As you might already know, Buffalo’s Infringement Festival kicks off this week, celebrating Buffalo’s diverse and rich art scene. As part of this 11-day festival, the 464 Gallery, located at 464 Amherst Street, will host a show opening this Friday, July 24th.
This new show will highlight the work of the members of MindWeb, an organization that fosters the growth of local artists, musicians and writers. Marcus Wise is both the owner of the 464 Gallery and the creator of MindWeb. he created MindWeb two years ago as a small online community for local artists. Since then it has expanded to include more than 20 visual artists, as well as several musicians and authors. Wise eventually expanded his group into a physical space at the 464 Gallery in February 2009.
“Our vision was to have a gallery that catered exclusively to local and emerging artists,” Wise told me last week. Artists from MindWeb are featured in one section of the gallery continually throughout the year, while another space is reserved for the gallery’s changing art show. The show opening Friday, however, will feature MindWeb members exclusively and showcase their wide-ranging talents.
Wise said the art emerging from his MindWeb group tends to be more edgy and youthful than other work you might find. Wise encourages aspiring artists interested in joining the group to send him samples of their work or come into the gallery to meet with him. Members can post their work online where it can be purchased, take discounted art classes at the gallery and have their work featured in the 464 Gallery’s MindWeb member’s gallery year-round.
Friday’s opening at the 464 Gallery will begin at 5PM. Some of the artists will be on hand to meet and greet with the public. Wise said there will also be live music by MindWeb artist Andrew Moore, as well as light snacks and free wine and beer. Sue Cholewa, who owns the building the 464 Gallery is housed in, will also host a Happy Hour event outside at the same time.
Next door to the 464 Gallery, the Artsphere Studio and Gallery will also host its show opening the same night beginning at 6:30PM. The fifth annual “Garden Mystique” show will celebrate Buffalo’s Garden Walk, which is coming up this weekend. The opening will last until about 9PM and the show will run through August 29.
“It’s events like this that really show off the kind of talent we have in Buffalo,” Wise said of the Infringement Festival. “It’s up to us to make sure that doesn’t get forgotten because I think if anything is going to help revive the city, it’s going to be the skill and hard work of the artists.” The Infringement Festival takes place at more than 30 venues around the Allentown district from July 23rd through August 2nd. For more information on the festival, check out our previous story.
If you can’t make the opening Friday, you can still come down and check out the show throughout the Infringement Festival. The 464 Gallery is open from 12PM-6PM Tuesday through Friday, 11AM to 6PM on Saturdays, and 11AM to 5PM on Sundays. Wise and his team of MindWeb artists can also create custom work for a wedding, a new home, or any occasion. Please call 716.983.2112 to set up an appointment or for more information on the gallery or this art show.
(All photos courtesy of Marcus Wise, who is pictured in the second image.)