Photography by Michael Mulley
Buffalo, New York
Artist Statement:
In the nearly 30 years I have been working at the art of photography I have developed a love for the craft as well as a love for what my images can do. I have seen their power to affect people time and again. Many times I know as soon as the shutter clicks that I may have something great, but I never can suppose how others will react to them. Photographs that invoke the strongest feeling are often the simplest and most unassuming. A door to a long forgotten business where you father worked or a passing glimpse of a girl at the St Patrick's Day Parade communicate to each viewer in their own way. Whether a photograph is filled with visual innuendo, as a church covered by a corporate logo or is simply a moment of everyday life taken off the hip they all have power that I can't always anticipate. That power is the difference between photographs you walk by and ones that stop you in your tracks. The moments that make those kinds of photographs are few and far between, which is all the more reason to strive for as many of them as you can
Artist Bio:
Michael Mulley opened College Street Gallery, a storefront space in the Allentown neighborhood of Buffalo in 1997 and oversaw all aspects of the gallery until 2015.
In 2007 he opened The Queen City Gallery in the Historic Market Arcade in the heart of Buffalo's theater district. The gallery features his photographs of Buffalo architecture as well as exhibiting local and regional artists. The Gallery's wildly popular "Art Under the Stars" event that takes place in the Allentown neighborhood as part of First Friday Gallery Walk and draws a large and varied audience. The Gallery is still open, surviving a 20 month closure due to COVD and thriving in spite of the challenges.
In 2008 Queen City Press was launched with the "Buffalo In Black & White" Photography Book. It was followed in April that year with "The First Ward: Photographs by Michael Mulley. Since then the imprint has published 8 other titles including "Bygone Buffalo" "People Like You" and "25 Years" celebrating 25 years working as a photographer. His latest books include "The Dives of Our Lives" and
"Buffalo in Black and White. His photos have been published in the Buffalo News Sunday Magazine, Buffalo Spree Magazine, Artvoice, Hallwalls Publications, The Art Laboratory of Berlin and the jazz magazine Coda. He has exhibited throughout Buffalo and western New York most recently exhibiting at The Main Street Gallery and the alternative collaborative at Sugar City.
Since 2012 he has curated the Broadway Market Photo- Project at the long time East Side market and in December 2015 he edited and contributed to the official Book of the Broadway Market celebrating decades of the Markets existence.
From 2015 -2020 he taught Photography at The Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology. An after -school program for "at risk" Students
Since reopening Queen City Gallery in November 2021 there have been new revised and expanded versions of 'Bygone Buffalo and "The First Ward" Books with new titles in the works for late 2023.
Resume: Education
Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art Photography, Rochester Institute of Technology: 1991 Associates Degree in Communications, Genesee Community College: 1988
Work Experience
Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology: 1221 Main Street Buffalo New York: Photography Instructor September 2015-2020
Queen City Gallery: 617 Main Street Buffalo New York: Owner/ Curator March 2007-Present
College Street Gallery: 244 Allen Street Buffalo New York Owner / Curator 1997-2015: Responsible for all facets of gallery operations
Color Tech Photo Lab: Amherst, New York Darkroom Technician Oct 1999-2006
Angst Magazine: Buffalo, New York Publisher and Editor 1992-1999
Exhibitions
Music Is Art Festival, Buffalo New York "People That Rocked" September 2023
Deuxiene Vie Creative Art Space, Lafayette, Louisiana January 2023
Music Is Art Festival, Buffalo New York "The Rooms That Rocked" September 2022
Music Is Art Festival, Buffalo New York "Iconic Nights" September 2021
Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology, Buffalo New York, Faculty Exhibit October 2018
Roz Stiener Gallery, Genesee Community College, Batavia New York Alumni Exhibit September 2018 CEPA Gallery, Buffalo NY Member Exhibit Juror Award Winner January 2017
Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology, Buffalo New York, Faculty Exhibit May 2016
Main Street Gallery, Buffalo New York, Group Exhibit January 2016
Sugar City, Buffalo New York, "People that Rock" June 2015
Flying Bison Brewery, Buffalo New York "Buffalo Collection" May 2014
Broadway Market, Buffalo New York, "Easter at the Market" March 2013
Wellsville Community Arts Center, Wellville New York, Solo Exhibit, Sept-Oct 2012
Roz Stiener Gallery, Genesee Community College, Batavia New York (Group Show) September 2012 Unity Gallery, Unity Church, Buffalo New York, Solo exhibit March-April 2012
Larkin- Exchange Building, Buffalo New York, Solo exhibit Jan-Feb 2012
Westfield Public Library, Westfield New York , Group Show May 2010
Springville Arts Center, Springville New York, Solo Exhibit April 2010
Wyoming County Arts Council, Perry New York, Solo exhibit May-June 2009
7 Arts Studios, Wilmington Delaware, Solo exhibit, March-April 2009
Gallery 435 Hamilton, Ont Exhibitor / Curator Buffalo -Hamilton Artist Exchange May 2008
Horizons Gallery WNED-TV Buffalo New York November 2007
Kepa 3 Gallery: Buffalo, New York “Reverence For Everyday” September 2007
J.W. Bush Gallery: Hamilton, Ont “Nothing New” September 2006
Olean Public Library: Olean, New York August 2006
Redfish Studios:East Aurora, New York May 2006
Kenan Center: Lockport, New York “Art Across Borders” (group show) September 2005
Rustbelt Books: Buffalo, New York “Summer Was...” December 2004
Pensandote: Buffalo, New York “What’s Wrong With This Picture” September 2004
Gallery 164: Buffalo, New York “New Work” August 2004
Has Var : Buffalo, New York “Nothing New” May 2004
College Street Gallery : Buffalo, New York “When Numbers Have Faces” April 2004
Tantrum: Buffalo, New York (group show)” Oct 2003- Nov 2003
Kepa 3 Gallery: Buffalo, New York “Small Works (group show)” Sept 2002- Nov 2002
Lafayette Taproom: Buffalo, New York “Legends of Jazz and Blues” Feb 2001- April 2001
Karpeles Manuscript Museum Buffalo, New York “What We left Behind: The Buildings Of the Schaefer Brothers” 1999-Present
Gallery 101 Bistro Buffalo, New York “Three Towns” Nov 2000- Feb 2001
Campos Photography Center Tonawanda New York “More Than Bricks and Steel” Feb 2000
Kleinhans Music Hall Buffalo, New York “Buffalo Now and Then” Nov 1999-Jan 2000
Richmond Library Batavia, New York “What Little I’ve Seen” Sept 1997
3B’s Coffee House Buffalo, New York.“What It Looks Like Underground” (part five) Sept-Oct 1995 Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center (group show) Buffalo, New York June 1994
Godiva's Rochester New York."What It Looks Like Underground” (part four) Nov 1992
The Alternative High School Rochester,New York.“What It Looks Like Underground” (part three) Sept 1992 The Icon, Buffalo, New York. “What It Looks Like Underground” (part two)Jan-Feb 1992
The Alternative High School Fairport, New York. “What It Looks Like Underground” Dec 1992
Genesee Arts Council. Batavia, New York.“What I Learned In School” Jan 1991
Publications
Contributing Photographer
Buffalo: Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, The Buffalo News, Buffalo Spree,
Allentown Association Publications New York, New York: Sterling Macfadden Publications
Grants:
City of Buffalo Mayor’s Neighborhood Matching Grant Fund in conjunction with Allentown Association “The Kids Of Allentown” Photo-mural on public display at Allen and College Streets.
References: Available upon request.