Jackie Albarella is a multi-media artist who has been working in the field for over 35 years. She began working in television as the first female engineer at WKBW -TV. She left engineering to become the Associate Producer of PM Magazine and from there started a successful video production company. She has worked at all 3 major networks in Buffalo and at WNED PBS.
Albarella has produced award winning programs that have aired both locally and nationally. Her credits include documentaries on Homeless Women and Children and Rights for the Developmentally Disabled. As producer and host, Albarella has created many national programs which include a series of gardening programs produced from elite gardens throughout the United States and London, England.
Albarella served as Executive Director of the Arts in Education Institute. Designed after and partnered with the Lincoln Center Institute for Aesthetic Education, AIEWNY brought works of art and Teaching Artists into classrooms to serve as entry points for learning. The Institute served over 15,000 students and adults throughout Western New York.Albarella is a co-founder of the Artists and Veterans Art Collaborative which provides free art programs to Veterans and their families. She has showcased work from this group in exhibits at the Roycroft Campus and at Horizons Gallery as part of the release of the PBS documentary Vietnam.
As a photographer, Albarella has exhibited in galleries throughout WNY. Her one woman show at The Burchfield Penney Art Center, entitled: “My Mr. Burchfield” depicted her life beginning as Burchfield’s neighbor and later growing up in his former home. The exhibit included video clips of interviews with the Albarella family and close neighbors who recounted their relationships and memories of the famed artist.
Other major exhibits include:
Albarella’s photography is captured in the book, “The Hotel Lafayette: Restoring Louise Bethune’s Masterpiece”. The book and companion film produced by Albarella follows the restoration of the Hotel Lafayette. The documentary aired on WNED PBS Buffalo.
Her photography is also the subject of the recently released book, “Women in the City of Good Neighbors”. The book chronicles in photos and stories the lives of many of the unsung heroes who make WNY a better place.
In 2018 Albarella was recognized by the City of Buffalo during Women’s History Month for her contributions to Media and the Arts
Volunteer:
For more information and to see her work: