In this city of light, we are haunted by a few shadows. Remnants of our monumental past stand forgotten in the corners of the city, ignored for various financial or historical reasons. However, the community’s continual interest in reviving and reinterpreting the abandoned beauty we are blessed with is what makes Buffalo a great place to be.
David Torke, of fixBuffalo, has been directing his attention and efforts towards the First Ward. In conjunction with the Landmark Society, McCarthy’s, RiverWright and the First Ward Community Association, he aims to project a film onto the grain elevator, hosting an event that would bring people to the see the area in a positive light. His excitement was tangible when I met with him to discuss his reasons for holding the event. He told me, “When people acknowledge the existence of a place, that leads to knowledge about it. From there, the next step is action. If this event could get people to recognize the First Ward grain elevator, then perhaps that is a step towards honoring its history and reviving the area.” He takes the notion of “shining light” on the area quite literally, and projecting a film onto the elevator does just that. With food and beer supplied by McCarthy’s, a longstanding pub in the First Ward, the event could draw quite a crowd. Situated on the Buffalo River along South Street, near Vandalia and Hamburg, the picturesque location provides a great environment to relax outside, enjoy a film, and raise awareness about the area.
Like most great ideas, however, this one presents an obstacle to overcome. The lack of a suitable projector has impeded the progress of the event, preventing it from getting off the ground. Because of the size of the grain elevator, an unusual projector is needed in order to show the film to a large scale. As of yet, no projector of this capacity (30,000-40,000 lumens) has been found in Buffalo. If this projector must be rented, slides of advertisements for sponsors could be projected before and after the film, as well as during intermission. This would give donors an opportunity to see their name in lights as well as support a great local cause. In order to provide any information regarding a projector or if you’d like to help out, please contact fixbuffalo@gmail.com.
After spending some time in the First Ward and exploring the grain elevators myself, I’d love to see this event become a reality. This is one of many locations where Buffalo hides its history, and efforts such as these suggest that this city is indeed experiencing an age of enlightenment.
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