Buffalo has two major Flickr groups. Betty’s Restaurant at 370 Virginia Street makes great food and runs art exhibits in their restaurant. When Kathy Sherin, who curates the exhibits for Betty’s, was approached by a member of the one of the Flickr groups, she was more than delighted to match Flickr with Betty’s.
Sherin was approached last year and promptly set up a G-mail account for submissions. “After looking at what came in…the show really has some great images of Buffalo from an artistic point of view,” she says. The photography encompasses familiar places but with a unique perspective. There is also some pin-hole shots of the grain elevators, shots of the Richardson Building, and some intriguing shots of the demolition of the Balcom/Chandler House with the Statler Hotel in the background.
Sherin says in all, there are 26 images for the exhibit. Since the selection process was entirely online, when the exhibit opens on Monday, June 30, she will be seeing the non-digital image for the first time. “I think people will be really happy. There’s really a variety,” says Sherin.
The exhibit runs until September 7, giving patrons plenty of time to check them out. The artists who were selected vary from actual photographers, to amateurs, to people who just happened to snap an amazing photograph of Buffalo. Sherin says Betty’s was happy to host the exhibit. “The space is really conducive to making all work look really great. They just look good there. They [the owners] really are dedicated to the arts,” says Sherin.
Opening night runs from 6 till 9 PM this Monday, June 30th, a day when the restaurant is not normally open. If you’d like, you can check out the two Buffalo Flickr groups here and here.
Below is a list of artists you will see – some included a brief bio, some did not:
+M.J. Worthington: BEWARE: I shoot everything and everyone in my path.
+Brenda Cowe: Since my grandfather died before I was born, I had only photos and other people's memories by which to know him. However, since he was always the one taking photos, he was rarely in any of them. This was a major source of frustration for me. I vowed not to let that happen with my photos. So I began to document myself by finding reflective surfaces and shooting self-portraits.
+Brigid Jaipaul-Valenza: I am obsessed by the way light, in any form, hits an object. I love the shadows, shades and moods it creates.
+Michael Calanan: As a pedestrian most of us never consider our place in relation to the rest of the city as we walk along towards our destination. From behind the wheel, however, pedestrians are seen as on a stage, surrounded by buildings as backdrops and interacting with strangers as fellow cast members and objects as props. “Opening Sequence” and “By then, penitence comes so easily.”
+Caroline Bronkers (Deeva): **photo credit for the article goes to her** Inspiration for my images comes from architectural details and scenic views with unique light and shadows
+Lisa Marie: I make and use pinhole cameras for the soft and sometimes otherworldly results produced by the most primitive of image-forming equipment.
+Robert G. Scumaci: There is simply something satisfying about not preparing to capture any specific image - but simply taking the moment that arises and creating spontaneously. I like to capture what I see, without moving or disturbing anything about the scene, and I tend to follow through with that philosophy when I process my images by keeping any digital processing to a minimum
+Sheldon Levy
+Kristen Roess
+Rokkin Foto