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Last Chance to See Robert Indiana’s ONE through ZERO (The Ten Numbers) at Buffalo's Outer Harbor

World-famous artist’s work will be on exhibit at Wilkeson Pointe until Oct. 1

Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) and Albright-Knox Art Gallery are encouraging the public to visit Buffalo’s Outer Harbor to see world-famous artist Robert Indiana’s ONE through ZERO (The Ten Numbers) sculptures. The temporary exhibit, which opened in June 2018, will be deinstalled beginning Oct. 1. The 8-foot-high COR-TEN steel sculptures, each weighing close to a ton, are on loan at Wilkeson Pointe. The ECHDC board previously approved a contract with the Albright-Knox Art Gallery (AKAG) which facilitated the loan and exhibition of this monumental work of public art. 

“As the sun sets on another spectacular summer, we are sad to see Indiana’s sculptures leave the Outer Harbor but Buffalo is fortunate to have hosted these bold, iconic sculptures at Wilkeson Pointe,” said Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation Chairman Robert Gioia.  “You have less than a month to see these sculptures one last time, so get down to the Outer Harbor to appreciate both the art, as well as the natural beauty of our waterfront.”

“The museum was delighted to collaborate with our colleagues at ECHDC to bring these monumental works to such a vital, active public space,” said Albright-Knox Curator of Public Art, Aaron Ott.  “I hope that many Western New Yorkers will take the opportunity to see them before Oct. 1.”

See pictures of the sculptures hereCredit for Tom Powel’s photos: Robert Indiana’s ONE through ZERO (The Ten Numbers), 1980–2001, on view at Wilkeson Pointe on Buffalo’s Outer Harbor. © 2018 Morgan Art Foundation Ltd / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photograph by Tom Powel Imaging. Image courtesy Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York.

The Indiana sculptures have been an additional draw at Wilkeson Place, as the works of art are situated where millions of dollars of investment have occurred at the Outer Harbor.  ONE through ZERO have enhanced the landscape and served as an additional draw at Wilkeson Pointe, one of the most popular and active public spaces at the Outer Harbor—where there are many other activities planned this fall.  A Walk to End Alzheimer’s is set for Sept. 14 at Wilkeson Pointe.  At Lakeside Bike Park, basic mountain bike skills and riding workshops are planned on Sept. 10 and 26.  Visitors to the Outer Harbor can also stroll the 3-mile scenic Independent Health-sponsored Wellness Trail or pedal the Lakeside Bike Park, which offers three mountain bike tracks for riders of all skill levels and ages, as well as a pump track, skills loop and a tot track for young children. With 200 acres of green space on the Outer Harbor, options for adventure are wide open or visitors can just relax and take in spectacular waterfront sunsets. For more information on events and activities at Buffalo’s waterfront, visit www.buffalowaterfront.com.

Indiana, a Pop artist who died last year at age 89, was a self-proclaimed “American painter of signs,” best-known for his work spelling out the word “love” in capital letters. His work explored American identity, personal history, and the power of abstraction and language and has influenced many contemporary artists.

Numbers are another of Indiana’s frequently reoccurring motifs. Art historian and curator Barbara Haskell explains that “numbers had appeared in Indiana’s work even before words,” and acted as metaphors for the passage of time. Renowned art historian John Wilmerding has compared Indiana’s numbers to paintings representing the ages of man by 19th-century artist Thomas Cole, of the Hudson River School. Indiana said each number represents a stage of life, beginning with One (birth) and continuing through Nine (old age) and Zero (death).

Indiana’s artwork is in the permanent collections of institutions including the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, the National Gallery of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C., the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Menil Collection in Houston, and many more.

For more information on ONE through ZERO, visit Robert Indiana’s website.

About Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation

The ECHDC is governed by a nine-member board consisting of seven voting directors and two non-voting, ex-officio directors. The seven voting directors are recommended by the New York State Governor and are appointed by the New York State Urban Development Corporation d/b/a Empire State Development as sole shareholder of ECHDC. The two nonvoting, ex-officio director positions are held by the Erie County Executive and the City of Buffalo Mayor.

As a subsidiary of Empire State Development, the state’s chief economic development agency, the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation supports and promotes the creation of infrastructure and public activities at Canalside, the Ohio Street corridor and the Outer Harbor that is attracting critical mass, private investment and enhance the enjoyment of the waterfront for residents and tourists in Western New York. Its vision is to revitalize Western New York’s waterfront and restore economic growth to Buffalo based on the region’s legacy of pride, urban significance and natural beauty. For more information on ECHDC, visit here.

About Albright-Knox Public Art Initiative

The Public Art Initiative is an innovative partnership between the Albright-Knox and Erie County established in 2013. The City of Buffalo joined the partnership in 2014. The goal of the Initiative is to create spaces of dialogue where diverse communities have the ability to engage, respond, and cooperatively produce great public art that can empower individuals, create stronger neighborhoods, and establish Western New York as a vital cultural center.

Learn more about recent Albright-Knox Public Art Initiative projects here.

Contact:

Pamm Lent | [email protected] | 716-846-8309 | (800) 260-7313

Laura Magee | [email protected] | 716-846-8239 | (800) 260-7313