The Shoes of Rochester

Discover the "Shoes of Rochester" from now through Sept. 26

Take a stroll this summer in historic downtown Rochester and be surprised!

Art Esprit, a non-profit organization of visual and literary artists, created an exciting public art project celebrating the arts and Rochester’s history of shoemaking.

Eleven unique giant shoes have been sculpted by New Hampshire artist Adam Pearson. They are made from earth-friendly materials and located throughout the downtown area. A team of local visual artists and poets collaborated on each shoe to tell its unique story.

Art Esprit selected a shoe theme as the first major art project to celebrate Rochester’s heritage though a public art exhibition. From the early 1700s to the mid 1900s Rochester had a long history in shoe manufacturing. As factories moved overseas, the shoemaking industry disappeared and is now part of the town’s past.

Art Esprit looks to acknowledge that past while enhancing the present with this summer’s “Shoes of Rochester” project.