University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Rebecca Farnham is the founder and curator of the Gallery. Jim Bisco’s vinyl record collection is the subject of the March Gallery. Photo: DOUGLAS LEVERE

• Print

• Comments

By ANN WHITCHER-GENTZKE

Published: March 17, 2010

Each month, members of the University Communications (UC) staff in 330 Crofts Hall look forward to unique showings of “the Gallery,” an ongoing series of employee-based exhibits curated by Rebecca Farnham, UC art director.

In the two and a half years since Farnham established the Gallery, 28 individual shows have highlighted a wide range of employee interests, collections, talents or universal themes that everyone can embrace. A show of prom photos, for instance, covered several eras of teens’ formal attire, while an exhibition of mothers’ photos proved a sentimental favorite in May 2008.

“Predominately, we’ve done photography, although we have been trying to branch out,” says Farnham. “We’ve done some collectives, like the prom photos, or photos of people when they were kids during the holidays. I especially like those kinds of exhibits because they get more people involved.”

The Gallery began, quite simply, to fill a physical void. “That huge blank wall in the office used to drive me crazy,” Farnham says. “Originally, the frames were bought to showcase our UC work, but nobody could agree what to put in the frames, so they sat in a corner gathering dust. We’re a creative office, so I felt the idea of the Gallery was fulfilling two needs: filling the blank wall with something interesting and making it a way for us to interact with colleagues.”

Gallery exhibits are usually not work-based, although Farnham did organize last year’s show commemorating the 40th anniversary of the UB Reporter. While photography is the most accessible art form for potential exhibitors, Farnham also pursues employee collections because they say so much about the person and also possess inherent interest. One show featured the pottery collection of Lois Baker, senior health sciences editor, while the current show, “Grooving at Club 330,” showcases the vinyl record collection of Jim Bisco, UC senior writer. In such cases, Farnham explains, “I help by photographing or scanning the object. In Jim’s case, the show isn’t about photos he may have taken, but rather about the collection he loves and maintains.”

Bisco says his show came about at Farnham’s request. “Being a writer, I never thought I had anything to show. But Becky asked me about the records and said, ‘Why don’t we do an exhibit?’ I had a variety of these vinyl records—the Beatles, Bob Dylan, James Brown, Broadway shows. My presentation at the opening was mainly talking about how I got involved in collecting albums and the evolution of record albums through the years. We played some examples of the music. Becky also presented and brought in some of her own records and examples of album cover art, plus her vintage record-player.”

“Sometimes it has a more serious bent, sometime it’s for fun,” adds Farnham. “And the more you do it, the more you have to dig to make it different. That’s part of what I do, to figure out the balance.”

Farnham mounts each show with a set of nine frames, “which are now falling apart.” The standardized format allows her to quickly and efficiently put together each show, however. She works with each exhibitor to choose pieces to be presented, collaborates on the exhibit legend, then sends out a PDF invitation to employees so they can mark their calendars. Each opening usually lasts 30 to 45 minutes, while the show remains on view for employees and visitors to enjoy until it’s time for the next exhibit.

Typically, each exhibitor prepares light refreshments for the opening. These, too, are meant to correspond with the exhibit theme. For instance, UC Creative Director Al Kegler held a show of figures he’d photographed from a vintage hockey tabletop game to coincide with the Buffalo Sabres’ rise earlier this season. At the opening, employees enjoyed soft pretzels with mustard, popcorn, peanuts and other hockey-related snacks.

As with other Gallery openings, this show was interactive and fun—attendees even held a tournament on the hockey tabletop game and prizes were awarded. When Reanna Kaopuiki, UC project manager, held a show of her striking mushroom photographs, she prepared intriguing fungus-type food for her colleagues to sample. “We also had a video,” Farnham recalls. “If we can add other components to make it more interesting and more fun, we do.”

In addition to aesthetic interest and appeal, the Gallery’s biggest benefit is the camaraderie it brings, UC employees agree. “It’s a fun get-together,” says Bisco. “The whole thing is really nice and something to look forward to each month.”

The next Gallery show, by UC designer Robert Wilder, will focus on collectible bubble gum trading cards from the 1960s.