Category: PostEvents

Sponsored by: The 2021 Holiday Shopping Guide is a unique blend of independently owned and operated businesses in a variety of industries, such as retail, food, dining, arts, non-profit, and more, all designed to encourage WNY residents to #shoplocal. Sponsored by Visit Buffalo Niagara and Erie County, the 2021 guide will explore all the unique shopping districts that Erie County has to offer.

Downtown Buffalo has undergone a radical transformation in recent years. On the north end, Ellicott Street has seen the development of a host of new restaurants, breweries and distilleries. On the south end, new hotels, eateries, shops and entertainment options are popping up along Buffalo’s waterfront at Canalside. All this excitement is against the backdrop of downtown’s historical landmarks and architectural wonders.

Chris’ New York Sandwich Co.

A Buffalo staple for over 30 years, chances are if you work downtown, you’ve gotten food from Chris’ New York Sandwich Co. The iconic lunch spot has become an indispensable part of the city’s culinary landscape. What makes Chris’ NY Sandwich Co. so appealing for lunch are, the ample portions and quality of food, the professional service, and the consistency. You will always leave here happy and full! Owner Chris Vendetti attributes his success not just to his loyal customer base and the fact that the business is a family affair. Not only do his sisters wait tables but his wife, Katie, also helps out with the business.

At Chris’ New York Sandwich Co they take ordinary sandwich concepts and turn them into their signature menu items. They do this by adding ingredients that you might not expect to find inside, say, a turkey sandwich. From the bread choices (Grain Wheat, Organic Sourdough Wheat, Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese) to the sandwich toppers (Crispy Applewood Bacon, Homemade Coleslaw, Fresh Roasted Hot Peppers or Sweet Red Peppers), there are so many incredible options to choose from, making each sandwich a masterpiece.

While you are shopping downtown, Chris’ New York Sandwich Co. is the perfect place to take a break and grab a delicious and filling lunch. In addition to lunch, they are also now open for Friday Night Dinner. They can also do orders to go and delivery. Regardless of which option suits you best, you won’t be disappointed!

395 Delaware Avenue | Buffalo, NY 14202 | 716-854-6642
Website | Facebook | Instagram

Marble + Rye

Marble + Rye is a Bar/Lounge that offers the highest level of creative cocktails in WNY. They have an eclectic and fun atmosphere with a concise, thoughtful, and scratch-made menu of Burgers, Detroit-Style Pizza, Seasonal Salads and Small Plates. Their feature items, both food and drink, vary with the seasons as they work very closely with a host of local farms to make sure they’re always providing you with the freshest ingredients. To craft their dishes, they use only the highest quality ingredients and combine them in novel and exciting ways. The end result is honesty, allowing the food to speak for itself, further highlighting ingredients they choose.

In addition to great food they offer a liquor locker storage unit called The Bottle Keep. Customers are allowed to lease a locker space for their coveted whiskeys, Bourbons, etc. Locker owners are part of “an exclusive whiskey program”, and are handed a VIP card that comes with a number of spirit-related perks. This is the perfect gift for the person in your life that loves and appreciates fine, high end liquors. Whether you are looking for a nice dinner with friends or celebrating a special occasion, Marble + Rye offers a delicious menu of cocktails and food that will ensure you leave happy and full. They also offer gift certificates, which make the perfect stocking stuffer!

112 Genesee St., Buffalo, NY 14203 | 716-853-1390
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Overwinter Coffee

When it came to the local coffee selections, Overwinter’s owner, Josh Halliman, decided to roast coffee because he didn’t feel like there was enough good coffee being roasted locally and well, just in general. He wanted to bridge the great divide that exists in the coffee industry: wanting to bring amazing coffee to everyone and he didn’t want it to be a secret. Overwinter Coffee specializes in single origin espresso and coffee drinks (mocha, Americano, pour overs, latte) with macarons and healthy food items. Overwinter has proved to be a standout clutch coffee operation Downtown and since they opened their downtown location, have also opened in the Elmwood Village and Williamsville.

If you need a great stocking stuffer, check out Overwinter’s ever changing seasonal selections. With blends like The Blueberry, The Peach Pit, The Old Friend and The Easy Drinker, there is something to appeal to even the most discerning coffee lover. Not sure which one to get, well Overwinter offers a variety of subscription options that will get you the latest blend on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis. They also offer gift cards and are a great spot to use your Shop 716 gift card!

