Buffalo Rising Online

Ran Webber cannot help but salvage discarded papers found in the streets of Buffalo. “I am intrigued by paper. I use paper bag paper which is non-archival,” Ran said.

Ran believes that the concept and materials that he incorporates into his highly textured paintings takes precedence over a more traditional aesthetic. He combines a certain subjective geometric precision with intuitive strokes and also lets nature play a role in the execution of his paintings. These creations lend themselves to lyrical fusion of vibrancy and form.

His process requires a strict devotion and patience. Once he has obtained paper, he seals it and then folds it, with no planned intention of its final appearance. The folds manifest themselves into different characters or images, which Ran then paints. The process is only half complete at this stage. Each one then travels as Ran's companion…

Perhaps the best way to sum up College Street Art Gallery is this: Admirable. As I rounded the corner of College Street, onto Allen, I found myself smack in front of the gallery's open door. Mike Mulley, Gallery Owner, was seated behind a small desk in the middle of the room, ready to answer any questions or address any of my concerns. I wanted to know how a small gallery has survived in Allentown for ten years. "I opened in October 1997 in the teeny spot on College that, some may remember, used to be the barber shop. I had a really progressive, forward thinking landlord. He gave me an opportunity to be here. Also, it's perseverance. I'm just too stubborn to give up. And of course, I've had a lot of support from the community. It is one of the few for-profit galleries left," Mulley said.

As I browsed around the current exhibition, a group of paintings by Miercarski, Mike Mulley…

The 50th Anniversary of the 2007 Allentown Arts Festival is well underway, bringing crowds to the streets of Buffalo to celebrate the Arts (and of course, good food). Buffalo Rising was out early, and we're going to be providing you with a series of predictions to what this year's "must have" item is going to be, as well as highlighting some of the more unusual and beautiful items to be found. This post will feature vendors found South of Allen Street. It's a little early to see what everyone is carrying around this year, but we found a few items that were certainly worthy of attention. Just a note, this isn't to say what the "best" art at the Festival is -- just a guessing game about what the most popular item for sale this year will be. What's your vote?

First up were a collection of hanging garden ornaments, unique with quirky faces., These could be a great addition to late…

One booth to make sure to look for while walking around the Allentown Art Festival this weekend is that of long-time participant Andy Russell. Andy produces original acrylic paintings and limited reproductions in a remarkable style he calls "extended realism", and 2007 marks his 25th year meeting and greeting both old friends and new customers at the Festival.

"Normally, I attend up to fourteen shows a year," he explains, in a room filled with the new canvases of the season. "This year, I'm focusing on developing my online presence, so I'll only be attending about four." He says the Allentown Art Festival is not only special to locals – "Every year, I hear from exhibitors in other cities that they enjoyed the Allentown Festival, and how much they like Buffalo. That word sprea…

Renowned African-Canadian Artist David Kibuuka will be having a showing at Gallery 51 which will remain on display until July 21st, 2007. Kibuuka is in the African Modernist school, which borrows techniques from 19th and 20th century European artists, blending them with traditional African imagery to create a wholly vibrant and unique form. Kibuuka is notably internationally famous for his work as the founder of Modern Batik Art Painting where he introduced the Fragmentation technique to traditional Batik Art, which uses mosaics of color and form to create rich, multifaceted images. This modification added increased background depth and a richer palette of colors to batik painting, allowing this novel fine art medium to yield control, detail and richness comparable to oil, acrylic and water-color painting.

Kibuuka emerged early as an artist, thanks in part to the mentoring of h…

Fun, zany, entertaining and just plain weird are a few words that describe some of the artists we will see this year at Hallwalls' Artists and Models “Nocterminal” event; a fund raiser to support Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center.

Our first interview was with visual artist and connoisseur of the sensual, Sean McGarry. Upon entering Sean's studio, I was besieged by an exquisite collection of erotic artwork. Beautiful paintings of equally beautiful women indulging themselves in various pleasures of the flesh, made me feel as though I had stepped into some kind of alternate universe. This was an atmosphere of fearless self expression and moral immunity, an environment that demands a laissez faire attitude from even its toughest critic.

