Buffalo Presidential Center secures grant (not the president)

$5,000 grant will boost programming; center to reopen April 24

The Buffalo Presidential Center was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Pomeroy Fund for NYS History, a partnership between the William G. Pomeroy Foundation and the Museum Association of New York. The center was one of 14 history-related organizations to secure a grant out of 167 applicants in the highly competitive process. It will use the funding to create an educational space within the museum with media technology, chairs, tables, a speaker's podium, and presentation easels to equip the museum for programming for adult and youth audiences.

Linda C. Brigance, Ph.D., president of the center’s board of trustees, said," A lot of Western New Yorkers don't know that we have more connections to the U.S. presidency than any city except Washington, D.C. Our goal is to share these unique stories so that everyone who visits the museum or attends one of our programs walks away saying, 'I didn't know that!’ Our new exhibition, research and programming space has something to offer audiences of all ages, and we are eager to share it with the entire community.”

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said, “The Buffalo Presidential Center is a rich repository of presidential materials, highlighting the many connections Buffalo and Erie County have to the U.S. presidency and bringing to life the historical men and women who began their political life here or whose political careers brought them here at some point. This grant will help the center expand its programming so that many more people can discover the special relationship that our city has had with so many of our presidents. We are celebrating our bicentennial in Erie County this year, so it’s the perfect time to get acquainted with our history.”

The venue will reopen to the public on Saturday, April 24, and will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. every Saturday

The Buffalo Presidential Center moved into a new, permanent home at the Downtown Central Library in Buffalo last November, showcasing selections from an extensive collection of more than 10,000 political artifacts in the 1,700-square-foot space. The need for a permanent space saw added urgency when an extensive collection of political artifacts was bequeathed to the site by the family of the late Elwin “Rich” Richardson of Kirkville in 2014. This collection includes thousands of campaign and memorabilia items ranging from official campaign products to rare examples of folk art.

The Buffalo Presidential Center was formed approximately 10 years ago by a small group of people led by attorney Maryann Saccomando Freeman and former Erie County Legislator Joan Bozer to encourage the study, exploration, interpretation and public awareness of Buffalo and Western New York’s historic and contemporary contributions to the U.S. presidency and national affairs. Since 2010, the center has presented 12-15 programs annually, including speakers’ series, panel discussions, historical reenactments and exhibitions.