he RMSC Museum & Science Center is excited to announce the opening of its newest temporary exhibition, Reflections: The Light Within, by Rochester artist Luvon Sheppard. The exhibit hosted on the third floor of the RMSC is based on Luvon Sheppard’s deeply expressive works and his legacy rooted in decades of painting, teaching, and building community.
In this new series of work by Sheppard, he showcases watercolor scenes painted en plein air along the Erie Canal, showcasing the historical infrastructure of our region with a soft, natural gaze. Also featuring work by Steve Hill, the exhibition originated in celebration of the Erie Canal’s Bicentennial year. Steve Hill has engaged in plein air painting for more than forty years, in such places as the Genesee River, the Finger Lakes, and the desert of New Mexico.
Luvon Sheppard lauds half a century of career as an artist, educator (professor), and impactful community collaborator. Known for his watercolors, he possesses decades of experience and influence that ripple out into the Rochester art community. Sheppard owns Joy Gallery and Studio with his wife, Frances Sheppard, where they showcase work from area artists and continue to encourage the vibrancy of the local art community.
“Art is a conversation between the world and the soul.” –Artist Luvon Sheppard
The artist’s philosophy and art practice are intuitively led, pulling from his lived experiences, meditations, and personal reflections. He creates a space within his paintings where outer landscape meets his inner life. Trees, rivers, porches, and skies become more than subjects to him–they serve as mirrors of memory, spirit, and self. Reflections: The Light Within can be viewed from March 20, 2026, to March 21, 2027. The original artwork is available for purchase. Visitors can also find Sheppard’s work on an even larger scale, in the form of a mural on view in the first-floor Wonders of Water exhibit
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