The UB Art Galleries is kicking off its 25th anniversary celebration with two exhibitions opening April 25 in the UB Anderson Gallery that explore the breadth of the galleries’ collection.
“From the Vault: Staff Selections from the Collection,” in the first-floor gallery, offers a glimpse into the personal connections and perspectives of the UB Art Galleries team.
“25 for 25: Promised Gifts from the Gerald Mead Collection,” in the second-floor gallery, celebrates collector, educator and independent curator Gerald C. Mead Jr.’s longstanding relationship with the UB Art Galleries and his transformative promised gift of 25 works to mark the galleries’ 25th anniversary.
An opening reception for the exhibitions will take place from 5-8 p.m. April 25 in the Anderson Gallery.
“As someone who’s worked with this collection in various roles over the past 25 years, it’s especially meaningful to mark this anniversary with a series of exhibitions that bring it into focus,” says Robert Scalise, director of the UB Art Galleries.
“The heart of the collection was formed in 2000 through a generous gift from David K. Anderson — son of the influential New York art dealer Martha Jackson — which included over 1,400 works of postwar art. With major pieces by Joan Mitchell, Sam Francis, Antoni Tàpies and others, along with a world-class collection of works on paper, this gift helped establish the UB Art Galleries as a vital resource for students, scholars and the public.
“Over the next year,” Scalise says, “we’ll highlight the collection’s breadth — from iconic works to objects that rarely leave storage — sharing the full scope of what we’ve been entrusted to care for.”
“From the Vault” showcases a curated selection of artwork chosen not by a single curator, but by every member of the UB Art Galleries staff — gallery attendants, installers, maintenance workers, interns and more. The exhibition celebrates the people who bring UB Art Galleries to life every day.
“Our staff … have close and often unseen relationships with the works in our care,” says Anna Wager, curator of exhibitions. “From cataloging and rehousing to building storage and designing frames, they engage with these pieces in deeply material ways.
“‘From the Vault’ gives them the opportunity to share what stands out to them, offering a new and more personal lens on the collection.”
International and regional artists featured in this exhibition include Antoni Tàpies, Louise Nevelson, Clayton Pond, Virginia Cuthbert-Elliott, Claes Oldenburg, Bonnie Gordon, Charlie Clough, Elizabeth Murray, Patricia Layman Bazelon, and many others.
Gerald Mead’s connection to UB Art Galleries is deeply personal. As an alumnus of UB’s MFA program and a former adjunct professor in the Department of Art, his engagement with the university spans more than 40 years. He has exhibited at UB Art Galleries as both an artist and curator, lent works to major exhibitions, and authored catalog essays for UB-organized shows.
Over the years Mead has built an encyclopedic collection of works by artists associated with Western New York, carefully assembling more than 1,900 pieces reflecting the region’s deep artistic history.
“25 for 25” highlights 25 significant works from his collection that have been pledged as future gifts to the UB Art Galleries, ensuring they will become a lasting resource for students, scholars and the broader Buffalo community.
Featured artists include Laylah Ali, Cory Arcangel, Charles Burchfield, Ellen Carey, Wendell Castle, Allan D’Arcangelo, Nancy Dwyer, Hollis Frampton, Robert Longo, Elizabeth Murray, Cindy Sherman, and Michael Zwack, among others.
This donation builds upon Mead’s legacy and reflects his commitment to making his collection an ongoing resource for the university through future planned gifts.
“I am very pleased to honor the 25th anniversary of UB Art Galleries with this promised bequest gift of significant artworks from my collection,” Mead says. “As an alumnus and former faculty of the university’s art department, it is important to me to know that some of my most treasured artworks will have a permanent purpose as an educational resource for the university and the public, thereby acknowledging and preserving the artistic heritage of nationally acclaimed artists with ties to this region.”
The yearlong, 25th anniversary celebration honors that foundational moment in 2000 when Anderson made his transformative gift to the university: the Anderson Gallery building and the Martha Jackson Gallery Archives, as well as the significant collection of modern and contemporary art. This donation, together with the merging of the Center for the Arts Gallery, laid the groundwork for what is now UB Art Galleries.
Since then, the UB Art Galleries Collection has grown into a dynamic resource encompassing post–World War II American art, expansive holdings in modern and contemporary prints, drawings and photographs, and selected ethnographic works.
These collections and archives serve as active sites of research and inquiry, regularly engaged by students, faculty and scholars, and pieces are featured in exhibitions around the world.
Throughout 2025, UB Art Galleries will spotlight the richness of its holdings through a variety of formats — exhibitions, publications, digital features and public programs — offering new opportunities to explore the depth and resonance of its collections.
