In 1962 the private University of Buffalo merged with the State University of New York system. Governor Nelson Rockefeller provided generous State support that enabled UB to hire an ensemble of progressive and innovative artists from across the artistic discipline. Irving Feldman, a recipient of a National Institute of Arts and Letters award, as well as fellowships from the American Academy of American Poets and The MacArthur Foundation, joined UB’s faculty in 1964. By 1967 UB’s English Department was a well-established and renowned center for literary scholarship and creativity in poetry.
Recommended by his friend Irving Feldman, Robert De Niro, Sr. was among the recruited “star” artists. 1967 was the first of six summers he taught at UB, which provided the opportunity for him to complete a series of paintings that responded dramatically to the light and color of Buffalo’s landscapes. Several works in the exhibition are from Buffalo collections, including the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
A celebration of this moment reveals 1967 and 1968 were years when UB and Buffalo directed artist geography and initiated the significant artistic roles they continue to play today.
The exhibition includes work from both, alongside additional material from the collections of the Burchfield Penney Art Center and the UB Poetry Collection. This exhibition was organized by UB Art Galleries Director Sandra Olsen with the help of Feldman, who matched his poetry with De Niro's work.