Curator-Led Tour

Water, Grain, Steel: Industry and the Erie Canal

Installation view of Water, Grain, Steel: Industry and the Erie Canal at UB Anderson Gallery. The gallery features white walls and polished floors with five framed works depicting industrial scenes, including grain elevators and factories. A black bench sits in the center of the space beneath track lighting.

Water, Grain, Steel: Industry and the Erie Canal, installation view, UB Anderson Gallery, University at Buffalo Art Galleries, 2025. Photo: Biff Henrich.

Date and Time

Saturday, December 6, 1PM

Location

UB Anderson Gallery

Cost

Free

Related Exhibition(s)

Description

Join us for a special guided tour of Water, Grain, Steel: Industry and the Erie Canal with Anna Wager, Ph.D., Curator of Exhibitions at UB Art Galleries.

Timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the Canal’s completion, this exhibition brings together historical and contemporary works to explore the profound and lasting impact of the Erie Canal on the Buffalo region—from labor and industry to environment, infrastructure, and land use. Through a wide range of works by artists including Charles Burchfield, Jay Carrier, and Martha Visser’t Hooft, the exhibition reflects on how the Canal has shaped both the physical and cultural landscape of Western New York.

Wager will share insights into the curatorial process, the themes behind the exhibition, and how artists across generations have engaged with this iconic waterway.

Program Date: December 6, 2025