Category: PostEvents

McGuire Development Company and Blackfish Investments celebrated the start of work at The Rails, a new apartment complex under construction on Main Street near the LaSalle Light Rail Station. The Rails is a transit-oriented, brownfield redevelopment project that combines preservation of two existing buildings with new construction.  The project will create 312 apartments in existing and new buildings,1,500 square feet of retail space, and 3,675 square feet of office space. 

“We are thrilled to revive this long-under-utilized brownfield property through launching The Rails and providing an attractive, modern apartment community for this important stretch of Main Street,” stated Dave Freeman, Founding Principal at Blackfish Investments. 

“The Rails will offer a transit-oriented lifestyle being in proximity to LaSalle Station and along bus routes, as well as a walkable and bikeable address with attractive nearby amenities,” stated David Von Derau, President of McGuire Development Company.

The project represents the transformation of a former industrial site with shuttered buildings and an abandoned rail line. Previous site occupants include the Automatic Transportation Company, a manufacturer of industrial lift trucks, tractors, and locomotives, even a compact electric car, and the McDougall-Butler Company, a paint manufacturer known for their giant revolving paint can advertisement at the site. 

Offering a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments, The Rails is targeting graduate students and professionals looking for conveniently located housing with a long list of amenities.  The amenity package will provide a two-level fitness center, golf simulator, club room with full kitchen, co-working and collaboration space, music room, dog wash, dog park, and secure bike storage.

Elev8 Architecture designed the project.

The post Ceremonial Start for The Rails Project appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

THE BASICS:  CHURCH & STATE, a 2016 play by Jason Odell Williams, directed by Ross Hewitt, starring John Kreuzer, Sabrina Kahwaty, Rachael Jamison (with Vincent DeStefano in a number of utility roles, often comic), presented by Ujima Company, runs through October 2, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 4.  Lorna C. Hill Theater at Ujima Theatre Company 429 Plymouth Avenue Buffalo, New York 14213 ujimacoinc.org (716) 281-0092.  Real, full color printed programs are handed out along with “Re-elect Senator Charles Whitmore” campaign buttons.

Runtime: 90 minutes, no intermission

THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  (adapted from the playwright’s website)

In the wake of a school shooting in his hometown of Raleigh, NC, a Republican U.S. senator makes an off-the-cuff comment to a blogger that calls into question the senator’s stance on gun control and his belief in God– three days before his bid for re-election.  As his devoutly Christian wife and liberal Jewish campaign manager try to contain the damage, CHURCH & STATE looks at how religion, guns, and social media influence our political system.

Photo by RCM Photography

THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, AND THE PRODUCTION:  This is one intense small cast play, the type at which Ujima excels.  It’s timely, hard-hitting, with moments of great hilarity contrasted with moments of horrific reality.  I’m thinking of their recent offerings of SMART PEOPLE, about how even smart people have trouble coming to grips with race in America, and AMERICAN SON about a black son’s encounter with the police, and PIPELINE about the “school-to-prison pipeline” that affects so many young black men.  (Click on the titles mentioned to read my reviews of those three plays).

This is a “crisis of conscience” play in which the protagonist, Senator Charles Whitmore, must choose between his own beliefs versus the socially acceptable or politically expedient.  And of course, it’s complicated.  If the Senator keeps quiet now, he might get six years in the U.S. Senate to convince his fellow senators to effect real change, but only if he’s re-elected.  

Although there’s a lot of talk about God, this is not a theological play.  Great minds through the centuries have dealt with the question of how God and evil can co-exist.  The senator’s simplistic response is that they can’t.  If evil is real, and he’s seen with his own eyes the results of evil in the classroom after the shooting, then God can’t exist.  

Once again I was struck by the immediacy of Ujima productions.  In the new Lorna Hill theater space, there is no raised stage.  The actors are right there, just a few feet away.  Upon entering the theater, when the usher hands you a campaign button and says “you’re part of the play” it doesn’t mean that there’s audience participation in the traditional sense of breaking the fourth wall.  To me, it meant that at Ujima that fourth wall between those of us in the audience and those on stage becomes so thin that you are more like a fly on the wall.  You ARE in the room where it happens.

So what about that room?  The set and props by Dylan Regan and Brian Brown are minimal but spot-on, including some MAGA-style red hats on a table, a campaign poster declaring “Jesus is my running mate,” a craft table of unappetizing snacks (but plenty of “Sweet Tea”), and a cheesy couch facing the audience.

