Phyllis Thompson is one of the leading matriarchs of artmaking in the region, earning wide respect in our community among colleagues, educators, makers, and appreciators alike. Thompson is soft-spoken and not a self-promoter by nature, preferring the studio environment to the bustle of art-world events. Luckily, the Buffalo AKG has no qualms about championing the work of incredible artists. Public Art Curator Aaron Ott discusses recent works of Thompson's that have been acquired by the museum.

Since 2019, anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States have risen to an unprecedented level. In 2021, Mizin Shin, an artist, educator, and cofounder of Buffalo’s fine art print studio Mirabo Press, began Use Your Voice #StopAsianHate, a campaign to encourage everyone to speak out against racially motivated prejudice and violence. We spoke to Shin about the campaign.