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Art on Wheels Rolls into Niagara

Art on Wheels Rolls into Niagara with Wheel-Themed Sculptures and Art Cars
June 24, 2003

Art on Wheels, the hot new public art initiative in the Buffalo Niagara region, kicks off in Niagara County with a three day showcase June 29 through July 1.

The project, on display through mid-October, displays 57 unique works of art at various cultural and historic attractions, including (19 in Niagara County). The artworks include original sculptures made from recycled or found materials and art cars - automobiles transformed through painting, assemblage or sculpture.

Hereís how the Niagara County Showcase worksÖPurchase an official passport at all area Wegmans and at most Art on Wheel sites. The Passport is an official guide containing a colorful fold out map that will help you plan your journey. During this three day period, get your passport stamped at seven out of the 19 cultural and historic attractions listed to be eligible to win a Wegmans gift card.

Project Director Wendy Attea Huntington said ìOne of the goals of Art On Wheels is to introduce - or re-introduce - residents and visitors to the extraordinary wealth of artistic and historic offerings that Buffalo Niagara has to offer. The Niagara County Showcase is an excellent way to have some family fun, see some terrific and engaging works of art and learn what makes this region such a great place to live or visit.î

Niagaraís Art on Wheels trail sites include: Amherst Museum, Aquarium of Niagara, Artpark, Carnegie Art Center, Castellani Art Museum, Gateway Harbor Park, Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, Kenan Center, Lockport Locks & Erie Canal Cruises, Middleport Basket Factory, Murphy Orchards, Niagara Aerospace Museum, Niagara Arts & Cultural Center, Niagara Falls State Park, Niagara Gorge Discovery Center, Niagara Power Projectís Power Vista, Olcott Beach Carousel Park, Old Fort Niagara and Rivera Theatre.

The following is a highlight of various special events open to the public that will take place during the three day activities: 

* The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will present ìSummer in the Parksî, a free concert on Tuesday, July 1 at 7:30 pm at Niagara Reservation State Park on Goat Island. The theme of their performance will focus on transportation and the wheel followed by a grand fireworks display along the falls at 10:00 pm.

* The funky JazzMobile will be featured at Artparkís free ìTuesday in the Parkî free concert series kick-off on July 1 in the outdoor Amphitheater overlooking the Niagara River gorge. Canadian musician Rik Emmett will appear in concert at 6:30 pm with Lazarus. A dazzling fireworks display over the Niagara River will conclude the night.

* The Kenan Center House Gallery in Lockport presents Impressions of Niagara: Selections from Charles Rand Penney Collection featuring more than ninety prints depicting images of Niagara Falls from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century

* The Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University presents NIAGARA: Artists Reflect on the Falls. This is a survey of Niagara Falls-related work from the collection of the Castellani Art Museum, along with special loans.

* The Aquarium of Niagara will be offering sea-lion demonstrations every ninety minutes from 9:00 am ñ 7:00 pm.

The New York Power Authority proudly presents a wind-powered outdoor sculpture ìTRAZOWî (Mozart spelled backwards with the ìMî inverted) on display at the Niagara Power Projectís Power Vista. This piece was created by Robert Dray who is the Instructional Support Technician at Buffalo State College and Stephen Saracino former Chair of the Design Department and Professor of Design at Buffalo State College. Both artists have been recognized for their work. Dray was awarded the Chancellors Award for Excellence in Professional Service and Stephen Saracino was presented with the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Fellowship in crafts in 2001. A special reception to meet the artists will be held on Sunday, June 29 from 1:00 ñ 5:00 pm.

Artists will also be on site at the Olcott Beach Carrousel Park, Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, Murphy Orchards, Kenan Center and the Lockport Locks and Erie Canal Cruises sites on June 29 from 1-4 p.m.

Art On Wheels is presented by M & T Bank and organized by the Burchfield-Penney Art Center and the Materials Reuse Project in partnership with The Buffalo News. The arts trail will be on display through mid-October. Find out more by visiting www.artonwheels.org. Purchase a passport at Western New York Wegmans or at selected Art On Wheels sites and get information on every site, a full-color map that gets you everywhere you need to go and more than $150 in discounts at the sites. Call 877-969-2724 for information on guided tours.