What made the play become so real for me however was not the set, nor the excellent performances by both John Kreuzer as the senator nor Sabrina Kahwaty as the campaign manager.  It was the performance of Rachael Jamison as Sara Whitmore, the senator’s wife, trying to be the anchor in the stormy sea of politics and not always succeeding.  

That role reminded me so much of the pastor’s wife in the Lucas Hnath play THE CHRISTIANS which I saw several years back at Road Less Traveled Productions (and also at Chautauqua) in which a pastor at a “Megachurch” sermonizes that there is no such thing as Hell, and that a God who truly loves us will accept all into Heaven.  Even non-believers.  Even Hitler.  Not all in the congregation are ready to accept this message and the pastor’s wife (played at RLTP by Lisa Vitrano) sees his career go off the rails.  

Here at Ujima in CHURCH & STATE Jamison’s every gesture, every look, every change in the tone of voice, and every interaction with the other characters was just… so… real.  

I highly recommend this play. 

Random Thoughts:  After the show, I had the occasion to speak with Brian Brown, Ujima’s Managing Director, and asked him, given that Ujima’s Mission Statement tells us that their “primary purpose is the preservation, perpetuation, and performance of African American theatre” why they opened with a show featuring four white actors.  

After mentioning May 14, his response was an echo of what Interim Artistic Director Sarah Norat-Phillips has on the company’s website regarding the 2022/2023 season.  She writes: “At Ujima we strive to choose work that speaks to and for the community, gives voice to those who all too often go unheard, and sheds light on issues that need to be examined. I selected each of these projects with those tenets in mind and I am hopeful that when our audience chooses Ujima they will continue to find food for the mind, body, and soul.”  

CHURCH & STATE speaks to and for the community regardless of the color of the actors.  It’s a powerful show.  And again, I highly recommend it.

Rating:  Five Buffalos

*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)

ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.

TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.

THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.

FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.

FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!

The post CHURCH & STATE at Ujima: a contemporary play about guns, politics, and religion appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

Artist’s new studio space & gallery will open to the public next month

There’s nothing I like more than talking about Buffalo. Seriously, it is my favorite conversation starter when I am visiting a new city or making someone’s acquaintance. So when I had the opportunity to sit down with Mark DiVincenzo and pick his brain about the Buffalo art scene – and an exciting personal and professional endeavor he is embarking upon – it was a no-brainer.

I met Mark the same way I have met everyone I know in this great town: through someone else. Everyone in Buffalo is somehow connected, and usually, it isn’t even six degrees of separation but rather a friend of a friend linking us all together. As I often say, this city is a small living room and you’d better be careful before you start dating someone new or moving to a new part of town because you might be related to them [laughing, kind of].

Mark is married to my Pilates instructor Sarah Griffin DiVincenzo and together they had a shared studio space in Buffalo’s Five Points neighborhood called Pilates Art Studio. Sarah’s studio is right above Remedy House, and you can find me there at least once a week before work doing a reformer class with her. One of Mark’s studio spaces was on the third floor of the building, and he had another on Niagara Street.

Not too long ago, he decided to look at a studio space in Snyder and consolidate/rent out the places in the city. I met Mark at the new studio and sat down with him there to talk about his life in the Buffalo and New York City/California art scene, the important commercial work he has undertaken around town, and his plans for a gallery and studio opening sometime in October. I also chatted with him about what inspires him and what art in Buffalo and beyond means to him and how it enriches his life and expands his world.

You are a Buffalo native and take great pride in that, but have lived and traveled all over the world practicing your art. Tell me a bit about how you got started.

I grew up in Buffalo and started drawing and sculpting at age four. I lived two doors down from Jackie Felix and that was the beginning of my art career. I walked to her house and I was in awe of Jackie’s studio. She became a big influence on me and got me interested in art and the creative process from very early on.

From there, I began to take art classes and went to a great grammar school called School 81 known for its art program, industrial arts, and music. The emphasis used to be a lot more prevalent on music and the arts growing up, and now it seems that more and more schools are cutting important programs such as these. I was very lucky to experience a great education here in Buffalo fully immersed in the arts. From there, I went to Buffalo State College and was fortunate to study abroad in Sienna, Italy.

Travel inspires me and my art, and I still find inspiration wherever I travel to. Throughout my study abroad time in Sienna, I traveled around Europe. Looking back, that changed my life completely because I was totally immersed in art. It propelled me when I got back to the States to delve right in.

After graduating college, you lived in New York City and California. What was the art scene like in those cities when you lived there, and what inspired your art during that time in your life?

I was lucky enough to live in New York City after school and show my work at art studios in Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. That really changed me: learning from gallery owners and curators in the City inspired me to create. The amount of work that was necessary to be successful in New York City was nothing less than daunting but it taught me a lot.

