Edreys Wajed is a finalist for this year’s Spark Award for Artist of the Year, an award that honors an individual artist in any discipline for their achievements the previous year.
Born and raised in Buffalo, Edreys is an enthusiastic and inspiring walking enterprise of all things creative, from visual artist and hip hop musician to jewelry designer and entrepreneur. He boasts a broad and diverse resume of creative talents and achievements: he runs his own stationery boutique and art gallery with his equally talented wife Alexa, has toured as hip hop artist, and is a second generation jewelry designer.
Edreys is widely recognized for his work as one of the four artists to have contributed to The Freedom Wall, a mural commissioned by Albright-Knox Art Gallery located at the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street in Buffalo that depicts 28 civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Always evolving creatively, his latest works made a big impression in May and July of 2019 when he saw a sold-out solo show and exhibit at Argus Gallery. His paintings can now also be found in the Burchfield Penney Art Center and The Roswell Park Art Heals Gallery permanent art collections.
Edreys and the other finalists will be honored at ASI’s 7th Annual Sparks Award on Monday, November 16. For more information, visit the Spark page of our website.
[Please note that ASI is closely monitoring the outbreak of COVID-19 and its potential impact on this year’s Spark Awards on November 16. In the meantime, we still feel it’s important to spotlight the important work of our many honorees.]
Spark Awards 2020 Honorees & Finalists
We are excited to announce the 2020 Spark Awards honorees and finalists:
Arts Organization of the Year Finalists
1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center
O’Connell & Company
Unique Theatre Co.
Artist of the Year Finalists
JoAnn Falletta
Chris J. Handley
Edreys Wajed
Arts Integration
The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Spectrum Disorder Center at Oishei Children’s Hospital
DEC Program of the Year
Lewiston Council on the Arts’ Iroquois Market
Lifetime Achievement
Vincent O’Neill, Irish Classical Theatre Co.
Rising Star
West Falls Center for the Arts
Supporter of the Cultural Sector
Joel Feroleto, Buffalo Common Council Member, Delaware District
Trailblazer of the Arts
Michele Agosto, Buffalo Public Schools
Unsung Hero
Beth Pedersen, Buffalo Society of Artists