Past Events
Live on Five 2026
Opening Event (free) | Friday, March 27, part of M&T Fourth Fridays
On View (free) | March 27–April 17
Live Bidding (bid numbers, $25) | April 16 – April 18
Live Auction & Reception | Saturday, April 18
Art Pick-Up Party & BPO at BAS (free) | Friday, April 24, part of M&T Fourth Fridays
Live on Five—the big auction of small works that reinvents itself year after year.
Join us for Live on Five—the big auction of small works—made new each year by the artists who make it possible. Hundreds of 5” x 5” pieces, all starting at $25, by a diverse mix of coveted local artists will be on view and up for auction. Come see the work at the opening reception on Friday, March 27, pick your favorites, and strategize your bidding plan for the live, in-person auction on Saturday, April 18.
TRIMANIA_REBOOT
Saturday, March 29, 2025, 7 pm – 12 am
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On March 29, 2025 Buffalo Arts Studio brough back the long-awaited and much-anticipated TRIMANIA_REBOOT! After a seven-year hiatus, this iconic Buffalo Arts Studio fundraiser was back and better than ever. From 7:00 pm – 12:00 am Buffalo Arts Studio transformed all six floors of the Tri-Main Center with live bands, DJs, dancers, performers, poets, visual artists, and more.
This was an unforgettable night of music, art, and energy.
Live on Five 2024
Free Exhibition Preview | Friday, March 22, part of M&T Fourth Fridays
On View (free) | March 22 – April 12
Live Bidding (bid numbers, $25) | April 11 – April 13
Ticketed Auction Event | Saturday, April 13
Art Pick-Up Party (free) | Friday, April 26, part of M&T Fourth Fridays
Join us for Live on Five—the big auction of small works—made new each year by the artists who make it possible. Hundreds of 5” x 5” pieces, all starting at $25, by a diverse mix of coveted local artists will be on view and up for auction. Come see the work now through April 12 during regular gallery hours, buy your tickets, and strategize your bidding plan. And don’t forget – your bidding number is your ticket for the live, in-person auction on Saturday, April 13.
Live on Five 2023
On View | March 4–11
Live Bidding | March 9–11
Reception | March 11
THE BIG AUCTION OF SMALL WORKS IS HERE.
Reconnect with Buffalo’s creative community for Live on Five 2023—an auction of hundreds of 5″ x 5″ pieces by coveted local artists, all starting at $25.
All are invited to see the work in Buffalo Arts Studio’s galleries on the fifth floor of the Tri-Main Center starting March 4 before virtual bidding goes live on March 9.
Finally, gather your friends and join the Buffalo Arts Studio family for an in-person reception including cash bars, lively music, and light fare as we count down to the auction ending together.
Triminia
Saturday, May 21, 2022
On Saturday, May 21, 2022, Buffalo Arts Studio is turning our much-loved fundraiser TRIMANIA inside out and hosting Triminia.
In addition to raising funds that will help us continue to expand meaningful arts access for all people, all bar tips from the evening will be donated to F.A.T.H.E.R.S. to support them in their response to basic neighborhood needs. We will also be collecting donations for Black Love Resists in the Rust to advance their long-term community plan for mental health support.
Triminia will feature four live bands, DJ, live mural-making, interactive art installations, and dynamic video projections as well as a dance floor, multiple bars, and food trucks.
Join the creative community on the Tri-Main Center’s six-bay, open-air loading dock for Triminia, an art party for everyone.
Live on Five 2021
Saturday, April 24, 2021
The story of Live on Five is the story of Buffalo Arts Studio—inclusive, accessible, and impressively adaptable. What was originally imagined as a floor-wide celebration in the spring of 2020 was quickly reimagined into a mobile auction fit for the times. With the support of this dynamic creative community, Live on Five 2020 was a super successful virtual event that sold more than 650 original 5″ by 5″ works by 200 artists.
Thanks to our wonderful community, Live on Five 2021 was even bigger! The exhibition and mobile auction included 775 original 5″ by 5″ artworks by more than 200 local artists in a wide variety of media from drawing to painting, photography to ceramics, and found-object collage to hand-sewn fiber arts! Every object was unique and all 775 pieces were on display in the gallery with the exhibition culminating in a mobile auction April 22-24.
Restoration at Silo City 2020
Restoration at Silo City is the product of a partnership between Buffalo Arts Studio and Silo City. Both Buffalo Arts Studio and Silo City have a long history of supporting the creation of innovative, site-specific visual, performing, and literary artwork. Restoration at Silo City includes three site-specific installations that restore, regenerate, and reimagine the land and the detritus that remains on the site.
Silo City is a collection of three grain elevators on Silo City Row owned by Rick Smith who dubbed the site “Silo City.” Silo City has a long history of supporting the creation of innovative, site-specific visual, performing, and literary artwork. This group of silo complexes has been transformed from industrial ruins into a unique and fantastic cultural space. Silo City Director of Ecology, Josh Smith, is actively regenerating the former industrial site. Soils are enlivened with compost produced on site, made with 110 tons of food waste diverted from landfills each year. Meandering trails allow visitors to observe and experience the grounds, the monoliths of the silos providing a striking backdrop for a variety of creative activities. This bend of the Buffalo River — where Silo City is seated — was part of the historic Buffalo Creek Reservation, and home to regional indigenous populations for centuries prior to its use for grain storage and milling. We acknowledge the deep history of this land, we give thanks for our current stewardship, and we welcome all to the site.
Plates and Pasta 2019
Plates and Pasta 2019 was a stations-based party with sweet and savory tasting stations, wine, beer, soft drinks, live music, interactive demonstrations, open studios, and a silent auction. Like past events, Plates and Pasta 2019 featured unique work by more than 130 artists that are hand-painted or transferred onto glazed ceramic plates and pasta bowls. Every ticket holder chooses their own plate to take home!
Trimania 2018
TRIMANIA 2018 was an epic celebration of art, culture, and music that saw over 3,500 attendees and a small army of volunteers in support of Buffalo Arts Studio’s largest fundraiser.
Held every three years, for one night only, in the former manufacturing building that spans two city blocks, Buffalo Arts Studio and Tri-Main Center tenants transform the 600,000 square foot building into a menagerie of culture, featuring live bands, DJs, dancers, poets, visual artists, and performers of all kinds.
Over 75 visual artists exhibited throughout TriMain Center. The dynamic art duo Solo Roths painted and partied with passers-by. Mizin Shin and Chuck Tingley constructed immersive art experiences inside Buffalo Arts Studio. Local bands, like Rabbit Jaw and Aircraft, turned empty office suites into dynamic performance spaces. Belly dancing, bollywood, and break dancing took place alongside jazz, hip-hop, and Americana blues. Visitors can expect lots of surprises as well!