ROCHESTER, NY, Friday, July, 31, 2020—After careful consideration, the Memorial Art Gallery of The University of Rochester announces a change in format for the 2020 M&T Bank Clothesline Festival. Originally scheduled as an in-person gathering on September 12 and 13, this year’s event will now be the M&T Bank Clothesline Online Festival, a week-long online event from Sept. 12–18.
The Memorial Art Gallery and M&T Bank are committed to celebrating talented artists and connecting the community with their work. This year’s M&T Bank Clothesline Online Festival will be such a celebration. Please visit mag.rochester.edu for the most up-to-date information about plans for the online event.
“The most important concern is for the safety and health of our artists, staff, volunteers, vendors, musicians and our community,” said Jonathan Binstock, Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director. “The decision to move this year’s Festival online was extremely difficult. It is MAG’s largest annual fundraiser, and a ton of fun. It’s always a highlight of my summer.”
For 64 years, Clothesline has welcomed artists from across New York State and, more recently, across the US to share their creativity with the Rochester community. Binstock added, “We hope this year’s online format will help us reach an audience far beyond Rochester.”
Because the M&T Bank Clothesline Festival is an important source of MAG’s annual revenue, M&T Bank has issued a special challenge: matching every gift to MAG’s Annual Fund dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000, from Sept. 12–18. Also, the always-appreciated annual Clothesline membership promotion will once again be available during the M&T Bank Clothesline Online Festival, both online and at the MAG Admission Desk.
MAG has reached out to all confirmed artists to issue refunds for booth reservation or reservation transfers to the 2021 Festival. The $25 application fee has also been waived for any 2021 booth transfers. All artist inquiries regarding refunds, booth transfers, or registrations should be emailed to Clothesline@mag.rochester.edu.
About The M&T Bank Clothesline Festival
Rochester's largest and longest-running fine art and crafts festival continues to evolve. Originating as a New York
State-only artist festival, Clothesline has expanded to welcome artists from across the country. M&T Bank has been the festival’s presenting sponsor for 26 years, demonstrating generous and steadfast support for the arts in our community. The M&T Bank Clothesline Festival traditionally features all-day live entertainment, food from some of Rochester's favorite vendors, free family art activities, access to the museum, and, of course, offers the opportunity to browse and buy original artwork across the museum’s grounds.
In addition to their Clothesline Festival sponsorship, M&T Bank has also helped MAG bring high-profile exhibitions such as Degas, O’Keeffe, and Monet to Rochester. Without M&T’s support, these exhibitions may not have been possible. As one of the leading philanthropic corporations in Western New York, M&T Bank’s philanthropic support at MAG, other cultural institutions, and across our community is inspirational.
