In 2017, when Justin Dahl bought a building at 1111 Tonawanda Street in Riverside, it was in serious disrepair. Only part of it was being used, the basement contained a foot of water, and the rest had deteriorated nearly to the point of no return. Dahl spent the ensuing years restoring it at a cost nearly double what he paid for the 4,000-square-foot, 1920 commercial structure. Those costs are mostly building materials, because Dahl—who comes to this project with construction experience—did most of the work himself. His goal is to turn it into a place to live and run a contemporary art school.
You can read more on the background of Queen City Fine Arts by reading this Buffalo Rising article.
Now that Dahl has officially finished work on the 2000 square foot commercial space within the building, he’s getting reading to host his first show. “Queen City Fine Arts is happy to announce it will be opening to the public starting May 10th, 2019. We are currently seeking artists in all media to participate in our inaugural show. Art that is considered unusual or off the wall is highly encouraged. We have built a contemporary gallery and want to foster concept as well as content.”
This is an exciting day for Riverside, which will certainly benefit from the presence of Queen City Fine Arts. Once open, teachers will be offering classes that include jewelry, ceramics, print making, drawing, painting, sculpture, and eventually metal-making.
In the meantime, if you are an artist that is interested in showing, be sure to contact Dahl – information is below.
Queen City Fine Arts | 1111 Tonawanda Street | Riverside NY 14207 | (716) 222-1920 | Facebook
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