver and Gold will be on display through September 5, 2025. The James W. Foley Memorial Community Center is located at 150 Wakefield Street, Rochester, NH 03867. Visit www.rochestermfa.org to learn more.
The museum gratefully acknowledges the generous support of its corporate sponsors, community partners, and collaborators, including the City of Rochester, Meredith Village Savings Bank, Back Hill Beer Co., Bernier Insurance, Creative Guts Podcast, and the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce.