By Melissa Kate, Development Assistant and Teaching Artist for Young Audiences WNY:
If you have ever gone to an art auction, then you know the thrill of bidding, the excitement of competing for a highly desired lot - and the joy of bringing your winning bid home with you.
On April 20th, Young Audiences of Western New York (YA-WNY) is bringing together the crème de la crème of artworks for their Collector's Choice - Art Auction. These works of art are selected by some of Western New York's finest art collectors. Gerald Mead, notable

By GirlFriday:
We've all seen and heard much about the Horsefeathers project on this site, and we've also read about Martin Cooks a few times over the years (home cooking and the farmers market for example).  However, this is an entirely new concept connecting the two, that I'm sure you'll all be just as

By GirlFriday:
UPDATE: Due to nasty weather conditions this coming weekend, The Peddler will be postponed one week.
It's that time of year again! The Peddler, the city's only weekly outdoor vintage and retro market, is back and ready to kick off the 2013 season, this Saturday, April 13th (the following Saturday).   
The Peddler will once again be located in front of Parish Commons (a sponsor), at the corner of Elmwood and West Ferry (656 Elmwood Avenue). "The

After a recent YouTube search on "tiny home" building methodologies, I came across a terrific site cataloging the 11-step design and construction of a 24' diameter geodesic greenhouse.  
The story was enthralling for so many reasons: the affordability, relatively short build cycle, the plethora of knowledge capital available and then, best of all, it led me to learn of the godfather of geodesic design, R Buckminster Fuller.
Bucky, as he was called, was a dear friend and colleague of retired UB Professor of Architecture, Harold

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the University at Buffalo and Crisis Services Advocate Program is on its way to pulling off the 8th Annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event. For anyone who is not aware of this event, the idea is to get as many men as possible to join together for a one-mile walk... wearing pairs of women's high-heeled shoes! The mission is to raise awareness about the issues of gender relations and sexual violence, in a fun and healthy way.
The Walk a Mile march (Facebook)

By Mark Weber (Buffalo Crooner):
Steel helped create the skyscrapers of great cities like New York and Chicago, especially during the first half of the 20th Century. And one of the great places in America where lots and lots of steel was made? Buffalo, New York. 
Did you know that Buffalo has a Steel History Museum? It's located just south of downtown in the "Heritage Discovery Center" at 100 Lee St., Buffalo, New York 14210. There is nothing glamorous about the neighborhood it's in,

The loss of some of our regions great architecture is certainly fresh on our minds. Whether you are on the north, south, east or westsides of our community, demolition of our history has been in full swing. 
In light of these, gloomy events, we should take a second to think about what can be done to prevent future architectural tragedies from happening. 
While calls for action are strongest when a chain link fence and bulldozer arrive on site, often the more important moments in the longevity of a building's life are the small

Preservation Buffalo Niagara is recognizing outstanding preservation projects and those contributing to regional preservation efforts at its annual awards ceremony May 31, 11:30 AM at Kleinhans Music Hall.  Buffalo Rising has been profiling this year's winners leading up to the May event.

The Oakwood Cemetery Association in Niagara Falls has engaged in best practices for the preservation of iconic buildings, grave markers and the landscape design. The association has converted an often ignored space into a living and active museum. Regular programming focuses on educating the public

It was only a matter of time before the folks at Buffalo For Real would take us through a couple of Buffalo's Frank Lloyd Wright houses. The latest installment in Visit Buffalo Niagara's (VBN) series showcases the Darwin Martin House and Graycliff. What's especially nice is to listen to the out-of-towners who have come to Buffalo expressly to see the architectural masterpieces in person. Living here in Buffalo, sometimes we take for granted many of the architectural treasures that we have on our doorstep. It's cool to think that people travel so far to come witness these buildings

Last week, GObike Buffalo teamed up with Hamlin Park School to offer a Recycle-A-Bicycle program for students so that they could learn how to fix up bikes, get them out on the road, and benefit from the health and wellness initiative. I reached out to Beverly Crowell, Safe Routes to School Outreach Coordinator for GObike Buffalo, to ask her how the program went, and what we can expect from Recycle-A-Bicycle (RAB) in the future.
How many schools have you done this at?
Since 2004, GObike

