Center for the Study of Art, Architecture, History and Nature

Center for the Study of Art, Architecture, History and Nature
Dennis Galucki, Founder
Chuck LaChiusa, Webmaster

Center for the Study of Art, Architecture, History and Nature
and
Buffalo and Erie County Downtown Public Library
Fall and Winter Lecture Series

The Center for the Study of Art, Architecture, History and Nature (C-SAAHN) is simply an Idea - an Idea to promote appreciation for the important roles of Art, Architecture, History and Nature in our lives both individually and collectively. Our geographic focus is the Buffalo-Niagara Region, but this Idea could apply to any city or region.

The Idea has been developed in presentations as a docent at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Arts in Education Institute, Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, Buffalo Harbor Landmark Cruise, Buffalo State College Newman Center, Buffalo Tours, Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin Martin House Complex, Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier (now Preservation Buffalo Niagara) City Hall Tours. And, it was further developed as a Special Studies program at the Chautauqua Institution in 2006 and 2007, "Imagining Buffalo in the 21st Century: The Buffalo-Chautauqua Idea."

Our vision and goals include:

Providing a meaningful lifelong learning experience for area students, residents, visitors and tourists using web sites, tours, lectures, and signage
Encouraging other organizations - public, private and not-for-profit - to view Buffalo and the Niagara Region as an international destination for Art, Architecture, History and Nature
Enhancing appreciation of Frank Lloyd's Wright's works in our region
Developing and implementing the Buffalo-Chautauqua Idea

Logo at right: Mural in Buffalo Savings Bank / M&T Bank Branch

Recent Articles Reflecting the Mission and Vision of the Center

Eight Ideas

The Buffalo-Chautauqua Idea

Chautauqua was founded in 1874 and has evolved around four pillars - Art, Education, Religion, and Recreation. Buffalo, N.Y., was incorporated as a city in 1832 and has evolved around various pillars. For instance, built in 1876 the Old Erie County Building has four statues on its tower representing Mechanical Arts, Commerce, Agriculture and Justice. The former Goldome Building has four interior pillars, painted in the late 1920s, with the depictions of Art, Power, Commerce and Industry.

Recognizing the definition of art as "human creativity, skill, and any craft or profession" (the first four definitions in Webster's New World Dictionary), the Buffalo-Chautauqua idea invites Buffalo to see itself rooted in Art, Architecture, History and Nature in connecting itself philosophically with Chautauqua in the the 21st century.

The Landmark Cruise

The Landmark Cruise is an extension of the idea offered as a special studies course at Chautauqua Institution in 2006 and 2007.

The Center for the Study of Art, Architecture, History and Nature sponsors a weekly Landmark Cruise on the Miss Buffalo II every Wednesday at 3:00-5:00 p.m. during July and August in 2009 and 2010. Dennis Galucki will guide participants on a journey of the imagination while the captain takes the participants on an adventure out into Lake Erie, the Niagara River and the Black Rock channel. Using landmarks along the way, we begin to see our region as a 21st century international destination for art, architecture, history and nature.

Reservations suggested (some cruises sell out): 716.856.6696

The Art of Investing

Ideas must be invested in (with time and resources and energy) to become real. A discussion group led by Dennis Galucki meets every Monday during the 9-week season at Chautauqua Institution in the Smith Library. Times are listed in the Monday Chautauquan Daily newspaper. Four key topics of discussion:

1. Know thyself and what risk/reward you want.

2 Develop a strategy, philosophy, and disciplines to get what you want.

3 Become a lifelong student of the market.

4 Decide how to measure success and/or failure often - even daily.

See also: An example of these principles is described in the Buffalo Business First article by Allissa Kline, Nonprofit links sustainability to stock investment portfolio

See Buffalo as the international destination and railroad hub for New York City, Chicago and Toronto. How?

a. Promote high-speed rail to connect NYC and Chicago, not just Albany to Buffalo.
This will automatically include Albany to Buffalo as well as all the major Great Lakes cities and states, including Erie, PA; Cleveland, OH; Toledo, OH; Detroit, MI; and Gary, IN. Political support for this idea should be substantial if all these cities are included with NYC and Chicago.

See
George Pyle, Improved railroad service boosted October 8, 2009 , The Buffalo News
and
Paterson unveils plans for rail line October 7, 2009 , The Buffalo News
and
High Speed Rail Gets a Boost September 18, 2009, The Buffalo News
and
Buffalo Needs High Speed Rail Line from NYC to Chicago June 3, 2009 Letter to the Editor, The Buffalo News

Develop a Train Strategy to Ensure Rail Project, March 15, 2009 Letter to the Editor, The Buffalo News

b. Encourage on-train customs procedures to eliminate bridge waiting time -- making the train the easiest way to connect Toronto with Buffalo and all US points east and west.

