Opening today at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, the exhibition "Before and After Again" is dedicated to the victims of May 14, 2022, their families, and the still-suffering community. Sixteen months in the making, it features the paintings of Julia Bottoms, the poetry of Jillian Hanesworth, and the prose of Tiffany Gaines, with the collaboration of the AKG's Curator of Public Art, Aaron Ott.
"This space is really meant to be a dialogic space for our whole community, a space where they can be in dialogue with these artists. Or even in dialogue with themselves," Ott told WBFO. Bottoms was commissioned for 22 paintings for the exhibition while Hanesworth penned 12 new poems.
"We wanted people to recognize that these three artists are bringing their voice to the public, but it's not a definitive voice," Ott said.
As part of the museum's redesign, it was decided that parts of the complex could be accessed free of charge. Those spaces include the sparkling Town Square and the M&T Gallery where "Before and After Again" will be on display through September 30. Ott hopes that it encourages community members to visit multiple times.
"If people come here and they share their stories, they share their grieving, they will naturally be sharing healing," Ott said. "If we can come together and create a space for that then I think we've done our job."