9 Genesee St., Buffalo, NY 14206 | 716-241-9787
814 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, NY 14222 | 716-241-9787
5548 Main St., Williamsville, NY 14221 | 716-241-9787
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Theatre District

Live theatre is back! Here in Buffalo we are extremely lucky to have such a vibrant theatre community. With more than 20 producing companies, Buffalo’s theatrical community is anchored by the magnificent Shea’s Performing Arts Center in the heart of downtown’s Theatre District. Built in 1926 as a movie palace, the theater has been meticulously restored and the stage house expanded to accommodate the largest of today’s mega-musicals. Shea’s offers theatre-goers the best of Broadway in a setting that is opulent and elegant — a not to be missed treat. Shea’s Smith Theatre, located alongside the performing arts center on Main Street, presents cabaret-style productions, comedies and collaborations with local companies.

Across the street, theater buffs can enjoy the best of classic plays at the Irish Classical Theatre Company in the intimate theater-in-the-round of the Andrews Theatre. Immediately adjacent to Shea’s, the Alleyway Theatre, housed in what was once the Greyhound bus terminal, is dedicated to the production of new plays and musicals. Alleyway is also home to Buffalo United Artists, a company that explores and celebrates the gay experience.

For a complete listing of current and upcoming performances, be sure to check out our theatre roundup. Tickets to any of these productions are a great gift for the theatre lover in your life!

Buffalo & Erie County Naval Park Gift Shop

The Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park takes visitors inside our nation’s military history with in-depth tours of decommissioned naval vessels, exhibits, and displays. The Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park is the largest inland Naval Park in the United States. Located on Buffalo’s Waterfront, this unique family destination features four decommissioned Naval vessels that served in a variety of military conflicts in our nation’s history.

The USS Little Rock is the last surviving vessel from the Cleveland-class of light cruisers in the world. The USS The Sullivans, the first ship in the U.S. Navy to be named for more than one person, is one of only four remaining examples from the Fletcher-class of destroyers in the world. The USS Croaker is a Gato-class submarine on the National Register of Historic Places. The PTF-17 is one of only 20 fast patrol boats from the Nasty-class to be built. It was used as a high-speed reconnaissance and patrol craft in Vietnam.

The gift shop offers some great gifts for the military aficionado in your life. From recreations of wartime posters to shirts and hats to memberships to the naval park that afford a variety of benefits, a gift from the Buffalo and Erie County Naval Park Gift Shop is sure to please!

One Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY 14202 | 716-847-1773
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Buffalo Heritage Carousel

Expanded beer garden will open soon

The historic De Angelis Carousel is now up and operational at Canalside. Aside from the historic nature of the project, and the awesome artistic elements, not to mention the painstaking work to salvage, restore, and build a home for the menagerie of antique pieces, there is also the STEAM programming aspect to consider. Moving forward, there will be plenty of interactive learning opportunities that will teach youngsters about the importance of safeguarding the planet.

There are hand-painted dedications to Buffalo that are proudly showcased. If you look closely, you will see a Pierce-Arrow automobile, some of our Olmsted Parks, Niagara Falls, the grain elevators, and even The STR Americana (sister ship to the STR Canadiana). Music is provided by a Wurlitzer Carousel Band Organ, Model 153 – plays music scrolls that are integrated with the carousel through computer technology. The attraction sits on a custom-made steel structure manufactured by Carousel and Carvings, out of Marion, Ohio.

If you are looking for something to do with the kids while you are out shopping downtown, we highly recommend stopping at the Buffalo Heritage Carousel. Not only is it a beautiful piece but the kids will enjoy it and it’s only $1 per ride! The store offers some great keepsakes that make great gifts!

44 Prime St., Buffalo, NY 14202 | 716-493-2100
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Visit Buffalo Niagara

Have you picked up your Shop 716 eGift Card yet? For a limited time, when you buy one for $25 or more, you get an Erie County sponsored bonus $25 eGift Card. Support local and get rewarded for it – buy yours today and view the full list of participating businesses here: https://amherst.org/shop716/

Support your local restaurants, retailers and attractions. Keep your hard earned money, right here where you live. By doing so, you keep your friends and family employed and create more local jobs. Shopping local conserves energy and resources and is better for the environment!

