Press Releases

BUFFALO OPENS NEW ERIE CANAL WATERFRONT IN 2007

Newly Restored and Redesigned Historic Harbor will Feature Naval History Museum, as well as Concerts, Events and other Programs for the Public Niagara Falls, Great American Architecture, Contemporary Art, and Garden Walk All Make for a Stunning Summer Visit to Buffalo

BUFFALO, NY, January 30, 2007 – This summer, the city of Buffalo welcomes visitors to the region’s spectacular views of Niagara Falls, stunning Frank Lloyd Wright architectural landmarks, and the renowned collections of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. In addition, Buffalo presents an exciting lineup of seasonal offerings including the outdoor concert series at Artpark, the 13th annual Garden Walk, and the 50th anniversary of the Allentown Art Festival. Summer visitors will also be among the first to welcome a grand addition to Buffalo’s cultural landscape—a new $49 million public waterfront on the Erie Canal that provides opportunities to bike, boat, shop, eat, and learn about the city’s rich history.
The 2007 completion of the Erie Canal Harbor Project will welcome visitors year-round to a new public space for recreation, events and concerts, as well as an expanded waterfront serving as a prime destination for cruise ships, large vessels and recreational boats. This federally-funded initiative will open the city’s doors to its historically significant waterfront and recall Buffalo’s vital role in the westward expansion of the United States. The public space has been reconstructed with preserved ruins from the height of the Canal era in the 1800s, as well as original bridge designs and street cobblestones from the late 1800s. In addition to reconstruction as it appeared in the 19th century, the site will feature interpretive elements to educate visitors about the original Canal and how it helped shape the course of American history. The Canal’s Naval Museum, part of the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park, will feature a 16,000-square-foot outdoor exhibit with a public display of historic tanks, helicopters and airplanes, as well as a waterfront café with beautiful views. Opening is scheduled for summer 2007.
The city of Buffalo’s summer events include a diverse lineup of free concerts, the Allentown Art Festival—an outdoor arts and crafts festival celebrating its 50th anniversary— as well as the National Buffalo Wing Festival, Taste of Buffalo, the Roycroft Summer Festival, and Toy Fest. And just 20 miles from Buffalo, the nearby Niagara Falls region continues to awe and amaze its more than 12 million annual visitors with some of the most magnificent views and attractions in the world. Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, offers stunning views, theater, and estate wineries, while Niagara Falls, N.Y. invites summer visitors to its more than 40 golf courses, camp sites, and 125 miles of hiking and biking trails. And for the green thumb, hundreds of lush, private gardens will be open to the public this summer in Buffalo’s 13th annual Garden Walk, one of the largest garden tours in the United States. On the last weekend in July, thousands of visitors will gather to explore the 260 gardens on view throughout the urban landscape. Buffalo’s Garden Walk has been a major force of neighborhood revitalization and continues today as one of Buffalo’s most anticipated summer events. The recent release of the Garden Walk Buffalo book and DVD celebrates this widely popular event, featuring a collection of photographs and stories detailing Buffalo’s proud community tradition.

Buffalo’s Cultural Destinations

The city of Buffalo’s vibrant cultural community has long been supported by the Albright-Knox Art Gallery’s role as an outstanding center for modern and contemporary art; its permanent collection includes works by artists of the late 19th and 20th centuries, as well as many emerging artists. Summer visitors are encouraged to tour the exciting lineup of 2007 exhibitions, including Remix the Collection, a series of installations that survey the vast density of the Gallery’s permanent collection on view through October 28, 2007; Francis Bacon: Paintings from the 1950s, on view May 4 – July 29, 2007; and Beyond/In Western New York, a biannual exhibition that showcases emerging artists from the eastern Great Lakes region at the Albright-Knox Gallery and 12 other arts institutions in the Buffalo/Niagara area beginning September 14 and running throughout the fall.
Buffalo’s renowned Frank Lloyd Wright landmarks—including the Darwin D. Martin House and Graycliff Estate—are undergoing extensive reconstruction and restoration. The Martin House recently celebrated the completion of the reconstruction of the buildings in its original complex, which marks the first time in over 40 years that the entire historic grounds of the Martin property can be seen together. Set on a 70-foot cliff overlooking Lake Erie, the Graycliff Estate was the Martin family’s summer home. Located just a short drive from Buffalo, Graycliff remains a notable example of Wright’s “organic” style of architecture, much like Fallingwater. The Graycliff Conservancy, Inc. just announced the receipt of a $325,000 grant from the John R. Oishei Foundation, which will go towards the ongoing restoration of the estate—Wright’s last built commission in the Buffalo area. Visitors can learn more about the architectural history of these significant Wright landmarks and witness their transformation with docent-led tours.
In addition to the revival of these structures, Buffalo will soon be home to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Rowing Boathouse, a design originally included in his Wasmuth Portfolio series of distinctive Prairie Style lithographs. With nearly $5 million raised, the boathouse will open in Buffalo, in July 2007 and will be home to the nation’s largest rowing club.
Located in the national historic landmark Kleinhans Music Hall, the revered Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra offers an exciting program this summer. In addition to performances ranging from Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto to Judy Collins, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra welcomes crowds throughout the summer to Artpark, the popular outdoor concert venue overlooking the extraordinary Niagara Gorge in Lewiston, N.Y.

More to See in Buffalo

In addition to Buffalo’s summer offerings, the city welcomes visitors to its noteworthy cultural destinations including Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center in the recently renovated Asbury Delaware Church, the century-old Roycroft Inn and Campus, and Burchfield-Penney Art Center, whose new home designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates will debut in spring 2008. As the city of Buffalo boasts one of the strongest architectural histories in the United States, visitors are invited to explore city landmarks designed by Henry Hobson Richardson (former Buffalo State Hospital), Eliel and Eero Saarinen (Kleinhans Music Hall), Louis Sullivan (Guaranty Building), Stanford White (Williams-Pratt Mansion), and Frederick Law Olmsted (Buffalo Parks and Parkways). This diversity of architects mirrors Buffalo’s unique role in American history as a city of culture and innovation. (See respective destination websites for information on summer tours.)
Buffalo is a city with a longstanding history of innovation, discovery, creativity, production and support for architecture, the arts and culture. From the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, through the invention of the grain elevator, to the harnessing of hydroelectric power at nearby Niagara Falls and the subsequent development of aviation, automobile and steel plants, Buffalo has played a distinguished role in the shaping of the American experience – a history that continues to be made today.
For more information on travel to Buffalo, please visit: www.wrightnowinbuffalo.com

Media Contacts:

Kristen Titus
Resnicow Schroeder Associates
212-671-5173
ktitus@resnicowschroeder.com

Natalie Hoch
Resnicow Schroeder Associates
212-671-5170
sfreudenheim@resnicowschroeder.com

Ed Healy
Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau
716-852-0511, x236
healy@buffalocvb.org

Doug Sitler
Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau
716-852-0511, x252
sitler@buffalocvb.org