BUFFALO, NY.- The vibrant and diverse arts organizations in Buffalo will present a dynamic line-up of exhibitions and programs this fall, with the multi-venue art exhibition Beyond/In Western New York 2010: Alternating Currents, a classical and pop concert series by the Grammy-winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and public invitations to an array of landmark architectural sites with Doors Open Niagara. Home to some of America’s greatest architectural treasures, one of the best museums of modern and contemporary art, and celebrated music and performing arts organizations, Buffalo will appeal to every sensibility with its fall 2010 programs.

Leading the visual arts initiatives in Buffalo this fall is Beyond/In Western New York 2010: Alternating Currents, a collaborative, region-wide exhibition, featuring pieces by contemporary artists living and working in Western and Central New York, Southern Ontario, Northern Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio and the surrounding areas. Organized by a collaboration of arts organizations that include the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Burchfield Penney Art Center, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center and the Buffalo Arts Studio, the exhibition will include, for the first time, work by prominent international artists such as Do-Ho Suh, Andy Goldsworthy and Didier Pasquette.

The exhibition’s theme, “Alternating Currents,” explores the historical impact that power and energy had on the development of the region. Curators have asked artists to reference this theme as a departure point for their work, thereby drawing attention to a sense of place.

The Beyond/In Western New York 2010: Alternating Currents curatorial committee reviewed more than 650 submissions, and made 130 studio visits in selecting artists. Works will be on display in museums, galleries and venues located throughout the Buffalo Niagara region. The exhibition will open everywhere on September 24. A high-wire walk by artist Didier Pasquette will take place on September 23.

Visitors will also have the chance to meet some of Western New York’s local artists in person as part of the Holiday Open Studios and Galleries. Taking place December 3-5, the weekend-long event features over 100 artists and artisans living and working in the Buffalo area. The event provides an opportunity for people to see artists in their private homes and studios, to speak with them about their art, and to purchase works of art on site.

As the Albright-Knox Art Gallery welcomes visual artists to Buffalo for Beyond/In Western New York, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will celebrate their 75th anniversary by welcoming internationally renowned musicians to perform in their Pop and Classical Series. On September 25, the BPO will open its 2010-2011 Pop Series with lauded American singer and songwriter Michael Feinstein performing “Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook.” Continuing through June 2011, the Pop Series will include a broad spectrum of programming, from the “The Four Tops” on February 26, to “Abba: The Hits Symphonic Tour” on May 7.

On October 2, the BPO’s classical season will open with Midori performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Running through June, the classical series will include themed evenings of music, such as “From Poland with Love,” featuring the music of Szymanowski, Chopin, Buffalo. Art & Architecture. Karlowicz, and Lutoslawski on October 23 and 24, as well as guest performances by celebrated artists, such as Lang Lang, on January 29.

Visitors to Western New York will have the chance to listen to music in an outdoor setting as well, with the Music is Art festival on September 11. Organized by Robby Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls, the festival began in 2003 as a way to acknowledge music as an important part of the arts scene, and is today the most extensive music festival in Western New York. Featuring multiple stages dedicated to several genres of music, as well as a stage devoted to dance, the festival also includes a visual art and photography exhibit and a performance by the winner of a student battle of the bands contest. The festival celebrates the art of music, while inviting the public to participate, with a DJ spinning on a dance floor and a Kids Village with live music and hands-on art activities.

The weekend of the Music is Art festival will inaugurate the beginning of the live theater season in Buffalo as well. On September 10, Buffalo’s theater season will open with Curtain Up, featuring 16 theatrical productions at venues across the region, a Creative Black-Tie Gala Dinner on stage at Shea’s Performing Arts Center, and a free community post-party with live music, food and entertainment on Main Street in Buffalo’s Theatre District. At the heart of the season is the Shea’s PAC Broadway Series, which includes Mary Poppins, October 14 - 31, Dreamgirls, December 14 -19, and four other productions in 2011.

Of course, a season of culture wouldn’t be complete in Buffalo, without festivals recognizing two of Buffalo’s best-known assets – architecture and Buffalo wings. On October 16 and 17, Buffalo will open landmark buildings to the public as part of Doors Open Niagara. The binational event takes place in Western New York and Southern Ontario, and offers the public free access to many of the region’s architectural treasures. This year’s historic sites are as varied as Buffalo’s Art Deco City Hall, the Burchfield Penney Art Center and a War of 1812 homestead.

Finally, what better way to celebrate Labor Day, than with the National Buffalo Wing Festival September 4-5? Featuring chicken runs, cook-offs, eating contests, and even the Miss Buffalo Wing Contest, the festival is a fun way to enjoy Buffalo’s most popular culinary treat. Last year, the festival attracted 91,000 guests who consumed 40 tons of chicken wings, drawing attention from major media outlets across the US.

Buffalo is a city with a longstanding history of innovation, discovery, creativity, production and support for architecture, the arts, and culture. From the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, through the invention of the grain elevator, to the harnessing of hydroelectric power at nearby Niagara Falls and the subsequent development of aviation, automobile and steel plants, Buffalo has played a distinguished role in the shaping of the American experience—a history that continues to be made today.