WNY is our home & we can show the #Buffalove we have by shopping and supporting our local businesses. The Shop 716 initiative is to be a champion of all business, supporting the shop/support local themes; to develop business unity and camaraderie to uplift our entire region.

Director and screenwriter Joanna Hogg’s 2019 film has the makings of an award-winner, which it has been: two fresh-faced actors who know what they’re doing, one with a luminous pedigree (her mother is Tilda Swinton); a female director with a following; a coming-to-maturity story featuring the untrustworthy lover; a film-within-a-film to seduce critics fascinated by their own media; the promise of Part Two (now showing in theaters in limited release) to keep audiences interested.

Honor Swinton Byrne, Tilda Swinton’s daughter, above, comes into her own in this film as Julie, who is onscreen almost every minute.

Swinton’s daughter, Honor Swinton Byrne, whose acting experience is brief and has been tied to her mother (Swinton has a minor role in this film too), comes into her own as Julie, a 25-year-old film student groping her way toward adulthood. There are few minutes in the film where Julie is not present, and Byrne is up to the task. Equally engaging is Tom Burke (who played Orson Welles in 2020’s “Mank”), the suave and seemingly upper-class foreign service officer, Anthony. He’s as typical a British boys’ school product as she is the artsy film school type (or, as Anthony’s friend calls her, a “trainee Rotarian”). 

They work as a couple. In one of the most engaging scenes, the two playfully reenact the bed barrier ritual from “It Happened One Night.” Anthony piles up Julie’s stuffed animals to create the “wall” between them, mimicking the blanket hung between Clark Gable’s and Claudette Colbert’s twin beds in the 1934 Oscar winner.

At the beginning of “The Souvenir” we see Julie articulating her desire to make a film about Sunderland, a port city in Northeast England that was once a thriving manufacturing area, plagued by unemployment and despair in this 1980s setting. When asked by her film school teacher (in one of several clunky, expository scenes) why she wants to make a narrative film—featuring a dying mother and highly dependent son—that seems so far from her own life, a life without “real” experiences, she explains that’s her precise desire: to explore experiences that are not her own.

Anthony questions Julie about the “reality” of the film she wants to make. She claims the lives of these fictional characters are “the lives of real people.” “Are they more real than me? Am I more real than you?” asks Anthony. Julie: “No. I think we’re all equal in that. I think we’re all as real as each other. There’s no competition.” Later he challenges her, “You’re lost. And you’ll always be lost.”

The “real” film project appears to go by the wayside while Julie is finally introduced to a world not her own, that of her partner, Anthony. Anthony’s secret—he’s a heroin addict—is revealed to Julie all at once, by a friend of his, another filmmaker. His drug use could produce tension and narrative complexity, but it does not; Julie, exceptionally naïve, seems to accept his addiction without question. We’re left with the problem of why Julie loves or needs Anthony (he’s confident, seductive, elite, a good sexual partner), but this angle, too, fails to produce the suspense and drama the film requires.

Souvenir film within: The film-within-a-film.

The Sunderland project abandoned, the film-within-a-film becomes one of fellow film-student actors reading what seem to be lines of classic drama and poetry. How this is more authentic than the Sunderland film is never revealed. In another scene, film students articulate why a film should not show everything, leaving the viewer to imagine the action taking place—the Hitchcock “Psycho” shower-scene principle. Unfortunately, Hogg’s script tells us too much in some places (film professors articulate Julie’s changing goals, the preachy Hitchcock lesson, an unnecessary shot of Anthony’s drug paraphernalia) and not enough in others (what IS the film she’s trying to make, and why does it matter?).

In an unfortunate case of life imitating art, director Hogg resembles her protagonist, who can’t decide what sort of film to make or what its central issues might be. Julie doesn’t know whether to interrogate social class (the Sunderland idea), toy with the fashion industry, or indulge the puerile literary ambitions of her film school classmates. Lacking a coherent sense of self, she’s incapable of moving forward and constructing a coherent film.

A rare scene of trauma, with Julie, left, and Anthony.

Like Julie, Hogg has lots of ideas that she flirts with in the larger film, including the nature of the attraction between Julie and Anthony, problems of authenticity and addiction, the role of parents in the creation of their offspring (we meet both sets of parents), the challenges of film school, the concept and role of the film-within-the-film. Some of these are more important than others for Hogg and this film, but none is sufficiently deepened to the point of becoming compelling; there is too much going on, too many distractions. “The Souvenir” is entertaining because of its two principals and their fine acting, but ultimately disappointing in its failure to produce and develop dramatic issues and situations we want to care about. At its core (if it has one), it’s a traditional story—young woman falls in love with seductive older man with a secret—traditionally told.

