The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) has announced the arrival of a new sculpture by one of Buffalo’s own, artist Kevin Kegler. The sculpture, titled “Start Over Again,” has been installed on the Greenway Nature Trail next to the Bell Slip (see map here). The “permanent” piece, fabricated by Nickel City Metal Works – a Buffalo company owned and operated by Angelo Palmieri – is considered an interactive “Instagrammable moment.”
“ECHDC believes in the power of freely accessible public art to create memorable experiences and add a uniqueness to our community. A new sculpture on the Outer Harbor invites visitors to have a seat by the waterfront and contemplate the beautiful view,” said ECHDC Board Chair Joan Kesner. “The latest prominent sculpture will further add to the Governor Hochul’s well thought out investments on the Outer Harbor, which is growing in popularity thanks to the recent opening of the Terminal B event space.”
“Start Over Again” will be on display throughout the warmer months, and into fall, at which time it will be stored over the winter, to ensure its longevity.
Kegler designed the sculpture to encourage visitors to sit, engage, and relate to each other in unique ways.
“This sculpture utilizes the common forms of chairs as a means to play with reality,” said Kegler, who recently retired as a professor in the Visual and Performing Arts Department at Daemen University in Amherst, NY where he directed the Sculpture and Graphic Design programs. “Altering the scale and relationship of these forms invites the audience to consider how we engage with this familiar object in a new way. This interactive sculpture gives visitors the opportunity to shift the physical as well as inner relationships we experience in our daily lives.”
Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera said, “The addition of the “Start Over Again” sculpture to the Outer Harbor, created by local artists, encapsulates the metamorphosis that the area has undergone through the last decade. It has been transformed from a series of derelict brownfields into a publicly accessible greenspace that connects our city’s residents to our region’s most treasured natural asset: our waterfront. This is a piece that invites residents to reflect on how far we’ve come as a region, and as a result of new improvements and investments made by Governor Hochul and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, it’s impossible not to be optimistic about our future.”
“Some of the world’s most outstanding talent is right here in Western New York, and the installation of Buffalo artist Kevin Kegler’s sculpture on the Outer Harbor is another win-win for our waterfront and our community,” said Mayor Byron Brown. “As we work to continue to make Buffalo a more culturally vibrant and inclusive city, I thank Governor Kathy Hochul and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation for their continued partnership to further expand the presence of public art in Buffalo, and along our beautiful waterfront, for everyone to enjoy.”
Resource Art is ECHDC’s art consultant and is curating this public art project. Resource Art is curating this public art project. It will be organizing a celebration at the artwork site, tentatively scheduled for August 25, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with free hands-on art making activities in partnership with ASI, as well as refreshments and healthy snacks. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged here.
For the latest updates to the waterfront schedule, visit buffalowaterfront.com.
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