The Fine Arts
One thing, among many, that surprises visitors to Buffalo is the depth and breadth of the art scene. With internationally renowned galleries like the Albright-Knox and the newly renovated Burchfield Penney Art Center, this city is definitely “on the map,” having been called a “rising giant” this year by AmericanStyle magazine and voted the number one mid-sized city (number one!) in its annual Top 25 Arts Destinations readers’ poll.
While the Albright-Knox, Burchfield Penney, Hallwalls, and CEPA may be the biggest names in the national arena, let’s not forget that Buffalo is home to more than 50 private and public art galleries. There are handfuls of art openings each weekend, and our galleries both big and small keep an exciting and contemporary rotation from both local, national, and international artists. And of course, “art” can mean many different things. Our painters, sculptors, writers, actors, dancers, and “genre-defying artists” (our admittedly hackneyed term) are well known and have quite a following, considering the amount of votes we counted for individual artists.
And consider the popularity of street festivals like the Allentown Art Festival and the Elmwood Festival of the Arts (RIP Artvoice Street Festival. Maybe we’ll see you again sometime…) which draw thousands of people each year. And the relatively new Infringement Festival is also on the horizon, that week-and-a-half long hodgepodge of weird, truly “genre-defying” art and performance that spans neighborhoods and venues.
No matter the temperature, with those events to look forward to, it’s certain to be a good summer.
—k. o’day
Finalists are listed in no particular order. Winners to be announced April 26, 6-9pm, at Town Ballroom
Best Actors/ActresssLoraine O’DonnellMary Kate O’Connell Matt Witten Vincent O’Neill Brian Riggs Best Theater CompaniesRoad Less TraveledIrish Classical Theatre Buffalo United Artists Kavinoky Theater Ujima Theater Best CinemasRegal ElmwoodThe Amherst The Screening Room The North Park The Market Arcade Best Cultural AssetsShea’s Performing Arts CenterBurchfield Penney Arts Center Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Casteallani Art Museum Albright-Knox Art Gallery Best Under-the-radar Art SpacesSugar CityAlt Theatre 464 Gallery Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center Nobody’s Gallery Best Supporters of the ArtsRobbie TakacM&T Bank Oishei Foundation Ani DiFranco Artvoice Best Dance CompaniesNeglia BalletRince Na Tiarna Configuration Dance Lehrer Dance Pick of the Crop Best DancersShane FryNadia Ibrahim Fiona Dargan Michele Gigante Amy Taravella Best Genre-defying ArtistsNickel City Girls DesignEcelectic Improv Company Mary Kate O’Connell Jesse Horst Kim Kadri Hurst | Best PaintersAJ FriesPeter Fowler Dorothy Fitzgerald Chuck Tingley James Hickey Best PhotographersClark DeverMatt Buckley Joe Cascio Luke Copping Jim Bush Best PoetsJosh SmithGabrielle Bouliane, RIP Celia White Jeremy Horst Lisa Forrest Best SculptorsJulie SilverLarry Griffis David Derner Mark Tollner Scott Bye Best Spoken-word ArtistsAlex MeadPat Cain Josh Smith Verneice Turner Janna Willoughby Best Standup ComicsRob LedermanGreg Bausch Josh Potter Kristen Becker Peter Cumbo Best Video/Film ArtistsJax DeLucaBrian Milbrand Marc Odien Josh Klinger John Paget Best WritersJeremy HorstJon Elston Gary Earl Ross Mark Goldman Joyce Carol Oates |
...and the nominees are: |
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