Date: 2019

Stars: 2.5 (out of 4)

Director: Joanna Hogg

Starring: Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, Tilda Swinton

Other Awards: 7 wins and 35 other nominations

Runtime: 120 minutes

Country: United Kingdom, United States

Availability: For streaming, rental or purchase on multiple sites, including Amazon Prime, Google Play and others; see JustWatch here.

Lead image: In one of the most engaging scenes, the two [Anthony, Tom Burke, and Julie, Honor Swinton Byrne] playfully reenact the bed barrier ritual from “It Happened One Night.”

See all Five Cent Cine reviews by 2 Film Critics

Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to better ground us. That is the case with Charlotte Simpson, who, upon becoming a widow, decided that she needed to continue her travels, but this time solo. Simpson’s travel logs are now becoming legendary, partly because of the sheer amount of traveling, and partly because of the documentation process.

With the Instagram handle @TravelingBlackWidow, she has now embarked upon a type of travel that is being referred to as “regenerative travel.” This is the type of travel – also considered responsible travel – that benefits the traveler, as well as (in this case) second, third, and fourth tier destination cities… like Buffalo. And if done right, this type of mindful traveling highlights the cultural roots of a city, while keeping in mind a much more comprehensive belief that we are all connected as a people and as a planet.

Simpson’s recent trip to Buffalo has been cleverly documented in the Washington Post (content by Marriott Bonvoy). What I especially like about this documentation is not only the approach, it’s also her bent on exploring the various ethnic cultures and enterprizes that are finally solidifying, thus creating a more united front – united we stand, divided we fall.

From a trip to the West Side Bazaar to eat at a South Sudanese food stall, to a stopover to the Michigan Street Baptist Church, to a soul searching visit to Broderick Park, Simpson’s whirlwind journey throughout the city is both captivating and invigorating. Ultimately, her goal is for others to follow in her footsteps, whether that entails an eye-opening visit to Buffalo, or simply walking out one’s front door in search of newfound inspiration.

Foibles Coffee & Pie is just what it sounds like – delicious coffee and scrumptious pies.

Located in a cute little shopfront at 172 Rhode Island Street, it’s a short walk down from the Five Points business district and less than a mile from downtown. If you’re traveling through Buffalo by bus, the #3 or #40 will get you close enough to smell the pies!

So what is Foibles’ secret? I’d say, the owner – Sadie Mathers. Sadie is a ray of sunshine! When you walk in, you know this is her dream and you can’t help but want to help support her in her baking journey. Sadie, who set out on a quest to make a delicious vegan pie crust, is using inspiration from her grandma’s pie recipe, with vegan-friendly substitutes, paired with her decade of experience working at Tipico Coffee, Buckminster’s Cat Cafe, Root & Bloom (now Big Mood) to make this happen.

Sadie says the drive behind Foibles is to be inclusive not exclusive, and to keep it “foibulous”! Foibles will be open regularly with hot and cold brew coffee and espresso drinks (now made with her own custom roast by Anodyne Coffee), quiche, and pies. While every item will be vegetarian-friendly, Sadie aims to always have vegan options on the menu. She has pie slices, mini pies and whole pies, too. A 72-hour notice is requested for whole pie orders. The pies are typically based on what’s in season as Foibles tries to incorporate local, homegrown food wherever possible.

In the sweet category, there’s currently apple cinnamon swirl, pumpkin, chai custard with apple chutney, and various fruit pies on the menu. A stuffing pie with cranberry relish is currently on deck in the savory category.

So, head to the West Side, stop in and say “hi” to Sadie, and grab a slice while the pie is still warm.

Follow Foibles on social media for special updates and rotating seasonal offerings.

Foibles Coffee & Pie | 172 Rhode Island Street, Buffalo | Facebook | Instagram | Wednesday to Sunday, 9AM-3PM

The post Buffalo Gets Sweeter with Foibles Coffee & Pie appeared first on Visit Buffalo Niagara.

