BCAT Welcomes Friends and Neighbors to Art Exhibition by Celebrated East Side Artist Wilhelmina Godfrey

WG Art Exhibit 2

Photo above of local gallerist Emily Tucker (center) and attendees to the recent BCAT art exhibit of the works of Wilhelmina Godfrey

As Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology (BCAT) began making plans for the move to their new East Side home, they knew they wanted to open their doors to the local community.  When an opportunity to showcase the work of a renowned East Side artist arose, BCAT leadership knew they had found the perfect event to welcome their new neighbors.  

In March, BCAT hosted “The Search for Identity, Rediscovering Wilhelmina Godfrey,” an art exhibit featuring the works of the textile artist, painter, printmaker, educator, and community activist. The event was a chance to welcome BCAT students, supporters, and neighbors to BCAT’s new gallery space, while celebrating an artist whose roots were in the East Side neighborhood.

Curated by local gallerists Emily Tucker and Chris Kameck, the exhibit featured 40 works that had been discovered in an unclaimed storage space that once belonged to the artist and was auctioned to a local couple. The new owners contacted Emily who helped them manage and showcase the collection.

Emily, a former BCAT board member and champion of the organization, saw the potential for the artwork to be displayed in a place that would resonate with its community roots. She thought of BCAT immediately as the perfect place for the exhibit and a chance to highlight both the aesthetic value of the work, and its historic and educational value.

According to Emily,”My goal is to make art more accessible to everyone – not just seasoned collectors – and the BCAT exhibit was an opportunity to share the work of this artist in a way that was welcoming and accessible. I am delighted that local residents attended and had a chance to experience her work close up,” 

The exhibit was designed to engage visitors throughout BCAT’s gallery space and included a timeline of the artist’s life, as well as a range of mediums including paintings, prints, and woven textiles.  10% of the proceeds from sales of the art went directly to BCAT. 

Prior to the exhibit, students in BCAT’s high school afterschool program took time to research her work and life and created a documentary about Godfrey. The film was highlighted at the BCAT exhibit as well as at a concurrent exhibition of Godfrey’s work at the Burchfield Penney Art Center.

M&T Charitable Foundation Sees BCAT as Key to Strengthening Community  

When Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology was still in the idea stage more than a decade ago, M&T Bank was part of the founding group of funders that helped bring the arts and technology nonprofit to Buffalo after learning about its success in Pittsburgh.  Along with First Niagara Foundation, The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and The John R. Oishei Foundation, M&T believed that the model could help build brighter futures for both high school and adult students. 

“M&T Bank’s mission is to strengthen the communities where we operate,” says Don Elick, Senior Vice President, Regional Manager for the M&T Charitable Foundation, “and BCAT does just that by providing a practical pathway to strong futures and jobs that offer family sustaining wages.” 

BCAT’s high school afterschool program, with its focus on the arts also aligns with M&T Bank, according to Elick, sharing that the bank has a long history of supporting arts and cultural institutions. He adds that the arts play a transformative role for young people in building confidence and helping them choose their future pathways. 

Elick notes that BCAT continues to adapt to the needs of the community by expanding their offerings. While first focusing on Allied Health training, BCAT has more recently added technology training for adult students. “There are not enough trained professionals for tech jobs in the area. BCAT’s focus on this training is something that can benefit M&T directly, and more importantly, benefit our region by building a pipeline of future employees for in-demand jobs. 

M&T Bank has furthered its support by contributing the BCAT’s Capital Campaign to provide funding for the recent move to its new East Side location at 368 Sycamore Street.  “We are so excited about the new location that provides room for BCAT to expand. They have demonstrated proven impact and we are very happy to help them increase capacity to train more students and provide opportunities for strong futures that benefit individuals and the entire community,” added Elick.

Partnership Addresses Healthcare Worker Shortage

Kaleida Site Visit

When Dr. Ian Barrett, Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer with Kaleida Health, describes the urgent need for healthcare workers, he points to the pandemic as a key turning point. “While we had gaps in our healthcare workforce before COVID, we now have craters,” he says, noting that retirements and those seeking new careers increased, leaving healthcare institutions looking for new ways to recruit and train talent. 

That need for workers led to a new partnership with Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology (BCAT) and its Certified Medical Administrative Assistance training program, bringing greater connection between those seeking jobs and a key local healthcare employer. 

Kaleida and BCAT began discussion about a partnership in mid-2024 and the first cohort of adult students are now enrolled in the class that is designed with significant input from Kaleida. The curriculum aligns with Kaleida’s specific needs, meaning BCAT students will graduate with the critical training required by the healthcare institution. 

As part of the partnership, Kaleida will provide guest speakers to the class, providing more clarity to students about specific job opportunities once they graduate. In addition, Kaleida will give students opportunities for site visits so that students can meet professionals in their field and experience jobs firsthand in preparation for seeking and accepting positions after completing BCAT’s training.  

“Our goal is to hire 100 percent of BCAT students who successfully complete the class and demonstrate they have the necessary skills,” adds Barrett, “BCAT has been so flexible in designing the class that we know these students will have the training necessary to step into jobs.” He adds that the partnership and the relationships that will develop will make it easier to connect students to opportunities and the job interviews that will likely lead to employment. 

With nearly 85 percent of BCAT’s adult students graduating and gaining the appropriate certification in their field, BCAT is confident that their students are well prepared for jobs.  Now, by partnering with Kaleida, students will have direct access to job openings and can begin building great careers, benefiting both BCAT students and our local healthcare sector.