ECHDC announces new sculpture on Buffalo's Outer Harbor

Buffalo artist Kevin Kegler’s ‘Start Over Again’ installed as permanent waterfront exhibit

Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. Press Release and Graphic

The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. announced the unveiling of a new permanent sculpture at the Buffalo Outer Harbor. The piece, which is called “Start Over Again,” has been installed on the Greenway Nature Trail next to the Bell Slip (see map here). The five orange and steel chairs represent the waterfront’s latest piece of public art and is sure to create many Instagrammable moments. The sculpture was designed by Buffalo artist Kevin Kegler and fabricated by Nickel City Metal Works.

“ECHDC believes in the power of freely accessible public art to create memorable experiences and add a uniqueness to our community. A new sculpture on the Outer Harbor invites visitors to have a seat by the waterfront and contemplate the beautiful view,” ECHDC Board Chair Joan Kesner said. “The latest prominent sculpture will further add to Gov. Hochul’s well-thought-out investments on the Outer Harbor, which is growing in popularity thanks to the recent opening of the Terminal B event space.”

ECHDC funded the sculpture project, which consists of five brightly colored chairs made of steel and wood. Kegler designed the sculpture to encourage visitors to sit, engage, and relate to each other in unique ways. The artwork, which is owned by ECHDC, will remain on display this fall, be stored over the winter, and brought back each spring.

Kegler has been an active studio artist exhibiting sculpture, paintings and prints throughout Western New York, nationally and internationally. He recently retired as a professor in the visual and performing arts department at Daemen University in Amherst, where he directed the sculpture and graphic design programs. His course work was focused on sculpture and visual communication, and he has taught courses in London, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.

Kegler said, “This sculpture utilizes the common forms of chairs as a means to play with reality. Altering the scale and relationship of these forms invites the audience to consider how we engage with this familiar object in a new way. This interactive sculpture gives visitors the opportunity to shift the physical as well as inner relationships we experience in our daily lives.”

The “Start Over Again” sculpture was fabricated at Nickel City Metal Works, a Buffalo company owned and operated by Angelo Palmieri. Palmieri started his Ramsdell Avenue business in 2016 and specializes in the fabrication of furniture.

Resource Art is ECHDC’s art consultant and is curating this public art project. It will be organizing a celebration at the artwork site, tentatively scheduled for Aug. 25, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with free hands-on art making activities in partnership with ASI, as well as refreshments and healthy snacks. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged here.

Visitors are encouraged to explore other popular waterfront art pieces, including “Round Man,” a sculpture also located on the Outer Harbor that is currently on loan from the Griffis Sculpture Park. Visitors can also head over to Canalside to check in on the iconic “Shark Girl” sculpture, which was created by artist Casey Riordan, and the oversized “BUF” letters painted by local Western New York artist Nicole Cherry. Both are popular places to take selfies.

For the latest updates to the waterfront schedule, visit https://buffalowaterfront.com.

Mayor Byron Brown said, “Some of the world’s most outstanding talent is right here in Western New York, and the installation of Buffalo artist Kevin Kegler’s sculpture on the Outer Harbor is another win-win for our waterfront and our community. As we work to continue to make Buffalo a more culturally vibrant and inclusive city, I thank Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. for their continued partnership to further expand the presence of public art in Buffalo, and along our beautiful waterfront, for everyone to enjoy.”

Sen. Sean Ryan said, " 'Start Over Again' is a unique addition to the ever-growing collection of public art in Buffalo. Sculptures like this bring people out to the waterfront and make an already beautiful public greenspace even more appealing to visitors."

Assembly member Jon D. Rivera said, “The addition of the ‘Start Over Again’ sculpture to the Outer Harbor, created by local artists, encapsulates the metamorphosis that the area has undergone through the last decade. It has been transformed from a series of derelict brownfields into a publicly accessible greenspace that connects our city’s residents to our region’s most treasured natural asset: our waterfront. This is a piece that invites residents to reflect on how far we’ve come as a region, and as a result of new improvements and investments made by Gov. Hochul and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp., it’s impossible not to be optimistic about our future.”

For more information on ECHDC, visit www.eriecanalharbor.com.