IMAGINING A FUTURE GIFT SHOP: STARLIGHT CITY ASSEMBLIES

IMAGINING A FUTURE GIFT SHOP: STARLIGHT CITY ASSEMBLIES

Starlight Studio Collaborates with Dennis Maher of Assembly House 150

Starlight Studio & Art Gallery is working with artist, Dennis Maher to learn about architecture, explore forms, and to develop plans for a destination gift shop at their 340 Delaware Avenue location in Downtown Buffalo.

On Thursday, June 20th from 5-8pm visitors to Starlight Art Gallery will see a display of models, drawings, and photos. Also on display will be prototypes for finished pieces to be used in the eventual gift shop fabricated by students at The Society for the Advancement of Construction Related Arts (SACRA). At this event, viewers will also have the opportunity to sign up for tours of both the Starlight Studio and SACRA programs to occur on July 9th.

Dennis Maher of Assembly House 150 (150 Edward Street, Buffalo, NY 14202) where SACRA’s training and activities occur, presented three lectures about prominent architects who worked in Buffalo; including Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan. Several Starlight artists visited the Darwin Martin House, the Guaranty Building, and the Richardson Complex to gather inspiration, sketch, and learn about repeating patterns and natural forms. Maher provided materials to allow the Starlight artists to experiment with form and scale by constructing wooden models. Aspects of these models will be incorporated into the final interior design of the gift shop.

Starlight is a vibrant art studio located in downtown Buffalo that supports adults with disabilities in their artistic development. Starlight’s public gallery shows the work of the Starlight artists and hosts exhibitions by other artists in their Side by Each exhibition series.

“We love that the Starlight artists’ imaginings will be incorporated into the overall design of the shop” says Starlight Studio & Art Gallery Program Director, Carrie Marcotte. “People have bought creations by the Starlight artists for years, and with the development of this gift shop, we see our reach expanding significantly.”

The goal is to create a destination gift shop inside of Starlight Studio’s established gallery space that will allow for Starlight and other under-represented artists to gain exposure and sell their work. Starlight is centrally located in a thriving area surrounded by art galleries, restaurants, new hotels and just steps away from Buffalo’s burgeoning waterfront. Several organizations have already expressed interest in being featured in the shop including the Restoration Society of Buffalo, Stitch Buffalo, and Spotted Rabbit Art Studio located in Rochester, NY.

Starlight Studio working with Dennis Maher and SACRA of Assembly House 150 for Starlight City Assemblies is the beginning of a collaborative relationship. These two programs which support skill building and vocational opportunities through coaching and guidance have aims in common.

Starlight Studio & Art Gallery received funding for Starlight City Assemblies from a NYSCA Community Arts Decentralization grant. These grants are intended to support arts and cultural programming and the creation of artworks in Erie and Niagara Counties. Administered by Arts Services Initiative of Western New York, Inc. (ASI) and funded by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).

The opening reception for the display of Imagining a Future Gift Shop: Starlight City Assemblies is from 5-8pm on Thursday, June 20th at Starlight Studio & Art Gallery, 340 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202. Free and open to the Public.