See Senate Calls for Study of Border Procedures July 12, 2009. The Buffalo News

The Oldest Tree in Buffalo Celebration

Imagine rebuilding the Larkin Administration Building.

This project would add to Buffalo's appeal as an international art and architecture destination and a locale for restored Wright edifices; this project would add to the critical mass of Wright structures that are already attracting tourists and critics. The environs around the Larkin Administration site are being productively developed and the lot where the building stood is empty - for now. Wright's plans are also available. It is a manageable five-story brick building (approximately 150,000 sq. ft.) whose interior spaces may be readily adaptable to many creative and productive uses.

See the Newsweek article The Goodbye Swirl:The Guggenheim was Wright's last great building. What happened to the first?
and City should reconstruct Larkin Office Building, October 16, 2009. The Buffalo News

Buffalo-Niagara Landmark Signage Project

Classrooms + Culturals = Lifelong Learning Idea

Our community and region invest a great deal of money into education, K-12 and beyond, as well as our cultural institutions. The school experience by all accounts is enhanced when classrooms visit our cultural institutions especially when parents become chaperones. These institutions include the Albright-Knox, Darwin Martin House, Burchfield-Penney, Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo and Erie County Zoo, Museum of Science, Botanical Gardens and Historical Society - to name a few.

The goal of this idea is to get every student in our region into one cultural institution at least once a year.

The more that classes of students experience our cultural establishments the more we will build our future base of support for the cultural institutions and improve the educational experience for all today.

Niagara and Erie Counties, 1821-2021

Erie County was carved from Niagara County in 1821.

The goal of this idea is to encourage our region - including both counties - to creatively collaborate in becoming an international destination for art, architecture, history and nature.

Ideally, this would also include southern Ontario in an effort to create one international marketing and advertising strategy for the entire Niagara region. Celebrating the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the Peace of 1814 can become the stimulus for creating this cross-county and cross-country relationship.

See also Doug Draper, Creating a binational community
and
Binational Doors Open Niagara 2009

The community must prepare for the National Trust for Historic Preservation October 2011 Conferenece hosted by Preservation Buffalo Niagara

This event including the infrastructure preparation will go a long way in establishing Buffalo and our region as an international destination for art, architecture, history and nature.

See also Todd Mitchell, Let's strive to be like our sister city in Japan October 11, 2009 The Buffalo News

