Flight Gallery opens with artwork by Ashley Johnson on Dec. 8
The taproom inside Flying Bison Brewery just gained a new tenant, Flight Gallery. The space, a 13-foot-wide wall within the brewery's taproom, will be home to a rotating small-scale collection of work by local artists.
"Flight Gallery is a mini-gallery located inside Flying Bison," owner Parrish Gibbons Herzog said. "We aim to make art accessible to a wider audience, while showcasing the talent of our local Buffalo artists. Like with beer, visitors can now enjoy a sample of what our art community has to offer."
Herzog has been working alongside Flying Bison staff since 2007, when she and her husband, Flying Bison brewer Colin Herzog, moved back to the area to support their family brewery. Tim Herzog, her father-in-law, opened the brewery in 2000.
The name "Flight Gallery" pulls from Flying Bison's love for aviation, and the concept of "beer flights" in which one samples craft beer.
"Flying Bison is a big part of our life, and to have a project that combines my love for the arts and craft beer under one roof is very special to me," Herzog said.
Since moving to the area, she has also worked for arts organizations including Starlight Studio and Art Gallery, Arts Services Initiative of WNY and the Kenan Center.
The first exhibition will launch Saturday, Dec. 8, with artist Ashley Johnson, who will showcase her series titled #buffalove.
"#buffalove started last winter as a diversion from the 'IN FLUX' series. I was pumping out a lot of work and wasn't feeling very inspired at the time, so looking to different Buffalo landmarks for inspiration was a way for me to keep the creativity flowing without as much pressure," Johnson said. "This is the first time I'm showing this work in a gallery setting, and I'm very excited!"
Johnson (
@aej.create on Instagram) is a visual artist working at Exchange Studios in downtown Buffalo. She works with ceramics, collage and photography, but expresses her creativity most through stippled ink drawings and large-scale ink paintings.
The grand opening is free and family-friendly, and will take place from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, following the Flying Bison Holiday Artisan Market.
