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“What’s in my bag?” @joel.brenden took some time this afternoon to walk us through his “bag” - the things that excite him, catch his eye, and inform his experience.
Joel’s experience in graphic design, typography and book-making were the focus of this micro lecture. He shared collected ephemera from Buffalo and beyond, discussing elements that stand out or are remarkable within the larger conversation of design. As Joel pointed out, choices are made every step - even the choice to “not decide” affects the end result.
As Joel put it “Graphic design starts with the printing press” and each process brings a different layer of information to the story.
Joel brings technical understanding and explanation of process and implementation of method and intent.
Every bit, from book, cassette tape, or band merch carries history and information - think of it as a different way to read.
#buffaloart #BuffaloArtists #bookart #graphicdesign #typography

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Analog patterns sprayed, scanned, and turned into digital backgrounds!
Our student Makena St. George made these in ART317: Intro to Graphic Design, taught by our Faculty member Joel Brenden, who wanted the students to experience having a hand in making digital design source imagery, rather than defaulting to open source images online.

These textures and palettes are 🤌🏻🤌🏼🤌🏽🤌🏾🤌🏿

#UBuffalo #UBArtsy #ArtSchool #GraphicDesign #SprayPaint

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Yahoo, WooHoo, Hooray! We gathered people and garbage galore a few weeks ago, then we clinked glasses over at @fitz_books_and_waffles to hear more about the evolution of @alexisoltmer’s ecoart practice in the last 10 years over.
More stories about all 100+ LBS of trash (and some treasures) we found coming soon -— Big thank you 🙌 to one of our fav Buffalo orgs the @thetoollibrary for lending us these Pick-er-uppers! (officially titled Trash Grabbers in their inventory).
Thanks to the new and old friends that joined in!
📸
Pics by:
@greyfloral
Jane Bergmann
@space_and_shape
@alexisoltmer
@avye

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the process of making a zine in community

learning, sharing, reflecting on an issue together by talking with organizers involved @pushbuffalo @janayia_10 @leejay____ @ppgbuffalo @buffalodsa

making art together to process & package our thoughts

working with an artist & designer to consider how to share our reflections & info with others @space_and_shape

the slow reality of doing it all while juggling our busy, demanding lives and times

sharing the results

I learned so much at heARTburn this year - this was just one of so many lessons & experiences that I’m ever grateful for

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One of the zines we made together at heARTburn was this creative response to a few sessions we held learning about the Good Cause Eviction Law with the Good Cause Coalition.

We learned about the issue from the Good Cause Coalition, then discussed and made art about what we learned.

@space_and_shape and I took the group’s creations and organized them and finalized the content. Then he designed the zine - making it unique in format & design, and cohesive. Ever-impressed by this superpower of his!

The gist of the zine: You can be evicted in Buffalo FOR NO REASON and it doesn’t have to be this way. The Buffalo Common Council can opt-in to the Good Cause Law, like 15 other municipalities have already done in NY state.

Get a copy of the zine tomorrow (Tues) at heARTburn or stop by @burningbooks to get a copy sometime.

Learn more about the issue by following @ppgbuffalo @pushbuffalo and @buffalodsa

Looking forward to making more zines in community. Join us this Tuesday from 7:15-8:45 at Burning Books!

*Side-note: some of the collage imagery used in the zine comes from the Central Library’s Special Collections digital archive- in particular a 1956 report “Good housing for good neighbors” in the Buffalo Municipal Housing authority collection. Special shoutout to Rare Book Curator Heather Gring for showing me the wonders of the Grosvenor Room & website!

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On Friday, we welcomed old friend Max Goldfarb back to the studio for another visit and a bit of work together. It’s always nice to have Max around. He has supported PS by offering his work for publication, and often his own labor, going all the way back to our art show “Correspondance” back in 2014. He just showed up, and has since.

On Friday, we did some collation on his new artist book called THE SHIPWRECK ARCHETYPE. The book is archival sources, artworks, and essays. We have made several books with Max, and they always stand out for being utterly original, materially daring, and layered. He has also allowed us to work with some outstanding book designers such as Chris Lee and Ilona Gaynor. And, this time around, Joel Brenden. Thank you Max and readers. More on #theshipwreckarchetype very soon!

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Alumnus Alexis Oltmer, BA in Studio Art (2014), is leading programs this weekend through “Gatheringspace” a multipurpose art studio run by UB MFA Alumni Joel Brenden (MFA 2008) and Avye Alexandres (MFA 2016).

Both events are on Saturday, September 19, 2026.

Beach cleanup + art materials hunt, 3pm-5pm (RSVP req’d).
Location will be disclosed upon signup. (within short drive of Buffalo) Free. Sign up at gatheringspace.art

Artist presentation + community convo, 6pm at Fitz Books, 1462 Main St.

These events precede a unique workshop Gatheringspace will offer with Alexis in 2027, stay tuned!

Slides reposted from @gatheringspace.art

@alexisoltmer @space_and_shape @avye @fitz_books_and_waffles

This project is supported by the Generator Fund. - grant for artists administered by the @bica.buffalo and funded by the @warholfoundation

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6pm, this Saturday Sept 19th @fitz_books_and_waffles Artist Talk with Alexis Oltmer, continued by a community conversation about art activism, environmental concerns, civic actions and so on! Join us you fine citizen.
#buffalony #ecoartist #greatlakes #artprocess #artisttalk Poster for Artist talk on September 19th at Fitz books in Buffalo New York.

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what’s up shabby dolls! the wait is finally over ☺️ our three new books are out now! HOTLINERS by @jlpirtle, NEW DARK by @mbookin & TURN TO THE STARS by @susi.celestial ✨ all edited by @lucykshaw & the incredible @kris10felicetti. we can’t wait for you to read these books! go to shabbydollhouse.com to order & find out more! tour starts october 1st, see you there! 💖

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What’s your formative moment(s) on lake Erie?
#buffaloNY #beach #ecoartist

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Meet Alexis! (before you meet Alexis!)

Alexis Oltmer (b.1990) was born in Endicott, NY, a post-industrial river valley town with a history of labor, dissent and natural wonder. This environment deeply influenced Oltmer’s understanding of the complex interrelationship between “humans” and “nature.” Growing up on protected wetlands adjacent to a state highway provided early insight to our capitalist culture and the wonder of natural systems.

Oltmer’s work recontextualizes relationships between the individual and the environment. Her work highlights current patterns of late-stage capitalism, and the urgent implications of our current moment. Motivated by lived experience, she studies systems and their unfolding phenomena. By visualizing these studies, resulting bodies of work become portraits of occurrence, which provide an entry point for community discussion and engagement.

Oltmer obtained her BA in photography from the University at Buffalo and MFA from The Pennsylvania State University. Alexis’s work is currently on view until November 2026 at The American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA, LA) exhibition Fractured Foundations: 250 Years of American History, and her new work Our Contemporary Landscape is on view from September 10–December 3 at the UnSmoke Art Space in Braddock, PA

She is founder of Pittsburgh Coexistence @pghcoexist an art collective based in Pittsburgh, PA.

(Full bio on our website)
==
Our event led by Alexis “Gathering Along the Shore: beach cleanup and art activism conversation” is open to anyone!
(kiddos welcome too, we suggest 7yo+)
September 19th
See 👉️ Link in Bio
and
RSVP 🔜 ✨️

#ecoartist #buffalony

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