You may recall a recent interview that I conducted with Carl Schmitter, owner of Chateau Buffalo (see here). At that time, I noted that the business was moving to the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal (Facebook) at 1500 Clinton Street, just across from the Clinton-Bailey Market.
Today the winery and ciderhouse is in full operation (although not quite yet open for regular business

By Jason Yots

In October, we posted a piece explaining the need to repair New York's fledgling historic tax credit program.  Specifically, we were concerned about the lack of investor demand - or "appetite" - for New York's historic tax credit (HTC),

It's a celebration of cycles. The seasonal and two-wheel variety, as well as the cycle of time. From Thursday, April 11 to Sunday, April 14, 2013, the Burchfield-Penney Art Center will be paying homage to the idea of "cycles", by showcasing Charles E. Burchfield's artwork, which undoubtedly played upon the cycles of the season captured in his brush strokes. The cycles of the past, present and future will be a focal issue, as they relate to a variety of Burchfield-Penney artists... and finally, Elmwood Avenue's new bike lanes will come into play in the form of a day-long celebration marking

There's one specific event coming up on Friday, April 12 that promises to be a real eye-opener for those who are interested in a variety of progressive Buffalo architectural and design initiatives. It's a chance to learn about happenings at Silo City, ArtFarms, along with all sorts of architectural and design directions that are being taken by a variety of local and national players in the field. The presenters are coming together as part of PechaKucha Night Buffalo Vol. 13 - a presentation that is based on showing 20 slides, with 20 seconds to explain each slide. This format keeps the

Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN) has included in its latest eNews blast that there is money available to camouflage butt ugly outdoor gas meters. At one point there was an initiative that saw the removal of many of these misplaced eyesores, though there are still plenty of meters that detract from otherwise beautiful historic properties. At this time, there is up to $500 that can be secured to hide the meters. The money can be used to plant in front of the meters, or even to conceal with artistic enhancements. Both residential and commercial properties can take advantage of the opportunity. 
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If you're an artist, and you're also a cycling advocate, then consider entering a work of "bike art" into the upcoming People Powered Movement at Main (St)udios. GObike Buffalo is looking for artists to take part in a gallery showing that is designed to promote bikes culture through art. 
The goal of the show is to promote bike advocacy in Buffalo by raising awareness and money through the sale of bike inspired works of 2-D and 3-D art. GObike Buffalo is looking to celebrate bicycling and promote the added benefits that the recreational sport

When we think of the Garden Walk, we tend to think about the gardens. But there's a lot more that takes place behind the scenes that benefits the city. For example, the Garden Walk Buffalo Beautification Grants, which are awarded to worthy causes each year - causes that desperately need money in order to fulfill the missions that they set out to achieve. 
The 2013 Marvin Lunenfeld Beautification Grants are are awarded to block clubs, non-profits and neighborhood associations, and are generally beautification

Students in the Undergraduate Academies at the University at Buffalo are working towards identifying solutions to the problems that have plagued The Heights neighborhoods for years, thanks to a grassroots effort that has been orchestrated by members of surrounding community. The students are looking at ways to achieve economic stabilization through neighborhood revitalization, which will ultimately help to create healthier and more prosperous business districts. 
The initiative that is now underway is called "PULL", which is a multiyear Pop-Up Living Laboratories

On April 26th & 27th, the Artists in Buffalo and Burchfield Penney Art Center (BPAC) will be showcasing a series of local artists in an event that is being called "A Spring Show Event". BPAC has invited 30 local artists and artisans to participate in the event, with proceeds benefitting both the artists and the venue. Available for purchase will be original artwork, textiles, pottery, jewelry, handmade journals, wreaths, glassware, purses, art prints, bath & body products, photography, and note cards.
The collaborative artist event is

THE BASICS: This is the 22nd incarnation of the Alleyway Theatre's signature short works program, saved from the guillotine in the 11th hour by a few exceptionally generous donors. This year's edition of seven short plays features both WNY playwrights and out-of-town talents. It's been directed by the Alleyway's Joyce Stilson, who is also a member of the company. All four actors play multiple roles. With its single ten minute intermission, the show runs approximately 90 minutes.
THE PLAYS AND THE PLAYERS: The seven