California also provided me with inspiration but in a different way as the two places are so different. I went to San Francisco and Santa Monica, and lived there for about five years. When I came back to Buffalo as a fine artist I met another local talent that introduced me to the interior world. I burned the midnight oil with painting at night, which was when I was most inspired and the only time of day that would allow for spare moments to create those pieces.

You have a new studio space in Snyder, NY. What made you look outside the city?

The reason for the new studio was simple: family came first and that is the reality. I was going to figure it out and wanted to do something when my other leases were up. This, as is often the case with my artwork as well, it was a rhythmical decision that we made together as a family. I wanted to be close to my son’s school and our new home in Snyder. I love the energy here and everyone has been very welcoming. My hope was to find inspiration in our new hamlet and propel that energy and love into the new studio space here.

What do you have in mind for this space? What will be different about it, and what do you see for your future here?

This is a new venture and I want it to be similar in some ways to my old spaces but with a new breath of life in it and trying new things here. Classes may happen at the new studio space: I would like to teach different things like art restoration and architectural art which are necessary skills to restore churches, etc. and so many of the old buildings around Buffalo. If I teach these classes here, I want to make sure they are all geared toward the professional world, to teach specific skills to local artists. Skills and classes that I would have been interested in learning.

The new studio will also showcase some of my work. My hope is to have it prepared and ready to go for our gallery/studio opening next month. I hope it provides inspiration to those that come, and to me too – to continue to create new projects.

A lot of your fine art is oil on canvas but the pieces are fairly large. Why is it important to create art on such a big scale, and what do you hope the person viewing that art gets out of it when they see it?

It started when I created pieces at the Tri-Main Studio space on Main Street. I created a great deal of work there and it was such a big studio space, it was a natural progression to want to make larger pieces. The bigger the studio is, the bigger you want to work.

Your art is varied, but you do a great deal of large-scale oil on canvas that highlights nature and specific pops of color. Can you embellish a little on that?

All of this nature work comes from my past: I have been a city guy my whole life. I grew up in the City of Buffalo and lived here and in places like NYC as an adult. In a way, it is an escape from my everyday life in the city.

I am a true outdoorsman and have done serious hiking throughout my life. My family and I love the water and being outdoors together. When I take walks out in nature it is a complete juxtaposition of my daily grind and life. Perfect natural rhythm is in nature and I respond to that. I hope the peace and tranquility I find in nature by myself or with my family reflects in my art.

The colors I choose are muted tones, which all create different movements from the color palette for that specific piece. Some nature scenes are brighter and some use dark tones to compel the feeling I want to convey. It is all about my mood and where I am at with my life. I love the looseness of the paintings compared to tight paintings There is a place for paintings–loose paintings give you movement and a whole new layer of colors. Everyone can find something different in each one of my works, and that is a wonderful part of it for me.

Can you talk a little bit about ‘Painting 101’ for those that might not be well versed on what tools you use as an artist to create?

I use oil on canvas. The canvas I use is a very heavyweight canvas. It is on stretcher bars. The pallette I use is very important as it creates a mood. My earlier work is much more escapism. I am definitely attracted to patterns, and wind. I like how movement happens and the beautiful formations that happen in nature which I bring to each oil on canvas piece I create.

With the big pieces, the entire canvas is energized, when it is that happens your mind goes somewhere differently. I dig what happens when I am inspired and what pulls me in. My hope is to pull people in too.

Besides all of the fine art that you produce, you have a real eye and passion for commercial/interior work which is a completely different endeavor for an artist. Can you tell me a little bit about your history with that?

To afford my passion as an artist, I ‘fell’ into the interior world that was much more sustaining income-wise. I actually started my interior architectural art in 1983. I worked in hundreds of homes and restaurants doing hand-painted wall finishes, design, faux finishes, and murals. During this time I amassed a large body of gouache study paintings working rights. These studies became large oil paintings that propelled me into the NY Chelsea Art scene. As a result, I took a hiatus from the residential/commercial world around 2001 for about 10 years while I was maintaining a studio in NY, specifically Bushwick during my stint with Sears/Peyton gallery.

In 2011, I re-entered the architectural art world for important reasons. My first job was the restoration of the Hotel Lafayette, working with the Historic Commission, to recreate burl wood panels, marble panels, and gold gilding throughout various areas. Since then I have worked on numerous historic restoration jobs that include notably Our Lady of Victory, Blessed Trinity, The Gold Dome, The Statler, and The Main Building that I am presently working at and hugely proud of. Another project that I am about to be part of is with SACRA, led by my friend and UB Architect professor Dennis Maher (Assembly House and SACRA). We will be doing a workshop, with his students creating a very cool wall installation influenced by Charles Burchfield at the Burchfield-Penney Art Center.

