Extreme Abstraction Exhibit @ The Albright Knox Art Gallery

Claiming four of the top five spots for Best Exhibit, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery nearly swept the entire category. Under the leadership of AKAG director Louis Grachos and curators Doug Dreishpoon and Claire Schneider, the gallery has completely reinvented itself in the past two years. The fall 2005 show “Extreme Abstraction” was the first time in the gallery’s history that a single exhibit occupied every inch of the building: walls, staircases, floors, hallways, windows, upstairs, downstairs, main building, Clifton Hall and the sculpture garden. More importantly, “Extreme Abstraction” was a powerful confirmation of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery’s strength and its most defining character: exemplary abstract and contemporary art.

Sailing right alongside the AKAG in Artvoice reader popularity is Squeaky Wheel’s outrageously fun exhibit/art party “Love & Sex—the Peepshow,” held at the Lennox Hotel. Sex-themed art installations, live music and hundreds of colorfully clad people from Buffalo’s various art tribes wandered throughout the hotel sipping, ogling, chatting and bumping politely into tuxedoed gentlemen who had abandoned Mayor Brown’s inaugural ball at the Hyatt for something more lively and gritty.

The finalists in the Best Small Gallery are something of which we should certainly be proud, too. Outside of New York City, you’d be hard-pressed to find the level of activity, energy and creativity invested here in Buffalo’s small galleries. Honestly, in a side-by-side comparison we make toast out of the galleries in Rochester and Syracuse.

The Best Dance Company nominations are a mix running from ballet to belly dancing. Dance is the most physically demanding and disciplined fine art form. And unless you consider the hip-pumping and butt-grinding by Britney Spears art, dance is also the least rewarding in terms of fame or money. Nevertheless, whether it’s attending Neglia Ballet performing Don Quixote or dance classes at Folkloric, UB’s Zodiaque or Buffalo Contemporary, our readers continue to support dance in Buffalo.

In the Best Fine Artist, Best Literary Artist and Best Performance Artist categories the names appearing on ballots seemed endless. Clearly, we have a wholelottaluv for our art people and an enormous community of practicing artists. Eventually a handful of names appeared often enough to rise above the throng, and in a fine proof of Darwinian theory, those names truly are some of Buffalo’s most talented individuals.

Voting on the Best Actor and Actress awards tends to be a silly act of camaraderie among the friends of various actors, various acting companies and loyal audience members. While all of the nominees are, indeed, very good actors—and we do disqualify animated characters and people whose only known acting has been in real-life drama—the roster should, perhaps, be thought of as a list of some of Buffalo’s most fondly regarded actors and drinking companions.

The Best Actor nominees: Saul Elkin, founder of Shakespeare in Delaware Park and co-founder of Buffalo’s Jewish Repertory Theatre is among Buffalo’s most beloved character actors; Jimmy Janowski, current star of BUA’s I Am My Own Wife is a gender-bending star of remarkable artistry; Chris Kelly, as well-known as an insightful director as an actor, is a performer of impressive versatility; Vincent O’Neill, currently starring in Loot for the Irish Classical Theatre Company, is a founder and mainstay of that company; Brian Riggs, who starred in The Good Thief this season, is equally adept in drama and musical theater; Paul Todaro, who starred in Kavinoky’s production of The Cocktail Hour this season, is also a gifted director; and Guy Tomassi impressed with multiple roles this season, including hilarious turns in BUA’s Valhalla.

Best Actress nominees: Josephine Hogan, star of this season’s Juno and the Paycock with the Irish Classical Theatre, is the perennial Artist in Residence with that company; Kelly Ann Krupski arrived on the scene as Patsy Cline in Kavinoky’s popular production of Always…Patsy Cline; Lisa Ludwig is the current star of Urinetown at MusicalFare (and was the Patsy Cline co-star at Kavinoky); Mary Kate O’Connell of O’Connell & Company is the silver-voiced star of her company, where Diva by Diva continues into perpetuity; Leah Russo appeared in Number the Stars at Theater of Youth this season; and Maggie Zindle starred as Aldonza in Kavinoky’s Man of La Mancha.

As long as Broadway can produce new product, Shea’s Buffalo will provide excellent entries in the category of Best Touring Production. This year we got some grade-A shows. Dame Edna, perhaps the most celebrated clown in the English-speaking world, made her Buffalo debut, and Cathy Rigby, the definitive Peter Pan of her generation, made her Buffalo farewell in the role. In addition, this year, Studio Arena pleased audiences, serving as a launching pad for the Broadway-bound Ring of Fire—the Music of Johnny Cash. Broadway didn’t love the show the way Buffalo did, but though the show has closed already, it may be back as a touring show some day.

Best Theatre Company nominees: Buffalo United Artists; Irish Classical Theatre; Kavinoky Theatre; MusicalFare; O’Connell & Company; Studio Arena Theatre In this category, we compare apples to oranges, as fans of various theaters cheer for their own. It is nice to know we have so many theater companies worth voting for.

Best Actor

Vincent O’Neill

Saul Elkin

Paul Todaro

Jimmy Janowski

Guy Tomassi

Chris Kelly

Brian Riggs

Best Actress

Mary Kate O’Connell

Maggie Zindle

Lisa Ann Ludwig

Leah Russo

Kelly Ann Krupski

Josephine Hogan

Best Art Exhibit 2005-2006

The Wall: Reshaping Contemporary Chinese Art @ Albright-Knox Art Gallery

Love & Sex Peep Show @ Lenox Hotel

Georgia O’Keefe @ Albright-Knox Art Gallery

Extreme Abstraction @ Albright-Knox Art Gallery

Art Alive @ Albright-Knox Art Gallery

Best Dance Company

Zodiaque Dance

Pick of the Crop Dance

Neglia Ballet Artists

Folkloric Dance

Buffalo Contemporary Dance

Best Fine Artist

Peter Stephens

Peter Fowler

Courtney Grim

Catherine Parker

AJ Fries

Best Literary Artist

Ron Ehmke

Gabrielle Bouliane

David Butler

Celia White

Alexis De Veaux

Best Local Theater Production

Shakespeare in Delaware Park

Naked Boys Singing

Good

Diva by Diva

Always…Patsy Cline

Best Performance Artist

Ron Ehmke

Real Dream Cabaret

Michelle Gigante

Franklin LaVoie

David Butler

Chuck Basil

Amy Taravella

Aaron Piepszny

Best Small Art Gallery

Sixworks Art Gallery

Nina Freudenheim Gallery

Kepa 3 Gallery

Insite Gallery

Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center

College Street Gallery

CEPA

Big Orbit Gallery

Best Theater Company

Studio Arena Theatre

O’Connell & Company

MusicalFare Theatre

Kavinoky Theater

Irish Classical Theatre Company

Buffalo United Artists

Best Touring Theater Production

Ring of Fire

Peter Pan

Hairspray

Dame Edna