Buffalo, NY — From the Vault: Staff Selections from the Collection offers a glimpse into the personal connections and perspectives of the UB Art Galleries team. This exhibition showcases a curated selection of artwork chosen not by a single curator, but by every member of the staff—gallery attendants, installers, maintenance workers, interns, and more. Each selection reflects the individuals behind the scenes, revealing the wide-ranging ways in which art resonates and inspires.
From the familiar faces who greet visitors at the door to the dedicated staff who care for the collection, manage finances, and work with students, this exhibition celebrates the people who bring UB Art Galleries to life every day. Through their eyes, we see the collection in a new light. This exhibition also celebrates the 25th anniversary of UB Art Galleries by exploring the breadth of the collection. International and regional artists featured in this exhibition include Antoni Tàpies, Louise Nevelson, Clayton Pond, Virginia Cuthbert-Elliott, Claes Oldenburg, Bonnie Gordon, Charlie Clough, Elizabeth Murray, Patricia Layman Bazelon, and many others. From the Vault invites you to experience the gallery not just as a space for art, but as a community of passionate individuals with expertise, stories, and perspectives to share.
Celebrating 25 Years of UB Art Galleries
In 2025, the University at Buffalo Art Galleries marks its 25th anniversary—a milestone that invites reflection on the evolution and breadth of our permanent collection. This yearlong celebration honors a foundational moment in 2000, when David K. Anderson made a transformative gift to the university: the Anderson Gallery building, a significant collection of modern and contemporary art, and the Martha Jackson Gallery Archives. This pivotal donation, together with the merging of the Center for the Arts Gallery, laid the groundwork for what is now UB Art Galleries.
Since then, the UB Art Galleries Collection has grown into a dynamic resource encompassing post–World War II American art, expansive holdings in modern and contemporary prints, drawings, and photographs, and selected ethnographic works. These collections and archives serve as active sites of research and inquiry, regularly engaged by students, faculty, and scholars, and are featured in exhibitions around the world.
Throughout 2025, UB Art Galleries will spotlight the richness of its holdings through a variety of formats—exhibitions, publications, digital features, and public programs—offering new opportunities to explore the depth and resonance of our collections. This anniversary year underscores our commitment to advancing art as both inquiry and creative practice, and to supporting ideas that are urgent and relevant to our time and place.
Image:
Curtis Robinson, The Anderson Gallery (detail), 1992. Oil on canvas, 30 1/8 x 83 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
For high-resolution images and further information, please contact Emily Reynolds at eereynol@buffalo.edu.
About UB Art Galleries
The University at Buffalo Art Galleries’ mission is to support art and ideas that are urgent and relevant to our time and place. A unique art museum with locations in the Center for the Arts and UB Anderson Gallery, UB Art Galleries presents year-round exhibitions, providing students and the broader community access to thought-provoking art, visiting artists, and stimulating educational programs. With a growing collection and archives, UB Art Galleries provides experiential learning opportunities for students, faculty, and researchers. Learn more about how UB Art Galleries advances art as both inquiry and creative practice available to everyone at ubartgalleries.buffalo.edu.