You grew up in Buffalo and have made a great life here creating beautiful art and restoring architectural gems around the City and beyond. What do you love about the Buffalo art scene, and living here?

Local Artists such as Peter Stephens, because he started young and he was painting and drawing when I was. Philip Burke also comes to mind. I have always just followed his career and his work inspires me. For galleries in town, Burchfield and Albright Knox are wonderful. Burchfield Penney Art Center really supports the local art scene and it is great for its community, and I have shown there. The one gallery I like Rivalry Projects is beautiful and they just started introducing painters. It is fun to go there and see what’s showing and get to know the painter behind the works on the wall.

As for this studio or anywhere I have been in the past: I look at these bare walls and I look at all the work ahead of me. It inspires me to create. I literally start to measure it out and see what I want to paint next. It is great motivation for me. Buffalo also shows me a lot of beauty, whether I am out with my family in nature or at a beach or on my own exploring new galleries and openings. I am excited for what’s next.

The new studio space is on Kensington Avenue in Snyder, NY. Please visit his website for details about the opening in October, or contact Mark to purchase a piece of his artwork.

The post Small Business Spotlight: Artist Mark DiVincenzo finds his “Perfect Natural Rhythm” appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

Cedarland Development Group is bringing its redevelopment plans for the former Eckhardt’s Department store at the northwest corner of Broadway and Fillmore to the Preservation Board today for review.  The historic building will contain 28 affordable apartments, a Head Start daycare center run by the Community Action Organization, plus additional retail and commercial space. An indoor urban garden is planned for the building’s basement. The building has been vacant for nearly a decade. 

Apartments in the building will include ten, 450 sq.ft. studio apartments, fourteen one-bedroom units with 660 sq.ft. of space, and four two-bedroom units with 880 sq.ft. of space. Rents are expected to range from $840 to $1,457.

Details from the project application:

The Art Moderne building was designed by architects Bley and Lyman and built in 1940 as a department store. The building has a streamlined aesthetic that combines strip windows, a rounded corner, and extensive glazing on the exterior with an open-floor plan, mushroom columns, and plaster details on the interior. From 1940 until 1957, the building operated as a department store. By the late 1950’s until the 1990’s, it served as office space for the State Department of Labor.

The project does not involve demolition of any buildings and the exterior renovation work will be conducted in a manner guided by the current edition of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings as general criteria.

A thorough inspection of building revealed that the original steel windows and steel storefront sections are unsafe and beyond the scope of historic restoration and should be replaced with historic replications.

The modified storefront system will be replaced with a new aluminum and glass storefront system that more closely replicates the original display window configuration. Likewise, the windows on the south and east sides of the primary façade at the second and third floors will be removed and replaced in a manner that ensures that the overall dimensions of the new windows are accurate to the existing. In addition, the multi-lite, steel factory style windows on the north, west, and setback portion of the south elevations will be removed and replaced in-kind, with simulated divided lites, applied interior and exterior muntins, and spacer bars within the glazing. The windows on the north elevation of the garage and second floor will be removed and replaced in[1]kind in the same fashion. On the north elevation of the second floor, two new window openings with matching details will be created adjacent to the existing window opening.

Elev8 Architecture worked on the $11.6 million reuse plan.  Historic Preservation Tax Credit work was conducted by Preservation Studios.

The post 950 Broadway Reuse up for Review appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

While ADM whacks away at the Great Northern Elevator on Ganson Street, the City is (finally) taking steps to prevent a similar fate for the nearby historic Blacksmith Shops in the Cobblestone District.  Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown has invoked eminent domain powers in an effort to obtain and save two historic properties from further neglect and disrepair. The properties located at 110 and 118 South Park Avenue have been in and out of housing court for years.

The City has been pushing owner Darryl Carr to repair the properties for more than a decade. Despite these efforts, the buildings continue to deteriorate causing health, welfare and safety issues for the area residents and visitors.

The eminent domain process starts today with a resolution drafted by the Brown Administration and sponsored by Councilman Mitch Nowakowski calling for a public hearing on the matter. Once the eminent domain procedure is completed, the City will work to better secure the structures’ fate and restoration.

The properties are the most iconic and most historically significant structures in the Cobblestone Historic District which was established in 1993 by the Buffalo Preservation Board and certified by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting the federal standards for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. 110 South Park originally housed Muggeridge’s Steam Bakery which made hardtack for the Union army during the civil war. As late as the mid-nineties, 118 South Park was home to Rudnicki’s blacksmith shop.

