Following up on the successful “Paint-In” at the Blacksmith Shop last month, Sara Zak, the Plein Air Painters and other independent artists, working with different media, will assemble to capture and bring awareness to another building on the Preservation-Ready List: 169 East Ferry, also known as the Harris Hardware building. The building, owned by Glenn Banks, has a leaky roof that has resulted in major water damage to upper floors and interior walls. Artists will begin their work at the site at 9:30 AM on Saturday, April 30.
The building, built in c. 1890, was the first hardware store owned by an African-American family, and was named to the Preservation-League of New York State’s ‘Seven to Save‘ list in 2010.
The Seven to Save Endangered Properties list draws attention to the plight of New York’s agricultural landscapes and structures, architecture of the recent past, early public housing complexes and the need for appropriate commercial revitalization. These seven valued historic resources are in danger of disappearing because of insufficient funding and financial incentives, insensitive public policies, general neglect, disinvestment, and in some cases, demolition.
A third “Paint-In” event has also been scheduled for Saturday, May 7 at the Greystone Hotel on S. Johnson Park. The “Paint-In” series will culminate in an installation in and around the National Trust Conference in October.
Get Connected: FaceBook event page.
Photos by David Torke at fixBuffalo.