On Saturday, UB students and local art lovers saw a spectacle audiences will not be able to experience again until 2011. In Trimania, a party showcasing Buffalo artists' latest work takes over the former Tri-Main Center, a refurbished windshield-wiper factory.
The party occupied all five floors of the historic building. Visitors experienced different culture and kinds of art as they explored exhibits. The event featured 60 open studios, 17 bands, dancers, and other live performances. Contributing artists were present to discuss their work.
This year, undergraduate and graduate students from UB, Daemen College and Buffalo State College participated in the show. An entire studio was dedicated to student work.
Joanna Angie, director of Buffalo Art Studio, the organization that coordinated Trimania, said that incorporating student artwork into the show gave the aspiring artists a chance to put their work alongside that of established artists.
"We like to feature young, brand new emerging artists that people haven't seen," Angie said. "This is a good opportunity for students to exhibit their work in a professional event."
Tara Warwick, a junior fine arts major contributed a piece called "Sinking," which is a black and white print that depicts a girl sinking into a marsh, struggling to stay afloat.
Oreen Cohen, a senior fine arts and philosophy major, was featured in the show with a piece entitled "The Cyclical Nature of our Habitation Steel, Mud, Bones, a Shovel, Train Spikes, Charred Wood, Rusted Nails, a Cardinal, Tree Roots." The piece showcases six individual circular configurations that work with all the items named in the title, including actual bones and a real cardinal.
New York City's internationally known DJ Rekha performed during the night. She performed two sessions, mixing hip-hop and eletronica with Bhangra, a Southeast Asian form of music. People crowded in the studio and danced to her eccentric beats.
Throughout the night, different bands and musical acts played live, with styles ranging from indie rock to reggae. Two student bands, The Mom & Dad Parade and The Thermidors were among the many performers showcasing their talent.
Besides being a grand spectacle for art connoisseurs, the event is a fundraiser for Buffalo Art Studio's programs.
"We need to raise funds to support our several programs," Angie said. "We do educational programs, exhibition programs, public arts projects, mentorship programs for the youth, to name a few, and we have to pay for them every year."
The last Trimania saw more than 3,000 people in attendance. At the beginning of this year's event, Trimania organizers expected a turnout of around 5,000 people.
"The more people that show up to events like this the better," said Ayondela Noble, a Trimania intern and a graduate student at UB. "This fundraiser is an extremely crucial event in terms of art education...since a lot of the art funding in public schools are being cut, it's extremely important that this organization be funded because when those classes are cut, students come here."
The sheer size of Trimania's attendees impressed Christina Khoury, a sophomore social science major.
"I still can't believe how many people came to Trimania," Khoury said. "I am so glad I came and took part in this tradition."
