by Nicole Murray For this month’s spotlight, I had the opportunity to visit two organizations whose focus is inclusivity in the arts to speak with the artists about their projects. The talented artists at Starlight Studio and Art Gallery and the dazzling cast, staff, and writers at Unique Theatre Company are both creating captivating works [...]
Over the years, you may have heard us talk about Arts Access, our one-of-a-kind program that breaks down the barriers to the arts by providing free or low cost admission to events and transportation services to qualifying individuals and families. Since 2013, we've worked with over 6,000 people in Western New York; all eager [...]
by Nicole Murray Hispanic Heritage Month is the annual celebration of the history and culture of the Hispanic and Latin communities in the United States. The tradition began in 1968 as “Hispanic Heritage Week '' under Lyndon B. Johnson and later expanded to encompass a month-long span, September 15th to October 15th, under Ronald Regan [...]
by Nicole Murray Back-to-school season is just around the corner and already backpacks and school supplies line the shelves at local department stores. The start of a new school year is the traditional signifier of a clean slate and an opportunity for self improvement for students from elementary school through college, but what about the [...]
by Nicole Murray All too often, “Western New York” is a term used to describe the city of Buffalo and its immediate suburbs. Maybe names such as Clarence, Orchard Park, Tonawanda, and Lancaster come to mind. But if you take just a short 45 minute drive outside of any of these places, you’ll find that [...]
by Nicole Murray Art in its truest form is a means of self-expression which is why those who identify as LGBTQIA+ often turn to the arts as a safe outlet for exploring and questioning self-identity, gender roles, and sexuality. (LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual/Agender, with the “+” used as [...]
By Tessa Pszonak, Jess Trainor, and Holly Grant By definition, a community is a social unit united by a shared geographic location and/or commonality. In a region as diverse as Western New York, there are many arts and cultural organizations whose work provides this 'community' space for the immigrant, refugee, and newly arrived populations. This [...]
By Tessa Pszonak and Jess Trainor We all know the pandemic has negatively affected people’s mental health and created new barriers for those already suffering from mental illness. For April’s spotlight, we wanted to highlight the work of those who are using the arts to help alleviate general and mental health challenges within the community, [...]
By Tessa Pszonak, Jess Trainor, and Holly Grant In honor of Women's History Month, we took some time to speak with four incredible WNY women who are paving the way for other women in and through the arts. Brazen-Faced Varlets, a woman-owned theatre company here in Western New York, is breaking down the barriers of [...]
The fight against social injustice that rose onto the international stage in 2020 implored us to find a way to help amplify the voices of marginalized communities and artists who are often left behind, unheard, or ignored. That is why we are adjusting the focus of our 2021 monthly features to highlight arts and [...]
