Painting for Preservation: May 2013

Welcome to Painting for Preservation!

Welcome to Painting for Preservation! This initiative, founded by artist Sara M. Zak, is aimed at drawing attention to distressed, at-risk, and under-utilized historic locations through on site art making.

Mission: To bring together artists of all media in support of historic distressed properties and communities. To create artwork on-site related to the location as a means of raising positive awareness of the space.

My hope is that we can continue this effort in Buffalo and expand the concept to other architecturally rich cities. Please e-mail Sara M. Zak if you are interested in starting a Painting for Preservation initiative in your city at info@paintingforpreservation.org

Our goals:
1. Raise awareness of at-risk, distressed and under-utilized locations and their neighborhoods

2. Create a record of historically rich locations through art

3. Create a community of artists invested in the urban landscape

4. Bring exposure and provide assistance to artists interested in documenting at-risk historic neighborhoods while also collaborating with members of those same neighborhoods.

5. Involve communities in sharing their stories of local historic architectural and their neighborhoods.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Trico Plant #1 Art-In

Event: Trico Art-In
Date: Saturday, June 1
Time: 9:30am -12:30 pm

What:
Join us for on-site art-making at the historic Trico Plant #1. Artists of all skill level and media are welcome as are any interested observers and community members. To read more about this location, check out this article from Buffalo Spree, http://www.buffalospree.com/Buffalo-Spree/March-2012/Preservation-Ready-Trico-Plant-1/ or join the Save Trico FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/203056219787921/?fref=ts

This site is rich with Buffalo history and is a designated landmark on the National Register, however local preservationists are working hard to secure local landmark status to help ensure that it stays a part of our city's urban fabric. Our industrial history is a key component to our regrowth, and it is vital to the visual language and character of our city.

The oldest building within the complex, originally the Christian Weyland Brewery cold storage building, was built in 1890. The facade of this building is still visible from the Ellicott St. side and is situated within the larger additions from the 1920s (and onward) afterit was acquired by Trico to manufacture windshield wipers. The complex grew to include excellent examples of the Daylight Factory style.

For those looking to portray Trico within the city, there are interesting views of downtown from this location as well.

Photo from http://buffaloah.com/a/washngtn/817/817.html

Friday, May 10, 2013

Three East Side Beauties + 23 North Street in pictures

Painting for Preservation will gather at three beautiful Queen Anne style townhouses on May 18, 2013, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm. I remember driving with Meg to take a look at 53 Laurel Street as an art-in location; I pointed out these three homes as places I'd love to turn into an artist residency program. I'm always picking out buildings that would make for great residencies or installation galleries (Buffalo's chock-full of them!) This past March, organizing P4P member Dana Saylor researched and wrote this great article for Buffalo Spree highlighting the homes. I can't wait to make a painting of these, hoping for bright sun and beautiful shadows that fall across the white and red!

Mickey Harmon

On Saturday May 3, we gathered at 23 North Street in Buffalo's Historic Allentown. The night before, a fabulous historian said he hoped someone would represent the building as red brick as it was originally instead of the "hideous yellow" that it is currently. I am guilty of loving the hideous yellow and was happy to find that some of my color loving compatriots felt the same. The light and shadows played joyfully across the building's surface. We had the opportunity to talk to a few of the neighbors about the building and the lack of any movement on it. We were told that some of the restored apartments across the street were going for as much as $2300 a month; so perhaps investing in the rehabilitation of this grand old mansion would be financially worthwhile. The images artists created of this place were truely inspired! Artist participants were Mickey Harmon, Sarah Liddle, Dana Saylor, Michael Killelea, Tim Raymond, Marie Prince, Jon Furman, Michele Agosto (and sons!), Michelle Schroeder, Kathy Schifano, Steve Siegel, Becky Harbison, Sara M. Zak