Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch. 

Published May 3, 2018.

Where are you originally from? What brought you to Rochester?

I grew up in Palmyra, east of Rochester. I lived there through my young adulthood, then left to go to college at Geneseo. I stuck around Rochester afterwards, even though for awhile, I really wanted to live in SoCal. The older we get though, the more we love it here.

What is your favorite part of living in Rochester?

The proximity to things like the Finger Lakes and New York City is great. I used to snowboard a lot at Bristol. We have a great makers scene here, a fantastic art community, awesome food. And you know, low cost of living and low incidence of natural disasters.

What are some of your favorite/secret Rochester spots? 

We love food, so, McCann’s Meats--that place is incredible. As for coffee shops, definitely Ugly Duck. We also love Hart’s, and visiting the MAG. I’ve done a couple of shows at the Museum of Play, which is always fun. There’s no shortage of things to do here!

If you had $100 and two hours to kill in Rochester, how would you spend the money/time? 

My wife and I would go have a fantastic meal at Fiorella. And then, we’d give away the rest of the money to someone who needs it.

What's your favorite neighborhood in the city? 

Corn Hill--the architecture and the buildings are so unique; it seems like a cool spot to live. All the different pockets we have in Rochester together really make it feel like a city. We live in East Rochester and love taking East Ave all the way up to the city; it’s a nice scenic route. It’s been cool to see downtown undergoing revitalization too.

What's the best place to get a garbage plate? 

ER Hots or Fairport Hots.

What is your personal coping mechanism for cold/gray weather?

We often end up so busy staying on top of life that we almost don’t notice the weather. But we also try to get away for a bit to a cozy place like the Adirondacks. We read books. We love our neighborhood and staring out the window during winter weather, so it’s hard to complain.

What is your favorite Rochester memory?

College was fantastic. I had a blast with a core group of friends from Brockport. And of course, meeting my wife and getting married. We had a barn wedding catered by Texas Bar-B-Q Joint, and renovated the barn ourselves leading up to the wedding. Now, we love going for walks around our neighborhood.

What makes Rochester unique?

What makes it unique to me is that it’s small but has these pockets making up a larger entity. We’re also pretty resilient as a city, especially with this winter weather. And it feels like a city where people are super nice.

What do you think could be improved?

People need to pay attention more, understand what’s going on in the city, and step up to change it.

If Rochester was a drink, what would it be?

It would be an IPA from Swiftwater. Swiftwater is a great naming representation of the city, and the place and their beers have a great artisan feel to it.

What's it like being an artist here in Rochester? How would you describe the creative community?

I’m just figuring it out now, what it’s like to be an artist full-time! I was an engineer for 15 years doing art on the side at night. We have so much great art in this city, and people who recognize and support each other.

Who inspires you?

Joe Guy Allard inspired me to start doing festivals like Clothesline, Park Ave Fest, and more. I commissioned him to paint something for my wife for Christmas one year; he’s a huge inspiration to me. Cordell Cordaro is someone I really admire, as well, he’s a great dude. I saw his work and said, “Wow, this guy has such a unique style,” and then suddenly, I was seeing his work everywhere! It showed me that art really can be a career.

How did you get started with Dave Pollot Art?

My painting on thrift store art got started back in 2010 when I was visiting thrift stores with my thrift store-loving wife. We saw all this art laying on the floor and started joking around about painting something into it and then putting it back. The very next day, my wife brought home some thrift store art for me and I got started painting on it right away.

One of my first paintings in that style was an English countryside with a woman carrying laundry...and I painted a fuzzy monster peeking in. I took a few art history courses in college, but don’t have any formal training as an artist. I’ve always enjoyed painting, though.

The one painting of mine I have the strongest emotional attachment to is an ocean scene, it’s this tall, huge, thing, and I painted in a cork stopper like you would see in an old claw foot tub. We had one of those in the house I grew up in out in Palmyra, and it’s just a nice reminder of where I came from.

Where do you go to get inspired?

I go to the MAG. I spend a lot of time in art galleries. Instagram is a great source of inspiration too. I’m also inspired by pop culture all around me.

What advice would you give to other creatives who are just getting started?

Always stay creatively and intellectually curious. If you’re starting to feel like you have it all figured out, that’s not a good feeling. That old adage about 10,000 hours is true. A podcast I listen to joked that we should “make stuff, not money” -- the point being that you should make what you want, not what you think will sell.