Buffalo, NY – The Albright-Knox Art Gallery will hold a series of public conversations over the coming weeks in which community members are invited to share thoughts and ideas for the museum's growth and development. At the museum's annual meeting in early October, AK Board President Tom Hyde noted that "campus development is no longer an option; it is a necessity."

In a series of presentations to AK Members on Monday, October 27, and Tuesday, October 28, Peggy Pierce Elfvin Director Dr. Janne Sirén highlighted the museum's urgent need for restoration and renovation of its existing buildings and the addition of more space to exhibit a Collection that has grown significantly in recent years and now contains more than 6,700 works. Sirén said, "At this point, we know we are in dire need of more space to accommodate a Collection that is a national treasure. In fact, the AK has not added prime exhibition space in more than fifty years. We also need to invest in the renovation of the buildings we have. We cannot allow them to fall into benign neglect."

The entire community is encouraged to participate in the public conversations, which will take place throughout the area:

Public Meeting 1 
Wednesday, November 5, 2014, 6–8 pm 
Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, New York 14201

Public Meeting 2 
Friday, November 14, 2014, 6–8 pm 
Buffalo Academy for Visual & Performing Arts, 450 Masten Avenue, Buffalo, New York 14209

Public Meeting 3 
Tuesday, November 18, 2014, 6–8 pm
The Park School, Rich Family Activity Center, 4625 Harlem Road, Snyder, New York 14226

Public Meeting 4 
Monday, December 1, 2014, 6–8 pm 
West Middle School, 395 Center Road, West Seneca, New York 14224

Sirén spoke about the museum's desire to include feedback and ideas from the public in its plans for the future, saying, "The purpose of these meetings is to have a meaningful dialogue with our constituents about the future of our museum to get their ideas and insights on what the AK of tomorrow should be. Essentially, we are asking the question, 'What does the public want from its museum?' These conversations will help round out our understanding of how much and what type of additional space we need."

The museum will add additional meetings to the schedule as needed. Following the meetings, the AK plans to hold a series of focus groups to explore the ideas raised in these early meetings in more depth. The museum plans to share outcomes with the community early next year.

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