Buffalo, NY – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today toured the Buffalo Artspace Lofts. The visit underscored Senator Clinton’s long support for this innovative project and other efforts to promote the arts and enrich the cultural life of communities across New York. Senator Clinton has been an advocate for using artistic and cultural projects to spur economic development and urban revitalization in Buffalo and other communities.

In Senator Clinton’s first term in the Senate, she helped the City of Buffalo launch its collaboration with Artspace Projects – the nation's leading nonprofit real estate developer for the arts – to create a viable living and working space for Buffalo artists in and around the historic Breitweiser Building on Main Street. Artspace had worked in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for 25 years, but was expanding to partner with more than 500 groups nationwide. Senator Clinton introduced the organization to Buffalo and its great potential for cultural and economic development and helped secure funding and tax credits that made the project possible. The Buffalo Lofts project aimed to bring new life and activity to this section of Buffalo and further enhance the city’s reputation as a home for creative arts.

In 2004, Senator Clinton toured the future site of the Artspace Lofts and then in 2005, she joined Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello at a ceremony marking the formal launch of the Buffalo Artspace project. Senator Clinton continued to work with local officials to support the project as it progressed and in May of this year was proud to welcome the Inaugural Resident Exhibition, “Unpacking Artspace.” In June, Senator Clinton hailed the official grand opening of the Artspace Lofts.

“The Lofts provide a unique place where our local artists can live, work, exhibit and conduct business in an environment that fosters their creativity and provides an outlet for their professional growth,” Senator Clinton said in June. “This is yet another step forward for Buffalo’s flourishing artistic community, and one that is sure to continue the role Artspace has played in the cultural and economic growth of the City. The partnership between the public and private sectors has helped inject creativity and culture into a resurgent city that has embraced these artists and their desire to show the world what New York and Buffalo have to offer.”

Buffalo Artspace is one of numerous cultural development projects Senator Clinton has supported in Buffalo and across New York. In 2007, she worked to secure funds to build the City of Buffalo’s Urban Arts Center, to be located in the historic Michigan Avenue Cultural Corridor. This new development will provide a much needed space for local cultural organizations, including the African American Cultural Center, the Langston Hughes Institute, Ujima Theater Company, and Buffalo Inner City Ballet.

Building on the success of the Buffalo Artspace project, Senator Clinton is working to bring another Artspace development to Patchogue, NY on Long Island and continues to support cultural development projects across the state.

 

 

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