Echo Art Fair

The 2014 fair is really an incredible cross-​section of contemporary art. It’s one of the most impressive art shows of the year and could easily hood it’s own against other mid– to high-​end art shows in major cities.

Even on winding down Sunday Echo was great. Thoreau’s cabin updated (Thoreau 2.0: Walden Pond 2013) artist Jeff Maciejewski) and the giant white frieze Whitewash (artist Sarah Fonzi) on the first floor, slipped in amongst the stacks at first seeming like regular parts of the library were great surprises.
The space upstairs was airy and large and there was food so it really did feel like a fair.
There was a great variety of art, some harder to understand than others, some tactile and three dimensional, others traditional. I liked that there were small galleries there like the one from Tonawanda. I signed up immediately to see the art that will be sold from the HSBC collection! There were carved up books, neon totems, day of the dead dolls, photographs and paintings of landscapes and manscapes. Something for everyone. Ran into some visiting art/​film world Torontonians who were gushing about the fair and downtown Buffalo architecture. So Echo did that too — tourism.
I’ve been to all the Echos. I liked the first one too, it bringing beauty to the rubble was wonderful juxtaposition. And I liked it because and because it took somewhere I’d never been in Buffalo to the Central Terminal train station. I am ashamed to admit, this one did too.
And I left with a cookbook and a library card. Thanks Frits.

The art (most of it) was amazing. I liked how they had a live DJ with a backdrop of videos and artistic compositions behind him. Sadly, most of it I can’t afford. But at least the food was affordable. I left the fair inspired to create my own and take more photoraphs.

Unilocal is here too.
Along with a large selection of artists/​galleries (over 30) mostly from Buffalo but also other parts of NY state. There is photography, including some of the local scenes, paint on canvas, sculpture, media art and more.
This is an annual event founded by Fritz Able, to showcase some of the terrific art from the area. They are coming from far and wide o see it. Today I heard people had come from NYC, DC and Miami, and those are just from hearing snippets of chatter. This weekend is your chance to see these artists and galleries under one roof.
That roof happens to be the Buffalo Public Library’s roof, which is a nice and easy to navigate building. The art starts outside with some colorful circles of art from a NYC based artist who was at UB for her studies some years ago. They lead the way in.
There are some lectures at 12 today, which is what the $ 5 entrance fee is for. Tomorrow no lectures and no fee.
There is something here for everyone’s taste.
And even if you find nothing of interest to your eyes or ears there is bound to be something for your stomach: Delish with coffee and muffins, Sun Burmese with black rice rolls and more, Askers, Nickel City, English Pies and of course some wine and beer for later, it’s Buffalo.
Come down, ride a bike or take the subway as there is not much parking around here, see what’s happening on the local art scene. And pick up a handy Unilocal reusable grocery bag just for coming. How can you loose?