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Cast in 1981, this was the second commission of public sculpture in Buffalo for locally renowned artist Larry Griffis (his first, Spirit of Womanhood, is described below). Unlike the subsequent works listed here, it stands not in Delaware Park itself, but a short distance away. 20 feet (6 m) in height, Birds Excited Into Flight is sculpted in cold-rolled steel on a concrete pedestal and depicts seven human figures standing in a circle with upstretched arms, their hands metamorphosing into a pyramid of birds.
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A former fashion designer, artist Judith Shea has made a name for herself sculpting images of empty articles of clothing that hang as if suspended in air, and so it is with this 1987 work of hers that was donated to Buffalo by AT&T after spending nearly thirty years as part of their corporate art collection. One of three identical sculptures cast from the same mold (you'll find the others at the John Hancock Tower in Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego), Eden is a two-piece work depicting a man's cloak side by side with a long sleeveless ladies' dress, signifying what the artist describes as an "encounter of opposites".
The folks at Seven Seas Tattoo are not just artists of the body variety (though if you're looking to get inked up on your trip to Buffalo, you could hardly pick a better place): their Elmwood Avenue shop also doubles as the home of this similarly-named gallery, where the walls are adorned with drawings, paintings, and other original works by store staff.
Describing itself as a "fusion of aesthetic elements in an inviting and contemporary atmosphere", Fuse Salon & Gallery is quite an unusual concept: this full-service upscale hair and beauty salon does double duty as an art gallery that displays a rotating selection of works by local artists, all for sale at fair prices, as well as occasional temporary exhibitions. Guests can admire some of the best work of Buffalo's talented creative community while at the same time getting a manicure or having their hair styled and colored! As befits a full-service salon, locally produced soaps, lotions, massage oils, and sugar scrubs are for sale alongside the artwork. A truly one-of-a-kind experience.
Located (appropriately enough) adjacent to Lincoln Parkway, this bronze statue depicts Abraham Lincoln seated on an oak log with an axe at his feet and a book on his right knee, symbolizing his transition in life from humble farm labor to the highest achievement of American statesmanship. The work of sculptor Bryant Baker, Young Lincoln was cast in bronze in 1935; on its pink granite base is inscribed a quote from poet James Russell Lowell: "For him her old world moulds aside she threw, and choosing sweet clay from the breast of the unexhausted west, with stuff untainted shaped a hero new."
Delaware Park's beautiful Rose Garden is directly off Lincoln Parkway behind the Marcy Casino, and blooms in season with thirty-three beds of beautiful red, purple, yellow and white roses, many varieties of which have been honored in the past as All-America Rose Selections. The rose garden was not part of Olmsted's original design for the park, but was instead added to the park in 1912. Although its formality contrasts incongruously with the quiet, curvilinear naturalism of the park's original features, the Rose Garden is nonetheless lovely and renowned, and was thoroughly restored by the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy in the early 2010s. The impeccably manicured garden also includes a working fountain and pyramidal trellises, and a grand pergola at its rear. The garden, and Delaware Park in general, is immensely popular with bridal parties during rose season; don't be surprised if you have to dodge gaggles of bridesmaids posing for endless pictures!
Opened in 1966 and greatly expanded in the early '90s through the charitable largesse of Dr. Charles Rand Penney, the Burchfield Penney Art Center finally moved into its new museum building in 2008 after over a decade of planning and construction. An important addition to the Elmwood Avenue Museum District operated by Buffalo State College, the mission of the Burchfield Penney Art Center is to showcase the unique culture of Buffalo and Western New York and the vibrancy of its creative community with displays of works by local artists. The backbone of the Burchfield Penney's offerings consists of the world's most extensive collection of paintings by Charles Burchfield, a renowned watercolorist who spent most of his career living in or near Buffalo. Temporary exhibitions, often with a local flavor, are also frequently presented.