Buffalo is home to some of the greatest outdoor fall activities.
But you’re not really a Buffalonian if you can’t enjoy the great indoors, too.
For those of us who enjoy a nice thermostat and even nicer art pieces, Buffalo offers plenty of art galleries to weather through the rainy –– and soon to be snowy –– days.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the best.
Albright-Knox Art Gallery
1285 Elmwood Ave.
The Albright-Knox Gallery has a long history in the Buffalo area. Founded in 1862, the museum is the sixth-oldest public arts institution in the U.S. The Albright-Knox features artwork in various styles including Impressionism, post-Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop art and Op art. The gallery even includes works from famous artists, like Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo and Andy Warhol.
The museum is looking to expand its collection to feature more 21st-century artists. There are plans underway to expand the gallery’s Elmwood Avenue campus, with construction beginning in November. Currently, the museum is featuring the exhibition “Anthony McCall: Dark Rooms, Solid Light” until Nov. 3. The exhibit features line drawings based off simple shapes and solid-light installations. These drawings expand and contract over time, as guests occupy and move through the exhibit.
Burchfield Penney Art Center
1300 Elmwood Ave.
The Burchfield Penney Art Center has been in Buffalo since 1966 and houses famous local watercolor painter Charles E. Burchfield’s work. It features the largest public collection of Burchfield’s works and a recreation of his studio.
Beyond Burchfield’s pieces, the museum features other artforms, including concerts, literary readings, lectures, workshops and other special events. The gallery is currently featuring exhibitions including “Women’s Work: Suffrage Movements 1848-1965,” “Joseph Scheer - Moth Scrolls,” “Double Real” and “Charles E. Burchfield: Transitions,” among others.
¡Buen Vivir! Gallery for Contemporary Art
148 Elmwood Ave.
The ¡Buen Vivir! Gallery for Contemporary Art uses artwork for societal change. Orin Langelle and Anne Petermann founded the gallery to use art and photography as a way to view social, political and economic movements as well as the people’s everyday struggles, through a historical lens. The museum’s goal is to inspire new generations to create a “better world.”
In the past, the gallery has held exhibitions like, “Hope & Fear: Using Art Therapy to Cope in Times of Transition,” “Are Humans Disappearing?: A Photography Exhibit by Orin Langelle” and “If Voting Changed Things.” The gallery is anticipating the upcoming exhibition, “In Between the Middle,” from the “#notwhite” collective in April.
Center for Exploratory and Perceptual Arts
617 Main St. #201
The Center for Exploratory and Perceptual Arts or, CEPA, Gallery has been in the Buffalo community since 1974. UB alumni founded the gallery during the Alternative Space Movement, which strived to present art in unconventional spaces. The CEPA Gallery space was originally intended to serve as a community darkroom. Since its foundation, the gallery has become a nationally recognized art center and one of the oldest and largest not-for-profit photography art centers in the United States.
CEPA is currently featuring the exhibit “Odyssey | Warriors Come Home” which showcases the process of returning home from war, shown through photography and writings by combat veterans.
Starlight Studio & Art Gallery
340 Delaware Ave.
The Starlight Studio & Art Gallery has supported the artistic development of adults with disabilities since 2005. The Starlight artists have developed their skills through technical assistance by professional artists, exhibitions and other opportunities.
The gallery will feature an exhibit from artists Bethany Krull & Chace Lobley from Oct. 25 to Nov. 22. On Dec. 7, the gallery will present their “Starlight Winter Open House,” featuring the works of 40 artists.
Julianna Tracey is the senior arts editor and can be reached at Julianna.Tracey@ubspectrum.com and on Twitter @JTraceySpec.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated that Starlight was offering the "Hot Rock Hotel" project, which ended last year.
Julianna Tracey is a freshman music theater and history double major. She’s excited to explore all that the Buffalo arts scene has to offer.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
