The City of Buffalo

There is an ideal ecosystem in which art can thrive. It must provide the resources artists need. Affordable housing. Spaces for studios, exhibitions and performances. An engaged audience. And most importantly, the company of other artists.

There remain a handful of American cities where artists can dedicate themselves to their passion. Where they can be free to live their art. Buffalo is one of those places.

Buffalo has a thriving avant-garde scene that dates to the 1970’s. The animated spirit of the young people from that era and the community they built remains remarkably fertile ground for the arts. Unfortunately, two things continue to hold Buffalo back. The city lacks a solid arts infrastructure that would allow artists to promote their work, share ideas, or identify collaborators. And like many American cities, it remains heavily segregated, with an East-West boundary that is rarely crossed—even by the artistic community.

The Arts Collaboratory aims to build the arts infrastructure that Buffalo needs—and desegregate the artistic community. We intend to make the University at Buffalo and the Buffalo-Niagara region among the best places in America to make art.