Every first Friday of the month, the community is invited to attend a special day at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, filled with all sorts of interactive art events and activities. There’s something for everyone, including kids. The line-up includes tours, art exhibits, classes, live music, talks, hands-on activities, food and drink, and lots of surprises along the way. Many of the activities and tours are free (see below). The next M&T First Fridays at The Gallery takes place on April 6, from 10am to 10pm. Also, see current exhibits.
Drop-in Art Activity
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 10 am – 12 pm | 5pm – 7pm
FREE
Education Classrooms
Artists of all ages are invited to participate in a free artmaking activity inspired by works on view in the museum.
Art supplies are provided. No pre-registration is required.
Family Fun Tour
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 11 am – 11:45 am
FREE
Meet at the Guest Services Station
This family-oriented tour of works in the 1962 Building will explore a different theme each month.
Space is limited to 20 participants. To reserve your spot, please register online, call 716.270.8292, or sign up at the Albright-Knox Admissions Desk.
ArtCart—We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 12 pm – 1:30 pm
FREE
1905 Building
Come and explore the AK’s mobile ArtCart with interactive art activities for kids and families in We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85.
Focusing on the work of black women artists, this exhibition examines the political, social, cultural, and aesthetic priorities of women of color from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s.
Public Tour
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
FREE
Meet at the Guest Services Station
“What’s Your Vision?” Tour
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
FREE
Meet at the Guest Services Station
This one-hour tour led by an Albright-Knox–trained docent encourages participants to “read” four works of art from their own perspectives.
Gallery Talk—We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 6 pm – 6:30 pm
FREE
1905 Building
Join Albright-Knox Curatorial Fellow Andrea Alvarez for a discussion of the exhibition We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85.
Focusing on the work of black women artists, this exhibition examines the political, social, cultural, and aesthetic priorities of women of color from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s.
Jazz and Happy Hour
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
AK Café
Enjoy drink specials and live jazz music by Alex McArthur in the artful setting of AK Café.
About the Artist: Alex McArthur has been an active jazz and funk vocalist of the music scene in Buffalo for the past three years. Currently a senior at the University at Buffalo, she will be receiving her BFA in Music Theatre and BA in Vocal Performance in May 2019. Her and her groups have performed at many venues, festivals, and events in the Western New York area and beyond, such at Pausa Art House, Buffalo Iron Works, Larkin Square, Lewiston Jazz Festival, and the Queen City Jazz Festival. She was the recipient of the JazzBuffalo Rising Star Award of 2016. McArthur is also a private voice teacher at the Rochester Contemporary School of Music. In her free time, she participates in musicals with theatre companies in the area, and is also a member of Harmonia Chamber Choir.
Gallery Talk—We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 7 pm – 7:30 pm
FREE
1905 Building
Join Albright-Knox Curatorial Assistant Jasmine Magaña for a discussion of the exhibition We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85.
Focusing on the work of black women artists, this exhibition examines the political, social, cultural, and aesthetic priorities of women of color from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s.
Live Short-Order Ekphrastic Poems by Just Buffalo Writing Center
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
FREE
1962 Building
Young writers from the Just Buffalo Writing Center will be on hand composing personalized made-to-order poems on typewriters. Short-order poems offer attendees a chance to interact with young Buffalo poets and walk away with a one-of-a-kind poetic treasure.
Lead image: Young poets from Just Buffalo Writing Center create live short-order ekphrastic poems for M&T FIRST FRIDAYS visitors on April 7, 2017. Photograph by Tom Loonan.
Film Screening: Daughters of the Dust
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 7:30 pm
Auditorium
FREE
Join The AK for a screening of Daughters of the Dust, the first wide release by a black female film director. Created by Julie Dash (whose work is also featured in We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965-85), this film explores, at the dawn of the 20th century, a multi-generational family in the Gullah community on the Sea Islands off of South Carolina – former West African slaves who adopted many of their ancestors’ Yoruba traditions and who struggle to maintain their cultural heritage and folklore while contemplating a migration to the mainland, even further from their roots.
Studio Art Class for Adults: Painting without Paint
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
$15 general admission
$5 for Members
Education Classrooms
Adults of all levels of experience are invited to sign up for The AK’s Studio Art Classes for Adults on the first Friday of every month. This class will focus on painting without paint.
Space is limited; registration and pre-payment are required. Please register online, call 716.270.8292, or sign up at the Albright-Knox Admissions Desk.
The Art of Food and Drink: Cake Crazy Bakery
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm
$10 general admission
$5 for Members
AK Café
Please join The AK for a food pairing in which Chef Shetice Williams of Cake Crazy Bakery curates a series of small bites inspired by works from the special exhibition We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85.
Space is limited, and registration is required. Please register online, call 716.270.8292, or sign up at the Albright-Knox Admissions Desk. Please note that we are not able to offer refunds for cancellations.
To learn more, visit The AK.
M&T First Fridays @ The Gallery – On the first Friday of every month, from 10 am to 10 pm, admission to part of the museum and select events are free for everyone. Certain events and special exhibitions are available for a fee. Admission to special exhibitions is Pay What You Wish.
Become a Member during M&T FIRST FRIDAYS and receive a 20% discount!
Albright-Knox Art Gallery | 1285 Elmwood Avenue | Buffalo, NY 14222