Update, June 2022

Despite the mind numbing and cocoon inducing cold of this grueling winter, our volunteer committees and Board of Directors have, not surprisingly, been working tirelessly counter to any expectations of seasonal inertia (doubtless in an effort to stay warm!) In addition to the impressive amount and quality of independent shows from our membership, and following the end of last year’s meeting between the Boards of Directors and Trustees to discuss fundraising strategically, we have seen the very successful drop off and jurying of work for consideration for our upcoming Spring Show to be held at Buffalo Arts Studio, deftly managed by Vice President of Exhibitions, Mark Lavatelli and his Exhibition Committee (a special thank you to BAS Artistic Director Cori Wolff for opening up that…

I begin this message with sad news: we recently lost two longtime BSA members: Kaaren Metcalf and Eddie Bisone. Kaaren Metcal: known for her tender and very well-executed portraits, largely of her family, succumbed to complications of chemotherapy. She was ever dedicating herself to the betterment of her talents, and in one particular George Palmer workshop, she did an absolutely superb pastel portrait of my wife, Donna, which she graciously sent to us several months later. I was delighted to award her a Best of Show in the most recent Williamsville Art Society exhibition, a work clearly worth the recognition. Eddie Bisone: for those of us who knew him from when he hung out at Art Dialogue, greeting people, what more needs be said? This…

I was in conversation with a longtime BSA member the other day, someone who had been active on the Board and in many other BSA activities. This member said to me, “I joined the Buffalo Society of Artists to further my art career, but I feel that this is where my art career came to die.” This was a disconcerting statement to be sure. As we continued to talk, this member had envisioned the BSA as an organization that would offer the kind of programming, professional development and public exposure that would provide access to the tools and a network of artists to assist in moving forward in personal artistic endeavors. It seemed that this was why this person had become a member and that…

In this edition, read news about the upcoming 2023 Open Members Exhibition, our new First Friday Art Shuttle, BSA Member kudos, and more.

I am happy to report that as we move into our summer season, we are doing so with a full itinerary of shows and events for our membership, courtesy of the good work of our Boards of Directors and Trustees. We have our collaborative show with ELAB at Silo City for “Reclaimed City”; our Summer Picnic; our Open Members Show — to be held at the Theodore Roosevelt Historic Inaugural Site — running six weeks through August and into the beginning of September; our Catalogue Exhibition and Eye Candy II art auction and social event to benefit the Artist Portrait Series Video Archive Project, both likewise to be held in September. To address the first of these, “Reclaimed City”, I would ask any artists who…

First and foremost, a heartfelt congratulations to the top three award winners in our Spring Show at Project308 Gallery, in order, first to third: Joan Shaw, Michele Agosto, and Norma Joy. Likewise, I applaud those who didn’t win, but who were accepted into the exhibition, and my condolences to those who were not. I say that, of course, tongue-in-cheek, because yours truly fell into that latter category. Such is life. Somehow, the exhibition managed to be very good despite the absence of my artwork. Just in case any of you who don’t know me very well think I’m seriously wallowing in my sorrows over the rejection (sniffle), as we all know, far better artists than any of us have faced similar results from simply trying…