The post City Pursues Eminent Domain for Cobblestone Buildings appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

Plans for an addition to the north side of the Michigan Street Baptist Church (circa 1848) at 511 Michigan Avenue have been revised.  The Buffalo Niagara Freedom Coalition is seeking Preservation Board approval on Thursday for work at the historic anchor of the African American Heritage Corridor. Structural repairs to the church’s roof and walls and a two-story addition building are proposed. The addition redesign includes taller ceilings in the first floor space to add height to the structure. The church is currently used as a museum regarding the Underground Railroad history and the Light of the World Missions congregation utilizes the building through a perpetual use easement.

Revised Design

From the application to the Preservation Board:

The team decided that the best location was for an addition to provide accessibility to the upper and lower levels of the church, as well as accessible restrooms, was to house it in a structure that would repopulate a portion of the streetscape which had long ago been removed. The addition is meant to present a typical structure that would have existing in the neighborhood. The connecting corridor set back between the two structures is a dark bronze color to fade into the background as an alleyway would. A similar connector is being used at the Colored Musician’s Club across the street to link their new addition. The stone basement and brick first floor are reflective of materials that were used during the mid to late 19th century. The side entrance and staircase are also reflective of this period of construction. This organizational approach and building form were approved early in the project planning by NPS and SHPO. A photograph of the historic streetscape is provided for context.

Brick and stone veneer are proposed as finish materials. The roof is architectural asphalt shingle. Chord top, single hung fiberglass windows have segmental arch brick headers and precast sills. The porch railing system is constructed of Fiberglass Reinforced Resin (FRP) with turned pickets and larger square newels and intermediate posts. This stair serves a first-floor front door, typical of the raised stoop buildings that were formerly in the neighborhood. Handicapped access is provided at the rear of the addition, at a split level. The vestibule for this entrance is a simple metal panel gable vestibule. This same metal panel clads the connecting link between the existing church and addition.

FoitAlbert Associates designed the project. It will join three other projects recently completed project nearby including the Nash Lofts mixed-use project to the north, the proposed addition to the Colored Musicians Club across the street, and the redevelopment of a vacant City-owned structure next to the church at 509 Michigan Avenue.

The post New Look: Michigan Street Baptist Church Expansion appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

Douglas Jemal’s Douglas Development Co. is expanding into Lackawanna and has finalized his purchase of the Curtiss Malt House located at 1100 Niagara Street.  In Lackawanna, Jemal’s plan for a five-story mixed-use building on a City-owned site located at the corner of Ridge Road and Center Street was selected over two competing proposals.  The $35 million project includes 160 apartments, underground parking and 10,000 sq.ft. of retail space. The parcel is the site of the former St. Barbara’s Catholic Church that was demolished in 2011. 

On the West Side, Jemal closed on his purchase of the Curtiss Malt House at 1100 Niagara Street today for $1 million.  1100 Niagara LLC was the seller.  Built as the malt house of the Charles G. Curtiss Malting Co., the circa-1880 building originally housed the malting drums. It is especially noteworthy for the stepped front gable and extensive corbelling. The 42,300 sq.ft. structure is on a 0.96 acre parcel overlooking the Black Rock Channel and Niagara River on a stretch of Niagara Street that has seen significant developer interest in recent years. Plans call for renovating the building and adding approximately 50 market rate apartments to the site.

The post Jemal Makes Moves appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

A festival of ideas with an evening of gameplay and 2 days of community talks

With each passing day, we are discovering how artificial intelligence (AI) is ever-present in our lives. And if you think it’s simply a fad, think again. Whether we’re looking at self-driving cars or social media, we are all on a path that is taking us far into the future, today. After all, it really wasn’t that long ago that people thought that Dick Tracy communicating on his watch was pure fantasy. Or that all of the crazy gadgets in The Jetsons were merely fun impossibilities. But today we have Alexa, and robotic vacuum cleaners… and pretty soon there will be flying cars in our driveways and delivery drones on our doorsteps. It’s all too real, which is the scary part.

As a way to take a closer look at how advanced technology is creeping into our lives, The Buffalo Humanities Festival will be considering the benefits and the shortcomings of AI. This is an excellent opportunity to evolve the conversation, in interactive ways, at inspirational settings.