The New York Times has given architect Louise Blanchard Bethune some long-overdue love.  Bethune is featured in a November 4 article that is part of Overlooked, a series of obituaries about remarkable people whose deaths, beginning in 1851, went unreported in The Times. Louise Blanchard Bethune (1856-1913) was the first female in the United States to be officially recognized as a professional architect by the American Institute of Architects (1888; Fellow in 1889) and the Western Association of Architects (1885), the two professionally-accepted organizations during late-nineteenth century.

The introduction from The New York Times:

Among the architectural greats who contributed to the landscape of Buffalo, N.Y. — among them Frederick Law Olmsted, Frank Lloyd Wright and Henry Hobson Richardson — there was one person who is lesser known but whose impact in shaping the city was just as important: Louise Blanchard Bethune.

Bethune, who is widely considered by historians to have been the first American woman to become a certified architect, designed 18 schools in western New York, as well as factories, hotels, churches, a baseball grandstand and a women’s prison. Another of her firm’s projects, housing the venerable Denton, Cottier & Daniels music store in Buffalo and completed in 1908, was among the first buildings in the country to utilize steel frame construction and poured concrete slabs.

Overall, she and her partners — William R. Fuchs and her husband, Robert Armour Bethune — contributed 180 buildings to Buffalo and New England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bethune supervised the construction of many of these projects, biking to and from the work sites each day.

From the Times- Denton, Cottier & Daniels music store, designed by Bethune’s firm. Completed in 1908, it was one of the first buildings in the country made of steel and fire-resistant concrete slabs. It was located adjacent to Shea’s Court Street Theater at the southwest corner of Pearl and Court Street, now a parking lot.

The 1902 Hotel Lafayette is the most important building still standing designed by Bethune.  The faded hotel was redeveloped by developer Rocco Termini a decade ago under plans prepared by Carmina Wood Morris. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.  The Hotel Lafayette is a seven-story building designed in the French renaissance style with richly decorated facades on Washington, Clinton and Ellicott Streets made of vitreous red brick and semi-glazed white terra cotta.  The principal building was constructed between 1902 and 1911 and designed by the architectural firm of Bethune, Bethune, & Fuchs, with two smaller, sympathetically designed additions by the Buffalo firm of Esenwein & Johnson in 1916-17 and 1924-26.

Bethune died on December 18, 1913 at the age of 57.

Shop 716 is back and better than ever with another round of promotionals encouraging people to shop and support local. This initiative was originally born as a way to induce revenue and sales to businesses and restaurants due to the loss experienced during the covid-19 pandemic. Christine Langenfeld, Director of Operations and Marketing for the Amherst Chamber of Commerce shared with us a few insights into the origins of the initiative and what we can expect moving forward this year.

“Shop 716 was born last November and we’re going on just about a year now. Originally there was an Erie County Business Task Force that was put together to find ways for businesses to have COVID recovery. One of the things that came out of that task force and some of the subcommittees that were born from that bigger task force was that what businesses needed at that time was simply sales. They needed people to come out, shop and spend money in their restaurant or their retail location.”

As a way to combat this problem and stimulate sales for our local businesses, they created an eGift Card program that married the initiative with technology offered by an Amherst Chamber partner, Yiftee. Utilizing an eGift card reduces the use of plastic but still acts as a MasterCard and comes at no costs to merchants to participate.

“We launched the initiative at that time with, ‘buy a $25 Shop 716 e-gift card, get a free $25 e-gift card.’ Then for the week of Thanksgiving, we did ‘buy a $50, get a $50.’” Now, for a limited time only and while supplies last, Shop 716 is back with a stellar promotion just in time for the holiday season. Buy a $25 or more e-gift card and get a free $25 eGift Card in return, sponsored by Erie County and the Erie County Bicentennial, while supplies last (limit one per purchaser).

Within that first 7-week promotional period in 2020, the initiative injected a whopping $1.1 million into the local economy and Erie County. Even after the BOGO promotion ended last December, the e-gift card program lived on with the same goal to encourage people to shop and buy locally in order to support the economic viability of our community! Today, the program is almost $2M and the mission remains the same… SHOP LOCAL.

“When you have a strong, vibrant commerce system in your community, you have an overall healthy region. Small business is the backbone of the United States of America; without small business we wouldn’t have big business either. So, that really starts at the local level.”

Not only is shopping locally a positive for our local business owners that are our friends, family and active community members, but it is also environmentally friendly. By keeping anything produced in the Queen City here, you’re going to cut down exponentially on trucking and gas costs and in turn reduce harmful carbon emissions. With a list of over 700 merchants who are a part of this program, you are sure to find just about anything you need without logging into your Amazon account.

