The Church & Hallwalls: Impressions From Last Night

by buffalorising

The Church: A Peek At The Progress

Hallwalls: The Opening

It’s a beautiful thing done right. We’ve written about if before, and the News has covered it extensively and well. So we thought we’d just pass along a few of the overwhelming number of impressions we left with last night after tours that Ed Cardoni (Executive Director of Hallwalls) and Misha Hoffman (Performance Space Manager for The Church) were kind enough to give us. And share with you a few slideshows.

• From the configurable walls to the best-of-class gallery lighting, to the incredibly restored office spaces to the theater-quality screening room to the wonderful moments in the rhythm of the space where the modern meets the past—the Hallwalls space is amazing.
• To say that The Church is impressive is an understatement. The vaulted ceilings create a massive space that is mesmerizing. The original wood has been restored along with the stained-glass windows throughout the building. Wooden pews on the second level line the parameter of the room creating an almost operatic atmosphere. Arches and beams flow up and down the walls bringing the space to life, almost in preparation for upcoming performances that will fill The Church with fans of the many different types of acts sure to play there.
• The Church, as impressive as it is now, is still months from being finished. That said, when you stand in the space and realize that Scott Fisher and Ani Difranco had this in mind when they first saw the building 10 years ago, when it was falling down and on the brink of being demolished, you realize what genuine visionaries they are.
• When Misha Hoffman speaks of just some of the plans in the works for the venue and the space downstairs, it’s pretty clear what Ani Difrano means when she speaks of this space being an “artistic catalyst for downtown Buffalo”.