**Eight** **Ideas**
	The Buffalo-Chautauqua Idea Chautauqua was founded in 1874 and has evolved around four pillars - Art, Education, Religion, and Recreation. Buffalo, N.Y., was incorporated as a city in 1832 and has evolved around various pillars. For instance, built in 1876 the Old Erie County Building has four statues on its tower representing Mechanical Arts, Commerce, Agriculture and Justice. The former Goldome Building has four interior pillars, painted in the late 1920s, with the depictions of Art, Power, Commerce and Industry. Recognizing the definition of art as "human creativity, skill, and any craft or profession" (the first four definitions in Webster's New World Dictionary), the Buffalo-Chautauqua idea invites Buffalo to see itself rooted in Art, Architecture, History and Nature in connecting itself philosophically with Chautauqua in the the 21st century. The Landmark Cruise The Landmark Cruise is an extension of the idea offered as a special studies course at Chautauqua Institution in 2006 and 2007. The Center for the Study of Art, Architecture, History and Nature sponsors a weekly Landmark Cruise on the Miss Buffalo II every Wednesday at 3:00-5:00 p.m. during July and August in 2009 and 2010. Dennis Galucki will guide participants on a journey of the imagination while the captain takes the participants on an adventure out into Lake Erie, the Niagara River and the Black Rock channel. Using landmarks along the way, we begin to see our region as a 21st century international destination for art, architecture, history and nature. Reservations suggested (some cruises sell out): 716.856.6696 The Art of Investing Ideas must be invested in (with time and resources and energy) to become real. A discussion group led by Dennis Galucki meets every Monday during the 9-week season at Chautauqua Institution in the Smith Library. Times are listed in the Monday Chautauquan Daily newspaper. Four key topics of discussion: 1. Know thyself and what risk/reward you want. 2 Develop a strategy, philosophy, and disciplines to get what you want. 3 Become a lifelong student of the market. 4 Decide how to measure success and/or failure often - even daily. See also: An example of these principles is described in the Buffalo Business First article by Allissa Kline, Nonprofit links sustainability to stock investment portfolio
	See Buffalo as the international destination and railroad hub for New York City, Chicago and Toronto. How? a. Promote high-speed rail to connect NYC and Chicago, not just Albany to Buffalo. This will automatically include Albany to Buffalo as well as all the major Great Lakes cities and states, including Erie, PA; Cleveland, OH; Toledo, OH; Detroit, MI; and Gary, IN. Political support for this idea should be substantial if all these cities are included with NYC and Chicago. See George Pyle, Improved railroad service boosted October 8, 2009 , The Buffalo News and Paterson unveils plans for rail line October 7, 2009 , The Buffalo News and High Speed Rail Gets a Boost September 18, 2009, The Buffalo News and Buffalo Needs High Speed Rail Line from NYC to Chicago June 3, 2009 Letter to the Editor, The Buffalo News Develop a Train Strategy to Ensure Rail Project, March 15, 2009 Letter to the Editor, The Buffalo News b. Encourage on-train customs procedures to eliminate bridge waiting time -- making the train the easiest way to connect Toronto with Buffalo and all US points east and west. See Senate Calls for Study of Border Procedures July 12, 2009. The Buffalo News
	The Oldest Tree in Buffalo Celebration
	Imagine rebuilding the Larkin Administration Building. This project would add to Buffalo's appeal as an international art and architecture destination and a locale for restored Wright edifices; this project would add to the critical mass of Wright structures that are already attracting tourists and critics. The environs around the Larkin Administration site are being productively developed and the lot where the building stood is empty - for now. Wright's plans are also available. It is a manageable five-story brick building (approximately 150,000 sq. ft.) whose interior spaces may be readily adaptable to many creative and productive uses. See the Newsweek article The Goodbye Swirl:The Guggenheim was Wright's last great building. What happened to the first? and City should reconstruct Larkin Office Building, October 16, 2009. The Buffalo News
	Buffalo-Niagara Landmark Signage Project
	Classrooms + Culturals = Lifelong Learning Idea Our community and region invest a great deal of money into education, K-12 and beyond, as well as our cultural institutions. The school experience by all accounts is enhanced when classrooms visit our cultural institutions especially when parents become chaperones. These institutions include the Albright-Knox, Darwin Martin House, Burchfield-Penney, Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo and Erie County Zoo, Museum of Science, Botanical Gardens and Historical Society - to name a few. The goal of this idea is to get every student in our region into one cultural institution at least once a year. The more that classes of students experience our cultural establishments the more we will build our future base of support for the cultural institutions and improve the educational experience for all today.
	Niagara and Erie Counties, 1821-2021 Erie County was carved from Niagara County in 1821. The goal of this idea is to encourage our region - including both counties - to creatively collaborate in becoming an international destination for art, architecture, history and nature. Ideally, this would also include southern Ontario in an effort to create one international marketing and advertising strategy for the entire Niagara region. Celebrating the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the Peace of 1814 can become the stimulus for creating this cross-county and cross-country relationship. See also Doug Draper, Creating a binational community and Binational Doors Open Niagara 2009
	The community must prepare for the National Trust for Historic Preservation October 2011 Conferenece hosted by Preservation Buffalo Niagara This event including the infrastructure preparation will go a long way in establishing Buffalo and our region as an international destination for art, architecture, history and nature. See also Todd Mitchell, Let's strive to be like our sister city in Japan October 11, 2009 The Buffalo News

See also:

Other Ideas
Advancing Arts and Culture
Art Voice
Binational Tourism Alliance: Doors Open
Buffalo Grain Elevator Preserve
Buffalo History Web Sites
Buffalo Rising
Buffalo Visitors & Convention Bureau
Campaign for Greater Buffalo, History, Architecture and Culture
Community Foundation and Center
Downtown Public Library and Center
Niagara Cultural Tourism
Old Editions Book Shop and Café
Queen City in the 21st Century Buffalo's Comprehensive Plan adopted Feb. 7, 2006
Richardson Complex
Talking Leaves Books
The Buffalo News
Websites and Organizations That Describe Buffalo and the Niagara Frontier's Art, Architecture, History and Nature
WNED

Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago Architecture Foundation
Guggenenheim Museum
Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
Prairie Avenue Bookshop
Savannah College of Art and Design