“The Buffalo Humanities Festival runs from 9/23-9/25 and is supported by a thriving partnership between UB’s Humanities Institute, Buffalo State College, Canisius College, Niagara University, Daemen University, and various community partners,” said Dr. Christina Milletti, Interim Director Humanities Institute. “Each year the Festival looks at various social justice oriented issues. This year the theme is ‘Life in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.’ The Friday night event at Torn Space Theater: AfroRithms from the Future, is a story-telling performance game which uses Afrofuturist principles to help the audience collectively imagine avenues to dismantling systemic racism. Or [attend] the many panels and performances at Silo City on Saturday and Sunday that will explore the benefits and risks associated with artificial intelligence.”

The schedule:

Friday, Sept. 23 | 6pm | Torn Space Theater | An Evening with AfroRithms from the FutureSaturday, Sept. 24 | 11am | Silo City | Life (in the Age of Artificial Intelligence): Community Conversations Day 1Sunday, Sept. 25 | 11am | Silo City | Life (in the Age of Artificial Intelligence): Community Conversations Day 2

Visit buffalohumanities.org for detailed schedule, parking, and venue info.

The full schedule is available at buffalohumanities.org. Also, see list of participants.

Click here to register for the festival.

All events are free and open to the public.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 23 | 6pm | Torn Space Theater

An evening with AfroRithms from the Future

What is AfroRithms from the Future?

AfroRithms from the Future is an inclusive, design thinking, story-telling game built on the principle of shifting from a center of Western cultural views to alternative future worlds where Black and BIPOC cultural perspectives are at the forefront. An explicit goal is to “democratize the future [and to] intentionally anticipate democratic anti-racist futures where Black and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) futures matter.”

Join us for an evening with Ahmed Best and Lonny J Avi Brooks as we gather to play and imagine an equitable future, advanced through technology. We’ve invited featured guest players from the community, but all are welcome to join in the game!

SATURDAY, SEPT. 24 | 11am – 4:15pm | Silo City

Opening Session | AfroRithms from the Future: After the Game

Ahmed Best, Co-Founder, AfroRithm Futures Group and Adjunct Professor, USC School of Dramatic ArtsLonny J Avi Brooks, Co-Founder, AfroRithm Futures Group and Professor of Strategic Communication, California State University East Baymoderated by Dalia Antonia Caraballo Muller, Associate Professor, UB, with featured guest players from the night before.

You are travelers of the multiverse exploring possible futures and creating exciting new artifacts to send back out to all other parallel worlds. The game is simple. Have a conversation about the future and activate your radical imagination!

AfroRithms from the Future

SUNDAY, SEPT. 25 | 11am – 4:15pm | Silo City

Opening Session | Good Systems Project: Human Values and AI

Samuel Baker, Associate Professor, UTexas at Austin and Co-Founder Good Systems GroupSharon Strover, Professor, UTexas at Austin and Co-Director, Technology & Information Policy InstituteModerated by Kenny Joseph, Assistant Professor, Computer Science & Engineering, UB

It is ethically irresponsible to focus only on what AI can do. We believe it is equally important to ask what it should (and should not) do.

UTexas Bridging Barriers Good Systems Group

Once the stuff of science fiction, artificial intelligence now impacts the most fundamental operations of our everyday lives. AI shapes the advertising we see, the videos we watch, the search engine data we rely on. It is embedded in health care procedures and transportation safety and is key to technologies that may one day help resuscitate our climate or take us to Mars. At the same time, AI is instrumental in forming siloed social media conversations that confuse fact and fiction, creating distrust, dissension and violence.

The 2022 Buffalo Humanities Festival will investigate the many complex, often paradoxical, ways artificial intelligence now intervenes in our lives with the help of artists, scholars and community activists who will showcase the integration of algorithms, machine learning, and other forms of artificial intelligence in both common and other-worldly applications. Please join us for an interdisciplinary examination of not only AI itself—but how our lives are built around, with, and in spite of its influence.

The post 2022 Buffalo Humanities Festival: Life (in the Age of Artificial Intelligence) appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

THE BASICS:  ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, the 1990 musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, directed and choreographed by Naila Ansari, presented by Shea’s (their first ever production!) runs until October 2, Thursdays-Fridays at 7:30, Saturdays at 8, Sundays at 2. Shea’s 710 Main Theatre is located at 710 Main Street at the corner of Tupper in downtown Buffalo’s “Theatre District.” (716) 847-1410 or visit sheas.org

Runtime: 90 minutes without intermission

THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  From the Tony Award-winning songwriting team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (SEUSSICAL, RAGTIME, ANASTASIA) we get a Caribbean-based musical that is roughly a re-telling of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” wherein Ti Moune (Zhanna Reed), a peasant girl in the French Antilles is adopted by Mama Euralie (Danielle N. Green) and Tonton Julian (George Brown), then is caught up in a contest between Erzulie, the goddess of Love versus Papa Gé, the demon of death.  Under their spell she falls in love with a rich boy from the other side of the island, Daniel Beauxhomme (Rafael Rodriguez).  When he crashes his car, she nurses him to health and makes a deal with the gods to save his life, or, to put it another way, to cheat death.  I think you can see where this is going. In 2018 it won the Best Revival of a Musical Tony Award for a Broadway run that New York Times critic Jesse Green described as “ravishing.”  And that’s a good word for this local production, Shea’s first-ever self-produced event.  It’s a hit.  

THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, AND THE PRODUCTION:  Where to begin?  Having just come back from The Stratford Festival where color-rich casting is imperative, not just a gesture, I was wondering how Buffalo was going to up its game and show us more inclusion.  Wow.  What a statement this show makes with an almost 100% BIPOC cast and crew.  It’s chock-a-block filled with Caribbean music (Karen Saxon, Music Director) and beautiful women dancing (Naila Ansari, Choreography) in stunning costumes (Philicia Dove; Black Monarchy LLC).  

Photo by Kelsey Martinez

Karen Saxon is also the Music Director at the Ujima Theater where Naila Ansari is also the Dance Director.  Ujima Company Inc is “a multi-ethnic and multicultural professional theatre whose primary purpose is the preservation, perpetuation, and performance of African American theatre ….”  In the past, you’d have to go to either Ujima (on Plymouth Avenue on “The West Side” of Main Street) or the Paul Robeson Theatre (on Masten Avenue on “The East Side” of Main Street) but with ONCE ON THIS ISLAND you get this phenomenal explosion of color in cast and crew right ON Main Street.  What’s the address of “Shea’s 710 Theatre?”  Oh yeah, 710 Main Street, in the heart of “The Theatre District.”

Photo by Kelsey Martinez

Not everyone involved is a Buffalonian and that includes big hitters brought in for the occasion.  Aja M Jackson of Boston, Massachusetts creates lighting effects that are really something to behold.  Right away, just sitting in the theater waiting for the show to start, I was impressed by how her lighting design encompassed the very large 710 thrust stage which can easily make sets seem “less than.”  Here the fairly simple set (lots of rocks, a few palm trees) was illuminated so beautifully that it seemed “right” and not minimal.  And another “out of towner” was Canadian Patrick Parsons, founder of Ballet Creole, who was brought in as the Caribbean Cultural Coach. 

While the off-stage 5-person musical combo was excellent, I found the arrangement that they were given to be overly dependent on keyboards.  That sound of the electronic piano got a little old during the “quiet” scenes.  But, when the dancing starts, and it’s all throughout the show, then the combo comes alive, with some damn fine drumming by Preston Brown with auxiliary percussion by Joey Gonzalez.

Photo by Kelsey Martinez

I want to give a shout-out to Melinda Capeles in her ensemble role.  As I pointed out in my review of CABARET, she tends to stand out, but in a good way.  Or, as one of her fellow Artie-Award winning actresses posted: “I can never take my eyes off Melinda Capeles.”  And all that’s true, but I think the highest praise that I can give to ONCE ON THIS ISLAND is that Capeles is not the only fine dancer on stage. 

Fine dancers and one amazing dancer, the lead actress, Zhana Reed, as Ti Moune.  On opening night there was a large and vocal group of her supporters from her alma mater, Buff State, (where Naila Ansari teaches) and some may remember Reed’s outstanding performance as “Celie” in the 2018 performance of THE COLOR PURPLE at the college (which also starred Gabby McKinley as Shug Avery… what a cast that was).  Reed swoops, she dives, she leaps. 

Photo by Kelsey Martinez

And she’s surrounded by an enthusiastic cast including Brandin Smalls, Latosha Jennings, Marcus J. Paige, Anita Frasier, Derrick Penny, Cecilia Monica-Lyn Barron, Enoch Cray, Alex Garcia, Anika Pace, and this is so charming, twin sisters Shylah and Samyah Douglas as “Little Ti Moune” and “Little Girl.”

Shea’s uses an all-digital program which you can look at by clicking here.

*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)

ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.

TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.

THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.

FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.

FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!

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We continue the series on walking Buffalo, from the intrepid couple who walked every day—no matter the weather—in the first 30 months of Covid. They think (without being systematic) they walked every street in Buffalo, and many in other cities and towns, taking some 20,000 photos, some of which are shared in this series. While not itineraries, we hope to encourage others to “walk the walk,” to see, observe and appreciate Buffalo—and beyond. William Graebner and Dianne Bennett are also 5 Cent Cine’s film critics, here.

