Always Be An Emerging Artist: The Buffalo Art Scene According To Cori Wolff

Bryan Hopkins

This September I'm having my first solo show at a gallery in Buffalo, NY called Buffalo Arts Studio. I submitted work to one of their postings on NYFA.org a year and a half ago. They liked it, and when I brought my art to the gallery for a closer look I was pleased to met their curator Cori Wolff, who is now the Interim Executive Director. During our meeting I picked her brain on the Buffalo art scene so that I could better navigate it on my own. So when I was in Buffalo for the holidays I decided to pay Cori a second visit... this time with the intention of picking her brain on the Buffalo art scene while taking notes and then publishing the useful information on this blog.

FYI I did not record her every word when she answered one of my questions and I sometimes added to her answer if I felt she left something important out. Also, the images of art I included in this blog are selections from Buffalo Arts Studio's current exhibition titled Annual Artists Exhibit and Sale 2012. And thank you Cori Wolff!... if you'd like to read two other interviews of hers try these two links www.buffalorising.com/2010/07/curator-interview-cori-wolff.html and www.artvoice.com/issues/v10n48/five_questions.

What are some of the venues that consistently show good art?

Albright-Knox Art Gallery (www.albrightknox.org)

Burchfield Penny Arts Center (www.burchfieldpenney.org)

Castellani Art Museum (www.castellaniartmuseum.org)

University at Buffalo Art Gallery and UB Anderson Gallery (www.ubartgalleries.org)Hallwalls (www.hallwalls.org)

Big Orbit (www.bigorbitgallery.org)

BAS (www.buffaloartsstudio.org)

CEPA (www.cepagallery.org)

Squeeky Wheel (www.squeaky.org)

Is there a dialogue between Buffalo artists and artists from other cities like Toronto and New York?

Buffalo Arts Studio is working on an artist residency exchange with Brew House Association's Distillery Program in Pittsburgh, PA,

Toronto artists seem to be curious about Buffalo according to Cori because of the high quantity of submissions she receives from Toronto artists and because some directors of arts organizations, including the now outgoing director Louis Grachos of Albright-Knox Art Gallery (to read more about this development you can read this recent article in Art Voice at www.artvoice.com/issues/v11n51/cover_story), are from Toronto.

Whats are some artist residency programs in Buffalo?

University at Buffalo Center for the arts (www.ubcfa.org/artists-in-residence)

Albright-Knox Art Gallery (www.albrightknox.org/education/artist-in-residence-program)

Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center (www.hallwalls.org/harp.php)

Art Park (www.artpark.net/content/pages/art-gallery)

CEPA Gallery (www.cepagallery.org/artist_resources/calls/residency.html)

Squeaky Wheel (www.squeaky.org/residencies)

What are the benefits to being an artist in Buffalo?

Low rent
Good location for visiting nearby cities such as NYC, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toronto
Great place to start a small business
Cheap taxes
Buffalo is a community that works together... Its not competitive like bigger cities
Artists have opportunities like Art Farms (Artfarms.org) which is an organization that invites recognized artists to design grow sculptures for Buffalo's East Side urban farms.

Are there any informative blogs, magazines, newspapers about the Buffalo art scene?

Art Voice newspaper (www.blogs.artvoice.com/stillbuffalo)
John Massier's blog which is apparently discontinued (jmassier.blogspot.com)
Colin Dabkowski of Buffalo News (www.blogs.buffalonews.com/gusto)
464 Gallery's magazine called Spark (www.464gallery.com/#!spark)

Does artwork sell in Buffalo?

According to Cori Buffalo Arts Studio sells 2 or 3 pieces per show and takes a relatively low commission of 30%. And there are some serious collectors of art in Western New York that are active in buying art in Buffalo.

What are some groups that young artist can join to integrate into the art community?

ELAB ((www.elabuffalo.com)BAS critique (www.buffaloartsstudio.org/resident-artists/open-art-critiques)

Is there any central neighborhood to the Buffalo art scene?

There is no one neighborhood that has a greater concentration of galleries and studios than other parts of the city. In a publication for Beyond/In Western New York in 2007, which featured 12 diverse arts organizations, the pamphlet sectioned the organizations into three day trip "regions"... they were Downtown, Parkside (along Delaware Park), and North Towns.

Does the artist in Buffalo favor any particular style or type of art?

Primarily more traditional styles like representational and figurative, although there are many artists doing street art, creating work inspired by urban decay (like City of Night www.cityofnightbuffalo.com), and a growing trend towards new media, book arts, and screen printing

Where are the best places for renting a studio space in Buffalo?

Buffalo Arts Studio has 36 studio spaces subsidized inside the TriMain Center for a monthly rent averaging $180