All VISUAL artists and galleries are invited to participate in the new www.ArtistsinBuffalo.org website FREE, thanks to the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation.

Artists may include up to 10 images and a bio/artist statement in addition to makign use of the  event calendar.  Artists in Buffalo represents the breadth and depth of incredible talent working in this region. It is recommended that interested

Fashion Rocks... And so do Sue Morreale and Jeanne Mulkey.

Morreale and Mulkey are the co-founders of Fashion Rocks...For a Cure, an event dedicated to raising funds for Roswell Park Cancer Institute Breast Cancer Research & Education.

What started out, as a 'Sex in the City' themed mini-auction three years ago, has since become one of Buffalo's most anticipated social events. Rock-star local celebrities from Janet Snyder, Lydia Dominick to Ryan Miller all lend a hand to help support Morreale and Mulkey. 

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We've tried to incorporate many of the comments we've received over the last few days into images that accompany this slideshow. There is a music accompaniment, so adjust your computer's volume accordingly. 

Suffice it to say, the event seems to have been a great success, and everyone who sent in their opinion or images to Buffalo Rising raved about what a good time they had. I do think I appreciated the scale of Artists & Models more when it was at the Central Terminal in 2008, but the turn out for Saturday's show was excellent and it was fun to see Rock Harbor at night.
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Lettice & Lovage has opened at the Kavinoky Theatre. The comedy, written by Peter Shaffer who is better known as the author of Amadeus and Equus, enjoyed hearty runs in London in the late 1980s and later in New York, where it won 1990's Best Actress Tony award for Maggie Smith, who starred in the play on both sides of the Atlantic.

The play, another Shaffer ode to eccentricity, revolves around Lettice Douffet, an erstwhile actress and lover of all things historic. Lettice is an employee of England's Historic Preservation Trust, which maintains the nation's

Last night's Artist & Models: Stimulus event had Buffalo's arts community atwitter. For the last few weeks, speculation on the installations and the other evening entertainment have been the subject of much anticipation and conversation amongst artists, musicians, students and party-goers. So I got to thinking about how fun it might be to develop an installation of our own, per se. This ode to the event would be an online installation where people who attended Artists & Models: Stimulus took part in crafting the piece.

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The Downtown Public Library's Mason O. Damon Auditorium is not the largest auditorium in the area, but it certainly is a welcoming space. Bright upholstery, with rich wooden dividing walls on the wings, and subdued but warm carpeting create a hospitable space within the large concrete forms that make up the building. The smooth forms and simple geometrics of the design and architecture are as evident here as they are in the stacks of books on the floors above. The design is one of the reasons I enjoy visiting and borrowing from the Central library, more than any other library in the area. There's

By: Kristen Becker

For over 10 years the The Eclectic Improv Company has been making Western New York audiences laugh. Last week they were nominated Artvoice's best of Buffalo in the" Best Genre-Deftyng Artist" category since there is no category for improv comedy as of yet. I sat with one of the founding members--and a local actor--Don Gervasi, and threw a few questions his way.

KB: When did Eclectic Improv Company form? Did you guys know each other before that?
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With a bar at the door, port-a-potties in the rear, and a maze of brick walls and installations in between, Artists & Models 2010 is ready to rock and roll. Be advised, as with any industrial warehouse, inside can be colder than out. Though the exhibits are expected to heat up the night, it is suggested that you bring an extra layer of clothing. Tickets are still on sale at Hallwalls, Talking Leaves Books (both locations), Sweet_ness 7 Cafe, Room, Clarence Center Coffee Co. and online at www.hallwalls.org. Tickets are $15 in advance

By: Hugh O' Donnell

Looking forward to this summer's blockbuster comic book movies? Looking for something fun to do, but don't have a lot of money to spend? Want to help support an independent local business? This Saturday, May 1st is Free Comic Book Day, and local institution Queen City Bookstore is celebrating.

