Hallwalls facts for kids
Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, also known as Hallwalls, is a special art place in Buffalo, New York. It's a non-profit organization, which means it focuses on art and community, not on making money. Since 1974, Hallwalls has shown amazing art from many different artists. These artists work in areas like film, video, writing, music, live performances, and visual arts. Hallwalls has always aimed to be a place where artists work together. It also tries to show art that connects to Buffalo's history as an industrial city.
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The Start of Hallwalls
Hallwalls began in 1974. It was started by a group of artists including Charles Clough, Robert Longo, Diane Bertolo, Nancy Dwyer, Larry Lundy, Cindy Sherman, Joseph Panone, Linda Brooks, Pierce Kamke, and Michael Zwack. They set up the center in an old ice packing warehouse. This warehouse had been turned into art studios.
How the Name Hallwalls Came to Be
The name "Hallwalls" comes from the close friendship between Charles Clough and Robert Longo. Their studios were separated by a "hall" with "walls." This hall became a symbol of their friendship and how they worked together. The name celebrates the space that brought them closer.
Art and Ideas at Hallwalls
From the very beginning, Hallwalls wanted to be a place for all kinds of artists. It welcomed different art forms like film, video, performance art, music, painting, photography, and sculpture. The goal was to bring these different arts together. They wanted to explore important social topics in modern culture.
Hallwalls Through the Years
In the 1980s, Hallwalls moved to a new location at 700 Main Street. During this time, the people running Hallwalls faced a challenge. They wanted to keep the founders' original idea alive. This idea was to let artists show their work freely, without needing money from big companies. At the same time, they also wanted Hallwalls to grow and reach more people.
Growing and Funding Challenges
More funding allowed Hallwalls to have a bigger gallery space. It also created chances for more artists to show their work. However, this growth meant they needed more staff and organizers. Getting enough money has always been a challenge for Hallwalls. Even with big budget cuts in the 1990s, Hallwalls has stayed an important art center in Western New York.
A New Home for Hallwalls
In January 2006, Hallwalls found a new home. It moved into the former Asbury Methodist Church at 341 Delaware Avenue. Hallwalls shares this building with Righteous Babe Records. The musician Ani DiFranco bought the church building.
Archived Works and Famous Performers
A collection of films shown at Hallwalls is kept at The Poetry Collection. This collection is located at the University at Buffalo. Many famous performers have also appeared at Hallwalls. Some of these include Kathy Acker, Glenn Branca, Fifth Column, The Kipper Kids, Ann Magnuson, Christian Marclay, Harvey Pekar, Richard Serra, and Karen Finley.
Community Programs and Collaborations
Hallwalls works with other non-profit groups in Western New York. It helps put on many community programs.
The Babel Literary Festival
Hallwalls helps organize an annual writing festival called Babel. In 2008, the festival featured a reading by Michael Ondaatje. He won the 1992 Man Booker Prize for his book The English Patient.
Artwaves and Spotlight on Youth
Since 1986, Hallwalls has had a TV show called Artwaves. It's a half-hour program on Buffalo's Public-access television Channel 20. This show helps Hallwalls share art with the community. Hallwalls also helps with "Spotlight on Youth." This is an open-mic poetry program for young poets and artists in Buffalo. Other groups like Just Buffalo Literary Center, Gay & Lesbian Youth Services of WNY, and Compass House also help with this program.
Gallery
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Artists and Models fundraiser event in the Buffalo Central Terminal, 2007