Buffalo Rising: Would you classify your work as art for experiment or art for entertainment?

McGarry: …

The Central Terminal Restoration Corporation hosted the Student Celebration of the Visual Arts show at Buffalo's Central Terminal, Paderewski Drive in Buffalo this weekend May 19th and 20th. The Exhibit, now in it’s fourth year, featured the works of more than five hundred Western New York students.

The Student Celebration of Visual Arts Show was founded in 2004 by Brad Curcio, a Williamsville North High School art teacher and a member of the CTRC. The 2004 Exhibition was held in Williamsville.

The Central Terminal Restoration Corporation purchased the building in 1997 hoping to preserve the terminal which served millions of passengers from it’s opening in 1929 until its closure by Amtrak in 1978.

Since opening the exhibit to all Western New York districts and moving to the terminal from Williamsville in 2005, “There has been an overwhelming response from the surrounding…

Buffalo Rising Online has partnered with the Albright-Knox Art Gallery to give you a very special treat -- a privately curated walk through of their featured exhibit, Raw Human Emotion: Francis Bacon Paintings from the 1950's.

Join Senior Curator Douglas Dreishpoon, Ph.D., as he gives us insight into Bacon's tortured world of dark genius, starting with a larger-than-life photograph of his studio, and working through one of the of the most comprehensive looks at Bacon's most prolific period ever compiled. As Dreishpoon explains, most shows of Bacon's work have given a chronological look at his life and work. This exhibit, by contrast, goes more deeply into his work in the 1950s, bringing together paintings from as far away as China.

While modern art may seem difficult to relate to, especially the dark abstractions of Bacon's caliber, Dreishpoon's insights and anecdotes will br…

Designed as a way to raise awareness of hunger globally, and feed the local hungry, Empty Bowls is in its fourth year. Local artists, teachers and students have combined forces with local restauranteurs to create this event first conceived by the Art Education and Design Department at Buffalo State College.

Here's how it works: Individuals purchase one of 1,000 bowls made by local students throughout the community ($5 to $10) and receive a meal in return. The proceeds from the sale then go to the Food Bank of Western New York and Friends of Night People. Last year's event netted $5,000.

The festive gathering will also feature live music and fun activities. A documentary about Empty Bowls with Buffalo Schools Visual and Performing Arts high school film students will also have its first showing at the event.

Special Empty Bowls lesson plans were created by students in the …

The Digital Media Arts Program will be hosting this year's Digital Media Festival from May 24th - 26th at Canisius College. This three-day event will be comprised of a competition and various workshops and seminars, including "Working with Multiple layers of Video in Final Cut Pro" and subjects including lighting, audio, and Flash programming. Each workshop is 90 minutes long. The three categories for the competition are Animation and Video Shorts (suggested length: under 10 minutes), Web and Interactive Design, and Still Images (Photography and Illustration). There are a number of awards within each category. The Festival be held during the evening on Thursday and Friday, and during the day Saturday. The deadline for submissions was initially today, May 7th, but has been postponed until May 14, 2007, to allow for a great…

The painter Francis Bacon, descendent of the 16th century philosopher, once said, “The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery,” and he certainly succeeded in that mission in the course of his life and work. Known for his austere and even grotesque imagery, Bacon’s life took turns to the strange from the very beginning that were reflected in his work.

Bacon’s sickliness and overt homosexual tendencies enraged his father, getting him horsewhipped once and eventually thrown out of the family homestead. Having been frequently displaced as a child, at the age of 17 he was on the streets permanently with a tiny allowance from his mother’s trust fund, and quickly found unsavory ways of keeping himself housed and fed, either by petty theft, rent-dodging, or by finding wealthy male patrons to take him in. After one such tryst, Bacon found himself with enough wherewit…