Buffalo Works: Photography Pop Up is slated as a one-night only event at Buffalo Paint & Wallpaper, 2917 Bailey Avenue, on Friday, May 19, 6 pm to midnight. RSVP on the official Facebook page here.
Buffalo Works will direct the lenses of ten photographers toward the people, places, and things that represent the city at work. Brendan Bannon, Joe George, Chris Hawley, Molly Jarboe, Dinesh Joseph, Lloyd Mitchell, Kate Stapleton Parzych, Laird Robertson, David Torke, and Katherine Whitefield are the participating photographers.
While the pop up will focus on Buffalo as a whole, Bailey Avenue was chosen as a location because it is often overlooked.
“Bailey Avenue is the longest street in Buffalo, and one of the least understood,” says Chris Hawley, a co-organizer. “The Buffalo resurgence narrative has rarely turned its attention toward places like Bailey Avenue, which is why Buffalo Paint & Wallpaper was chosen as the pop up location.”
Buffalo Paint & Wallpaper, formerly known as Schnitter’s Paint & Wallpaper, is a family-owned and operated business serving the Kensington-Bailey neighborhood since 1983.
“Buffalo Works will employ photography to reveal what is new about the city’s economy, as well as the resilience of survivors of its economic transition,” says David Torke, a co-organizer. “The pop up will ask the question: what is Buffalo’s economy, and where might it be going?”
Buffalo Works is the second in a series of photography pop ups held at Buffalo locations that are seldom seen. Buffalo East, the first photography pop up, took place on February 24 at Saddle Up Saloon, 55 Hubbard Street.
The work is designed to be affordable to all audiences. Each photographer is making available ten unframed prints, all original and new work, each in editions of five, for only $25 apiece.
“The photography pop-up series is intended to exist outside of Buffalo’s mainstream art scene,” says Molly Jarboe, co-organizer. “The pop ups are never at a gallery, sponsorships will never be accepted, and work will always be sold at or below cost. This is a people’s art event.”