“You can use the Shop 716 eGift Card at many local restaurants, the Zoo Boutique, at the Botanical Gardens and even the Buffalo Philharmonic. So, there’s many different industries that are available through this list.”

“This is while supplies last, so don’t wait to get yours today! When the free gifts are gone the Shop 716 eGift Card program will always be there. It’s great for gifts. It’s even great to gift yourself!”

For more information visit https://amherst.org/shop716/ to get your eGift Card now and choose to support local this holiday season!

Atlanta-based Rural Sourcing, Inc. – a leader in onshore digital engineering – will establish a software development center downtown, creating 150 new jobs within three years. The jobs will be filled by local applicants, with a recruitment effort in the city’s refugee community, and pay an average salary of $80,000. Rural Sourcing will initially temporarily locate at a to-be-determined location, with plans to continue searching for 15,000 square feet of permanent office space.

“We welcome Rural Sourcing to Buffalo’s growing innovation economy,” said Governor Hochul. “The company is creating high-quality jobs and new technology corridors across the country and we are proud that it has added Buffalo as its newest location to provide technology solutions and resources.  In the midst of the company’s major growth cycle, Buffalo offers an impressive IT ecosystem, workforce and higher education advantages, as well as low operating costs and high quality of life benefits.”

Monty Hamilton, CEO of Rural Sourcing said, “Buffalo is a great city with a rich history. It is important for us to locate areas with a high quality of life where we can recruit top talent in the region. The focus and investment in STEM education at the middle and high school levels, as well as the state’s overall investment in software development talent, make it a great location for us. The demand for our ‘Scrum-as-a-Service’ delivery model continues to grow among our Fortune 500 clients as well as for fast moving digital platform companies. Our plans are to create and fill 150 software engineering jobs in Buffalo to help meet this strong market need.”

Since being founded 13 years ago, Rural Sourcing has remained steadfast to its mission to bring technology jobs to parts of the country where there otherwise would not be opportunities. This model has proved successful by providing a low-risk, high-collaboration solution for clients, while delivering the quality and responsiveness that are needed in today’s fast paced digital world.

Empire State Development (ESD) will provide RSI up to $3.4 million in Excelsior Jobs Tax Credits in exchange for creating 150 jobs.   

Mayor Byron W. Brown said, “Rural Sourcing’s selection of the City of Buffalo for its newest software development center is further evidence of Buffalo’s growing tech economy. The company’s plans to put down roots here in Buffalo and hire 150 local residents, with outreach to our immigrant and refugee communities for these extremely well-paying jobs, is fantastic news. I’m pleased Rural Sourcing’s temporary center will be located in downtown Buffalo and am hopeful the company will find a permanent home in our downtown.  I thank Governor Kathy Hochul and Empire State Development, and Invest Buffalo Niagara for their roles in bringing Rural Sourcing to Buffalo.”  

Rural Sourcing (RSI), backed by Bain Capital Double Impact, is the leading provider of onshore outsourced digital engineering to build, deploy and support digital applications, products and experiences. RSI’s unique onshore delivery model is 100 percent U.S.-based, accessing untapped and underleveraged technology talent in Middle America cities. By providing an alternative to offshore outsourcing, RSI eliminates the obstacles of time zones, distance, language, and geopolitical risks. The company provides world-class solutions for technology-centric and Fortune 1000 clients across various industries including Life & Health Sciences, High-Tech, Logistics and Transportation, and Financial Services.

Apply in Buffalo here.

The magnificent structure that is Shea’s Performing Arts Center (originally called Shea’s Buffalo) opened in 1926 on Buffalo’s bustling Main Street. It’s had its ups and downs, but now with loving dedication, the theater and event space has been restored as closely as possible to its original glory, and serves as a touchstone for downtown’s exciting revitalization.

The building was commissioned by impresario Michael Shea and designed by the Rapp brothers from Chicago, who specialized in grand movie houses of the day, with interiors by the renowned Art Nouveau designer and artist Louis Comfort Tiffany. Lush European baroque style décor and architectural elements include domed ceilings, intricate chandeliers and wall sconces, and fantastical hand-painted, carved and molded proscenium and elements throughout the huge theater.

