Rick Kleinsmith and Ken Barnes were two college friends who reunited to tour China in a month-long odyssey. In photographs and accompanying texts and mementos, for a book as yet to be published, they capture a nation forcefully lurching into postindustrial economic superpower status.

A pair of exhibitions currently on view at the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University exemplify two distinct strengths of this (in my opinion) undervisited institution—their well respected Folk Arts Program, now in its 15th year, and their exceptional TopSpin series, inaugurated five years ago by soon-to-be departing director Laurene Buckley. Both of the programs demonstrate the museum’s serious attempt to focus on both highly regarded and emerging artists from our area and bring into focus the region’s unique cultural heritage. The long-term exhibitions that comprise the TopSpin series are also accompanied by full-color brochures that include interpretation of the artwork—a valued asset to the artists who are featured.