The Church: Downtown's Artistic Catalyst
The Church, the former Asbury Delaware Church at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Tupper, will open it’s doors to the public Saturday night to celebrate Halwalls' move into the restored and updated building with an opening for Suzy Lake at 7:30 p.m.
This is a huge deal and I’m thrilled to see The News cover it accordingly, specifically with two pieces by Hunnington, one by Sommer, and great shots by Sharon Cantillon. Ani DiFranco intends this to be a $10MM artistic catalyst for downtown. And with Hallwalls (an innovative interdisciplinary gallery founded by artists Robert Longo, Cindy Sherman and others) opening Saturday, DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records headquarters relocating in March to The Church’s second floor, and the 1,200-capacity performance hall coming tentatively scheduled to open in the late spring—it’s hard to imagine that it won’t be.
DiFranco said she will hold concerts occasionally in The Church, and, when the moment strikes her, sit in with friends. She'll also use the hall for pre-tour rehearsals.
For now, she enjoys fantasizing about the performance space's possibilities. "I want to book a poetry series, and bring all my favorite poets. And my musician friends, there's no end to the amount of live music I want on my doorstep," she joked. "I want to stay home and have people play for me.
"I know that we're going to have quite the opening week, I'll tell ya what."
Click on images for larger views.
http://blog.jimostrowski.com/?p=112
Why Not Invite the Taxpayer?
"The News reports that an invite-only party will celebrate the re-opening of Asbury Delaware United Methodist Church as an arts center. I’m all for private parties and so on but since the taxpayers spent millions on this project, perhaps they could have been invited as well."
I have been intently watching the renovations of "Our Lady of Righteous Babe" and cannot WAIT to get inside!
i think you should learn how to spell "catalyst"
A thrilling event. I recall the days when part of that intersection was blocked-off because of falling pieces of the building. Now its another reborn jewel in the crown of Buffalo's architecture. And so relevant and functional; definitely in step with 21st Century urban America.
I had the pleasure of spending a good part of the day at the "Starlight Gallery" to do some work for their promotion. That gallery/workspace is on Delaware right across the street from the Church. The weather today was great; I saw the workers buzzing around to get work done for the weekend. I spent some time walking to the sandwich shop down the street. I just couldn't get over the things I can envision for that block in the months/years to follow the opening of the Church. Thanks to Ani and Hallwalls for being a HUGE artistic spark for this town!
Hey, if the taxpayer wants to get in , why not go to Hallwalls 1st opening in the building on Saturday?
this rocks!