After a few decades, it fell into disrepair and economic woes. To ensure that it could not be demolished, a non-profit group, Friends of Shea’s, rallied to get the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Such listings require that any work done must be in keeping with its original design standards, if not directly replicating them. By the mid-1990s, serious efforts were underway to restore its grandeur.

“Restore” is the operative word; the theatre, which is a favorite stop for touring Broadway shows and is an elegant setting for events and concerts, has neither been renovated nor remodeled. The goal is to restore the things that needed it (most everything) while updating only the things required for functionality, safety or to accommodate the change in usage from a movie house to a large-scale performance theater.

Much of the work—except for where prohibited by insurance or necessitating a professional—has been done by volunteers. Shea’s meticulously recreated and reinstalled the grand drape; hand-brushed every inch of the thousands of square feet of intricate decorative painting; updated the electrical system and wiring; refinished, repainted and recovered original furniture and scoured the earth for just the right (woven not tufted) carpets to complement those luscious red walls.

Historian/historic art expert Doris Collins has overseen the project; she’s been consulting with Shea’s for over 20 years, and has attended to every detail with meticulous attention. (She personally carried a piece of fabric to her native Austria to source a vendor to replicate it.)

Another huge element of the original theater is its organ—the largest Wurlitzer theater organ “still in its original home,” said Collins. The organ restoration required a pro, and cost around $400,000.

One of the faux marble techniques that Collins points out inside Shea’s is the ancient art of scagliola, which uses plaster and dyes to mimic marble—while there is plenty of actual marble, scagliola walls are visible in the lobby and staircases in the building.

Collins adds that without the discovery of replicas of some of Tiffany’s original drawings and watercolors to reference in the restoration, they wouldn’t have been able to be as faithful. “We would have had no idea what the grand drape border looked like,” she added. “But going strictly from the Tiffany rendering, we had it woven and sewn.”

With the Shea’s theatre season in full swing, it’s time to catch a show and see the interior of this magnificent theatre once again. If you’d like to see upcoming online events or donate to the theatre visit sheas.org.

Check out more of the beautiful details of Shea’s in the photos below (click to enlarge):

The post Buffalo Architectural Spotlight: Shea’s Performing Arts Center appeared first on Visit Buffalo Niagara.

It’s officially tree planting season and the volunteers at The Tool Library are gearing up for their last big event this year. They’ll be headed to Dewey Park in Buffalo’s Masten District for a 100 tree planting on Saturday, November 13th starting at 9am. As with many parks and greenspaces across the city, Dewey Park has lost a significant portion of its tree canopy to disease and pests like the Emerald Ash Borer.

This planting will add 50 new ornamental trees and 50 new shade trees to the park and surrounding areas.

Species include:

Valley Forge American Elm
Swamp White Oak
Bloodgood London Plane
Northern Catalpa
Tulip Tree
Autumn Blaze Maple
Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry
White Flower Redbud
Crabapple, white flower

For those interested in lending a hand or a shovel, head on over to The Tool Library’s website to RSVP: http://www.thetoollibrary.org/service/ 

“Tree planting for us has become a way to meet our neighbors, to work together towards common solutions, and to collectively improve the spaces we share” said Darren Cotton, Tool Library volunteer and board member.

This 100 tree planting was made possible through a generous donation of a local tech startup founder turned lorax.

Volunteers fill watering bags along William Gaiter Parkway during a Tool Library stewardship event this summer.

The Tool Library will also be hosting a series of service events and workshops in the spring focused on tree stewardship. Maintenance, especially in the first two years of a tree’s life, is critical to increasing survivorship rates of volunteer plantings. Events will train volunteers on basic pruning, as well as attaching and filling the all important slow release watering bags.

Started in 2014, ReTree the District is an offshoot of Re-Tree WNY led by The Tool Library and has focused primarily on Buffalo’s University and Masten Districts. To date, more than 1,400 trees have been planted by over 2,000 volunteers, which, according to the City of Buffalo’s Open Data Portal, accounts for roughly 13% of University District’s total tree canopy. 

Shovels, rakes, mattocks, and sledges. You need ’em? The Tool Library’s got ’em!

The benefits of planting all those trees – aside from all the positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes? The Tool Library now has a comprehensive inventory of hundreds of tree planting tools accessible to individuals and organizations across WNY. So remember, borrow, don’t buy tools for your next tree planting!

Memberships to the nonprofit Tool Library are available for as little as $20/year. Sign up for a membership and start borrowing today.