Free Comic Book Day is a day--always the first Saturday in May--when independent comics shops across North America give out comics for free. The event is put together by publishers, distributors, artists, and shops throughout the comics industry, and

Expect a swell of Buffalo pride at the Market Arcade tonight as "Buffalo Bushido" makes its local premiere at 8:00 PM (see BRO interview).  Local filmmaker Peter McGennis will be on hand to introduce his independent feature film that passed through hundreds of local hands and was filmed entirely in Buffalo.  "Buffalo Bushido" has been called the best Buffalo film of the past decade and there has not been a film that puts as much of Buffalo on the big screen (and in positive light).  It's

What Tony Billoni once conceived as a simple but titillating after-party, Hallwalls has since transformed into one of the most well-attended and gratifying parties in Buffalo. With plenty to see, hear, feel and taste, guests of Artists & Models: Stimulus will interact with artists and models of all disciplines and genders for a night of fun in a west side warehouse. As

Every couple of years Best of Buffalo Promotions hosts a bar crawl that is intended to bring added publicity to the downtown bars while generating money for projects within the Buffalo Entertainment District (bars within walking distance of Chippewa). This Friday, April 30th, 20 bars will entertain an estimated 4000 people as they hop (or crawl) from bar to bar. For $10 participants are handed 'stein', aka a plastic mug, and given the assignment to hit each bar, otherwise known as checkpoints, where they will find free cover and $2-$3 drink specials. Upon completion of the task a t-shirt is issued

Mark Longolucco is an emotional man. He writes, plays, sings, and records emotion that yanks on heartstrings and layers listeners in nostalgia. Longolucco weaves tales of decades-old love and its beginnings while he demonstrates his ability to transform familiar physical space into an emotive atmosphere. His careful and yet spontaneously developed full length disc has been described by NPR as "earnest, world-weary vocals and beautifully earthly and intimate instrumentation." Mark simply wants to be known as quiet.
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By: Greg Genco

Seattle musical outfit Minus The Bear will perform at Town Ballroom this Thursday, April 29, in support of their new full-length album OMNI. The band has been gaining popularity, recently playing with The Flaming Lips and Jack White's Dead Weather; they will also take part in the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago this summer.

These young musicians combine experimental sounds with electric bombast while adding odd time signatures to create an interesting brand of modern pop rock. Their blend of different

Want to spice up your love life? Sick of the generic dinner and a movie outings? Why not try something new, like Date Night at Hand to Heart Yoga, Friday April 30th, where newer couples can get to know each other better and those who are in relationships can reconnect.

Erin Cook, owner of Hand to Heart Yoga, says the yoga she offers isn't the normal stretch class you've heard about in the past: it's much more. Since the opening of her studio in January, she has held monthly workshops combining yoga with other fun and exciting activities and ideas, such as Yoga, Chocolate & Wine

THE BASICS: The Irish Classical Theatre has revived W.S. Gilbert's (think Gilbert and Sullivan) satirical comedy of love and money. The production, directed by Fortunato Pezzimenti, plays weekends through May 23rd. Combining Acts 2 and 3 shortens the proceedings by one intermission, but Engaged still clocks in at approximately 2¼ hours.

THUMBNAIL SKETCH: The action takes place in the 1870s, in a cottage garden on the English-Scottish border, and in the drawing room of a London town house. The plot, quite

Buffalo State College is known for its fantastic arts program.  As we gear up for another class of eager graduates ready to show the world what they've got, one student in particular caught my attention.  Stephanie Abelson, a fiber design major, is one of many talented students holding a solo gallery exhibit

By: Kristen Becker

I've always had a slight fascination with theatre critics. It's such a subjective thing, that criticism. I've never been an "actor" per se, but I have extensive experience working backstage on the technical side of things. Mix that with my years as a performer/producer, and it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe I could offer a unique eye to theater productions. Rarely does someone who is a backstage techie also step onstage and perform (I bet it would make a great show, TECHIES: The Musical), I hope that I can provide some professional insight

SPOILER ALERT : This article reveals crucial contents of the play.

Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? has much in common with the bumblebee. The bumblebee's less-than-aerodynamic design should prevent its flight, yet fly it does. One might think "The Goat," offensive by design, would simply up and tank, but this goat not only flies, it soars in the Road Less Traveled's new production, which opened Friday.

I had the good fortune to see a preview/technical rehearsal of The Goat late last

"I've always been interested in the stories we tell one another," said artist Tim Rizzo.

Rizzo, inspired by a dream he had years ago, will be presenting his multimedia design exhibition thelittlewaves.com on Friday, April 30 at Studio 302, 567 Exchange Street, Buffalo from 7PM to 10PM.

"I suppose what I'm trying to do is give people an interesting puzzle, a story that they can give meaning to. That's how I experienced it, at least, and that's what I'm trying to recreate," said Rizzo.

The exhibition consists of digital prints, live music and narration supported