Also view Part I in the series.

Today’s photo-essay: Look Up! Roofs and Roofers

We’d been walking for months before we got interested in roofs—yes, roofs. We got some help from the internet and from a cousin of Dianne, a contractor with roofing expertise.

There are perhaps a dozen roof types, including the standard “gable” (peaked) roof, which is everywhere. Two other types are quite common in Buffalo. One is the gambrel roof, which has two, rather than one, pitches coming off the top: the higher pitch is at a moderate angle, the lower pitch steeper. The gambrel is sometimes known as the “barn” roof, because it is commonly used for barns; you’ll see it often in rural areas—but also, in the city. The urban gambrel suggests a nostalgia for a simpler, rural America. 

Here are two gambrel-roofed houses, on Masten Avenue:

And a huge, and unusual, gambrel dormer, somewhere off Colvin on the North Side.

And that’s Dianne, mask on her arm, observing the non-functional gambrel motif on the side of a large house on Linview Terrace, north of Delaware Park.

So you think you’ve got the gambrel down?  The problem is that what we call “fake” gambrels are more common than actual gambrels. The “fake” gambrel has a traditional gable roofline, fronted by a sliver of a gambrel—apparently, just for looks. The designer just couldn’t resist a reference to the barn. 

A “fake” Gambrel roof, far East Side. There are several fake Gambrels on Crescent Avenue, between Parkside and Colvin.

Another popular roof style is the clipped gable, also known as the jerkinhead. It’s a good bet that most of the folks living in a house with this roof don’t know they’re living under a jerkinhead. A good performer in high winds, the jerkinhead looks as if one had taken the standard gable roof and cut off the end, leaving a tilted triangle. 

We found a jerkinhead at Raymondo’s Pizzeria, at East Delavan and Ivanhoe.

Off Grider, south of the 33, a row of jerkinheads. They often come in bunches. 

Not far from the Amherst Quarry—likely on East Amherst St.–is a home with at least (there are sides that can’t be seen in the photo) 3 jerkinhead roofs.

This house has at least 3 jerkinheads

The mansard roof dates to the 16th century, but is named after a 17th-century French architect with the last name of mansard. Seldom seen on houses, it is unfortunately quite common for businesses. Not our favorite. While trekking through Lockport in February in the snow, we came upon an extreme mansard—the building as mansard, the medium is the message. With a couple of dormers thrown in. 

Finally, there is a roof “configuration” that deserves mention. It is especially common in the Broadway/Fillmore area, just west of the Central Terminal. The “telescope” house takes its name from serial extensions to the main house—apparently to accommodate a growing family—each smaller than the last, creating a descending roof line, front to back. 

A green telescope house, with 3 sections, the Central Terminal in the background:

A 3-section “telescope” house, west of the Central Terminal]

And a 4-section telescope, in the same neighborhood. There may be a “5” somewhere! 

Solar panels are becoming more common, even in neighborhoods, like the Fruit Belt, where the houses are often modest. 

Solar panels in the Fruit Belt

Buffalo’s housing stock is old, and the city’s roofs are vulnerable to deterioration. We’ve noticed that the first buildings to suffer from neglect are garages. This one, with plants growing out of a large hole, is likely beyond saving:

A damaged garage roof, seen from the path to the south of Beverly Road, in Hamlin Park

While looking up at roofs, you’re bound to see roofers in action. For us they approach mythic figures, laboring at perilous heights, carrying heavy loads of asphalt shingles up 2-story ladders (climbed with one hand), every day demonstrating courage. 

Whether you buy that or not, roofers are worth observing.  

One day in September 2020, while walking East End Avenue (one side of which is in Buffalo, the other in Cheektowaga), we came upon a major roofing job taking place at a 2-story building (with tall stories) at the intersection with Genesee Street. Most of the roofers, including a young woman (who told us her name was “Queenie”), were taking a break at street level. When she saw me photographing the building, she scampered up the tall ladder in her sneakers, eager to have her picture taken, then exuberantly posed for a photo. 

A young woman roofer, posing for a photo, East End and Genesee

Then there was the young man roofing at a 2-story on Fillmore, near Smith Street, wearing patriotic shorts and showing a lot of skin, while holding himself on the roof with his toes. 

It’s hard to imagine what it must be like to repair the steeple at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Delaware.

Roofers can seem to be choreographed. In this case, I was reminded of the brave soldiers who raised the flag at Iwo Jima. 

And this confident, graceful roofer, working in Riverside with staple gun in hand, could be Rambo, or a gunslinger from the Wild West.

©William Graebner

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