Agatha Falls art exhibition space open in Niagara Falls

Apr. 26—Art galleries are not always meant just for looking. They can encourage those coming out to express themselves better.

That is the goal of Agatha Falls, a new art gallery and movement space at 322 Niagara St., with the support of the ChaShaMa group of galleries. The space will be open for dance classes, yoga sessions, art exhibitions, video screenings and symposiums.

"It's a project space that is creating community collaboration through movement performance practices for a range of experience levels," said Kyla Kegler, the space curator, making this art accessible for people as makers and audience members.

A visual artist whose experience includes working in Berlin for eight years, Kegler's main art space is in the former St. Agatha's Catholic School in South Buffalo, which she has operated exhibitions out of since 2020. Her work involves performances with large groups of people, mainly without performance training.

"I wanted to have a connection to St. Agatha's," Kegler said about naming the space Agatha Falls. "Since the space is focused on movement, I liked the visual action of falling."

Founded in 1995, the majority of ChaShaMa's spaces are in New York City, although they have involvement with spaces in Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Ithaca, and Salamanca. Their business model is partnering with developers who have empty spaces and having them donate such space for temporary artistic use.

Kegler and Samuel Savarino, owner of Savarino Properties, have an existing business relationship, as he owns the St. Agatha space and the Tugby Lennon Building the exhibition space runs out of. When ChaShaMa reached out to him about partnering on a Western New York project, Savarino gave Kegler's name as an artist who could fill the space.

The first exhibition shown, called False Idols, ran from Feb. 23 through April 5, showing the work of Buffalo-based artists Shyanna Merced, Julia Dzwonkoski and Paul Knopf.

Now it will transition to a performance art space, exploring more conceptual art dance movements and hosting resident choreographers. Resident artist Madalina Dan from Romania will be hosting a free workshop this Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., along with a future presentation of her work on May 10.

Throughout April and May, the space will hold dance classes from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Mondays, led by Dominic Giambra. Other collaborations with local artists and art spaces like the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center and Castellani Art Museum are in development.

"It's not one that requires one to have formal training," said Kegler describing the dance sessions, encouraging experimentation.

Additional funding for the space comes from the New York State Council on the Arts and the Generator Fund, an artist grant funded by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and administered by the Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art.

Whether this exhibition space continues into next year depends on whether Savarino wants to continue donating that space, with ChaShaMa wanting to continue as long as the space is rent-free. Otherwise, Kegler would have to apply for grant funding to continue there.