Rochester Arts & Culture
Explore Rochester arts, festivals, theatre, museums, fashion, and local history through Rochester Living Podcast conversations.
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A Rochester cultural calendar is more than a list of dates. It is the people who build a festival year after year, keep a theatre moving through change, open museum doors to more visitors, and protect the stories that give the region its character.
This collection brings those conversations together. Erica Fee looks ahead to the 2026 Rochester Fringe Festival. Marc Iacona traces the evolution of the Rochester International Jazz Festival. Sarah Jesse discusses the Memorial Art Gallery campaign for free access, while Mark Cuddy and Becky Wehle share perspectives from Geva Theatre and Genesee Country Village & Museum.
Each episode offers a different entry point into the creative and historic work happening across Rochester and the Finger Lakes.
Featured Episodes
Erica Fee
Erica Fee returns to Rochester Living with a guide to the 2026 Rochester Fringe Festival, 12 days of performances that turn theaters, parks, cars, and downtown streets into places for something unexpected.
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Marc Iacona
Rochester International Jazz Festival co-founder Marc Iacona shares how the festival has evolved over two decades, the partnerships that make it possible, unforgettable performances, legendary jam sessions, and the vision driving it into its 25th year.
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Sarah Jesse
Sarah Jesse, Director of the Memorial Art Gallery, joins us to discuss MAG's landmark $9 million endowment campaign to eliminate admission fees permanently — opening its doors to generations of future Rochester visitors.
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Mark Cuddy
Mark Cuddy reflects on 27 years at Geva Theatre, Rochester's $1.3M deficit turnaround, and his next chapter with The Classics Company.
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Becky Wehle
Becky Wehle celebrates Genesee Country Village & Museum's 50th anniversary and the living history that keeps Rochester's past alive.
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