Public Art - Table of Contents

M&T Branch Bank / Shakti Yoga /  "Ganesha" mural
133 Grant Street, Buffalo, NY

Built:

1923

Architect:

Bley & Lyman

Style:

Commercial Neoclassical (Temple front)

This building is modeled after the 1913 M&T central bank in downtown Buffalo.

Although this building is a Classical style building,
Duane Lyman was one of Buffalo's most important mid-century architects who designed a number of noteworthy Art Deco and Modern style commercial buildings.

A further connection with M&T is that Lyman was the local architect for
M&T's central bank (Postmodern style) which was designed primarily by Minoru Yamasaki, at the same time Yamasaki was designing the World Trade Center in NYC.

2008 photos


Grant at Boyd   ...   Commercial Neoclassical (Tetrastyle Temple front)   ...   Side elevation: Tuscan pilasters



Tetrastyle temple front


Pediment ornamented with dentilated molding   ...   Ionic Columns



Ionic column
Capital and fluted shaft



Right:  Overhanging cornice with  paired supprting ancones  and
block modillions beneath 



Coffered  soffit






Cornice   ...   Bock modillions   ...   Ancones

2008 photos above





Partial reprint

Ganesha is brought to life at Shakti
By  Queenseyes
Buffalo Rising, August 16, 2019

Shakti Yoga
has a new mural featured on its host building on Grant Street. The legit mural by artists Ian de Beer and Liz Ives features the Indian god Ganesha. According to Wikipedia, “Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha’s elephant head makes him easy to identify. Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom. As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rites and ceremonies. Ganesha is also invoked as patron of letters and learning during writing sessions.”

The new work of art is located at 133 Grant Street, which is formerly home to M&T Bank – the owner of Shakti, Master Yogi Michelle Gigante, purchased the building a decade ago, with the intention of transforming the 3,000 square foot edifice into a mecca for yoga and healing services. Not only has she succeeded in that endeavor, Gigante also helped to pave the way for others to find their own journeys along Grant Street – she was an early small business pioneer in the district, who not only purchased the building, and restored it, she also hoisted a flag that signaled that the time was right to start investing in a street that could use some energy, life, and love.




October 29, 2019 photos








Shakti:  the primordial cosmic energy






  Ganesha pronunciation:  ga NAY sha   ...   Ganesha:  elephant-headed Hindu god of wisdom  ...  
  Also  worshipped by Buddhists    ... Parvati, his mother,  posted Ganesha on guard duty at the door  - hence the ax.    ...   Shiva, his father,  beheaded him when Ganesha came between Shiva and Parvati. Shiva then replaced Ganesha's original head with that of an elephant.



Elephant head, big belly, broken tusk, and four arms   ...    Sampling a delicacy with his trunk   ...  Lotus flower  




Here  depicted dancing  ...   Mouse vahana (a deity's mount or vehicle for traveling)



Artists Ian de Beer and Liz Ives






Photos and their arrangement © 2008, 2019 Chuck LaChiusa
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