Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a $3.3 million in state funding to support the $155 million Albright-Knox Gallery expansion project in Buffalo.
The expanded museum, which will become the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, will include a new freestanding building on a park-like campus.
The expansion project known as AK360 is supported by both public and private funds, including the single largest private donation to a cultural institution in Buffalo’s history. Jeffrey Gundlach, a Buffalo native, has pledged a total of $52.5 million in matching funds to the museum.
AK360, the third expansion, will add more than 25,000 sq. ft. of space for displaying special exhibitions and Albright-Knox’s world-renowned art collection.
Designed by OMA/Shohei Shigematsu, the new building will incorporate numerous visitor amenities and is envisioned to have a wraparound promenade that visually connects the interior of the building with the surrounding Frederick Law Olmsted landscape.
Founded in 1862 as the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery features a renowned collection of modern and contemporary art. The Albright-Knox has expanded twice before, with the initial construction of the museum in 1905 and a new wing added in 1962.
“The expansion of the renowned Albright-Knox Art Gallery will attract even more visitors to the thriving Western New York region to enjoy this premier collection of modern and contemporary art,” Gov. Cuomo said in a statement. “New York is proud to support this exciting initiative, which will pay dividends for the entire region and we thank philanthropist Jeffrey Gundlach for matching the state’s latest funding for the expansion dollar-for-dollar.”
