With the 11th Buffalo Infringement Festival two weeks away, performers, managers and supporters were in Asbury Hall Tuesday night to talk about the event.
The festival features 90 showcases of music and art and 50 outdoor group shows over 11 days around the city and in Allentown.
There are so many parts of the Infringement in so many places, that artwork on the restaurant wall may be part of the event and for sale.
"We try to fit them in galleries where they might not have a show," explained Amy Duengfelder who is one of the visual arts coordinators.
"Some places like cafes, give us wall art, which is really nice. Some galleries donate. And, we kind of try to fit the artist to the gallery and make it appropriate. Like if it's nudity, we can't put it in a cafe."
Duengfelder says if an art object is for sale, it can't be taken away until the event ends.
The festival says it features experimental, controversial and anti-establishment artwork of all forms. As it has grown, entrants are starting to come from a wider area, including performers from Toronto.
Since this is the fringe, there were some unusual displays, like John Vines from the Subversive Theatre cast of Ionesco's Rhinoceros, showing how a human body can twist into a rhinoceros. There was music and a conversation about theater. Music Coordinator Curt Rodderdam says there is a real effort to include all kinds of music in the shows.
"It's an open thing so if people apply, they can be a part of it and that's all that matters. We do have hip hop shows and multicultural shows involved. We have a worldbeat expo happening here, downstairs in the Hallwalls screening room. We have a worldbeat music show. We have one of those in Day's Park," Rotterdam said.
The Infringement Festival runs from July 23 to August 2. More information is available here.
