Artpark & Company shares record-breaking results from 2022 season

Announces elections of officers at annual meeting

Artpark & Company on Tuesday announced its recently concluded 2022 season was “one of its strongest and programmatically rich” in recent history. Since May, 271 events/workshops and programs have served close to 150,000 visitors, a 156% increase from 2021. Artpark & Company also employed 362 staff, who, along with 74 volunteers, supported 967 artists and their touring teams throughout the season. The estimated economic impact is $10 million.

A video recap of the 2022 season can be viewed here.

President Sonia Clark and Vice President Dave Wedekindt shared the update with Artpark & Company’s board of directors at the organization’s annual meeting held at Park Country Club Oct. 12.

Also at the meeting, reelected officers were announced. Included are Joanne Bauer of Employer Services Corp. (retired) as chairwoman, Christopher Leardini as vice chairman, Vincent Agnello of Niagara University as secretary, and Stephen Turner of the Bonadio Group as treasurer.

The board also elected Don Boswell as a new member. He is retired president of WNED-TV & Radio, a PBS NPR affiliate in Buffalo and Toronto.

The board reelected the following directors: Agnello, Allison Appoloney, Bauer, Jason Brydges, Michael Hickey, Michael McInerney, Daniel Montante, Edward Perlman, Pamela Priest, Duncan Smith and Turner.

Elected to the advisory council for a one-year term: Steve Broderick, Alison Lytle, Thomas Brydges, Angelo Morinello, Daniel Cantara III, Robert Ortt, Terry Collesano, Sophia Smith, Thomas Fatta, Richard Soluri, Brian Geary, Lorie L. Washuta, Pamela Jacobs-Vogt, Anne Welch, Seymour Knox IV and Rebecca Wydysh.

The Artpark & Company board of directors and advisory council members can be viewed here.

Plasticiens Volants returned to Artpark. (Photo by Jordan Oscar)

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A press release noted, “Artpark’s 2022 programs featured a diversity of hyperlocal to global programs featuring acts from nearby Haudenosaunee territories, Buffalo’s artistic community, national stages and at least seven foreign countries (France, Canada, South Korea, Argentina, England, Ukraine, Georgia). Artpark’s 2022 program engaged a multitude of artistic disciplines ranging from pop, rock, folk, jazz and chamber music, opera, modern dance, outdoor/street theater, cirque, visual arts, digital media, among others.

“Programming included 21 rock and pop concerts in the amphitheater, 10 shows in the Mainstage Theater, three outdoor festivals and over 180 workshops, classes and performances on park grounds, including its Native American Peace Garden, the Gene Davis ‘Niagara 1979’ painted lot, Emerald Grove stage, Mainstage Theater terrace, and the Story-telling place.

‘The 2022 season saw a strong return of audience to events like Strawberry Moon Festival, ‘New Music in the Park’ series, Artpark Fairy House Festival, ‘Free Family Series,’ as well as returning artists like France’s Plasticiens Volants, Canada’s Cirque Barcode/Acting for Climate, Argentina’s JP Jofre, New York’s Lehrer Dance Co. and Tiffany Mills dance companies, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Buffalo Jazz Composers Workshop, Nusantara Arts (Buffalo Gamelan), and Buffalo’s The Brass Machine and Torn Space Theater. New discoveries for the program was the modern hip-hop dance company from France, Art Move Concept; Chicago’s Mucca Pazza; and Battement de Cirque from Montreal.

‘This summer saw an exciting return of opera to Artpark conducted by Boston Modern Orchestra Project’s Gil Rose with a cast of outstanding vocalists: Danielle Talamantes, Janna Baty, Dominick Chenes and Michael Chioldi, featuring the full Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and 200 guests seated on stage for this experience.

“Artpark’s season also featured free mobile app experience entitled ‘Sonic Trails,’ the restoration of the Bower installation, and the continued recognition for bringing awareness to our Indigenous programming and praise for our ‘Artpark Bridges’ workshops that continually serve our WNY friends with diverse abilities and backgrounds to give them a sense of empowerment to give them the confidence to showcase their talents and abilities in unique and creative ways.

“The Western New York community was also generous in helping the nonprofit Artpark & Company build back from the devastation of the pandemic. There were 500 new donors, board giving increased by 12%, and nine new program grants were received.”

Artpark & Company’s season was also supported by M&T Bank, Cullen Foundation, Labatt Blue Light, Bud Light, Southern Tier Brewing, Try-It Distributing, New York State Council on the Arts, Park & Trails New York, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Northtown Automotive Companies, Ticketmaster, the Garman Family Foundation, Evergreen Health, the Charles D. and Mary A. Bauer Foundation, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and corporate, foundation and individual donors.

More information on Artpark and its activities is available here.

Gil Rose and the BPO brought opera to Artpark. (Photo by Jordan Oscar)