Gerald Mead Collection on display at NCCC

Works from the Gerald Mead Collection will be on view at the Niagara County Community College Dolce Valvo Art Center from Oct. 22 to Nov. 20.

On Oct. 22, a Collector's Talk will be held from 3:30-4:30 p.m., followed by an opening reception from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

The exhibition consists of works by artists who are current or former residents of and/or educators within Niagara County.

The artworks range from an early 20th century watercolor by Raphael Beck of Lockport, who designed the seal for the Pan American Exhibition held in Buffalo in 1901, to those created by NCCC alumni Rob Benigno, Tricia Butski, Ruby Merritt and M. J. Myers in 2014 using a variety of different media. 

Each piece has been selected from the extensive collection of Gerald Mead, a noted Buffalo artist and educator.

Mead is an independent curator who serves on the boards of several arts organizations in Buffalo. Since 1987, he has assembled a private collection of over 900 artworks by artists associated with this region by birth or residency. Thematic exhibitions from the Gerald Mead Collection have been presented at numerous college and university galleries and other public venues, most recently at El Museo Gallery in 2015. Mead has also lent works from his collection for major exhibitions at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Burchfield Penney Art Center, Castellani Art Museum, UB Art Galleries, Buffalo Arts Studio, CEPA and Hallwalls. He frequently lectures on art and collecting.

The complete list of participating artists includes: Michael Beam, Julia Beamer, Beck, Larry Bell, Benigno, Priscilla Bowen, Joel Brenden, Barbara Buckman, Philip Burke, Butski, Jay Carrier, Carla Castellani, Thomas Aquinas Daly, Al Dixon, Matthew Duquette, Robbie Evans, Dorothy Fitzgerald, Robert Flock, James Goodrich, Amy Greenan, Robert Harris, Phil Hendrickson, Bryan Hopkins, Tom Hughes, Polly King, Kevin Kline, Alan Lane, Rob Lynch, Robert Mangold, Jack Massing, Gail McCarthy, Olivia McConnell, Merritt, M. J. Myers, Anne Muntges, Jan Nagle, Burr Nicholls, Linda Parlato, Kate Parzych, Frank Penfold, Betsy Potter, Patrick Robideau, Stacey Robinson, Jonathan Rogers, Barbara Rowe, Donald Scheller, Kathy Schifano, Kathleen Sherin, Hyeyoung Shin, Lawrence Slezak, Deborah Stewart, Dennis Stierer, William Storrs, Rosemary Sweetman, Marie Thibaudeau, Chuck Tingley, Carol Townsend, Paul Turecki, Dana Tyrrell, Kurt Von Voetsch, Joe Whalen and Joe Ziolkowski.

The Dolce Valvo Art Center is open to the public from noon-5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday from noon-7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and from noon-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Visitors can follow signs to Lewis Library, D building, to access the gallery. For more information, call 716-614-5975.