Arts and Culture

From large museums to tiny artist-run galleries, Buffalo abounds with great art spaces.

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery is the reigning jewel of Buffalo’s art scene, with its world-class collection of modern and contemporary works, including iconic pieces by Pollock, de Kooning, van Gogh, Gorky and Warhol.

Across the street, you’ll find the new Burchfield Penney Art Center, the first freestanding museum constructed in Buffalo in more than a century, designed by Gwathmey Siegel. This arts center is dedicated to the artists of the region and to the master watercolorist Charles E. Burchfield.

And Buffalo is packed with smaller galleries. Artists Charles Clough, Robert Longo and Cindy Sherman formed Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center in 1974 to feature visual artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers and performance artists. Buffalo Arts Studio offers artists in-residence in the hip Tri-Main Center.

One of the most artistic Buffalo neighborhoods, Allentown, has created an upbeat First Fridays scene, where walkers travel along Allen Street to view regularly changing shows at independent galleries, such as Indigo, Studio Hart and Buffalo Big Print.

And be sure to check out the Black Rock neighborhood’s burgeoning gallery scene—anchored by Marcus Wise’s 464 Gallery and BLINK!

For complete tourism information, go to VisitBuffaloNiagara.com.