Diary Entry #50 Video Friday: Living the Dream / by LeRoi Johnson

It's Video Friday!

One week from today, Nov. 11th at 5:30pm, people from WNY and across the United States will join with me at the Burchfield Penney Art Center for the opening of LEROI: Living in Color. To say I look forward to welcoming everyone to this exhibition is a major understatement.

Yesterday, I met with Burchfield Curator Tiffany Gaines onsite, to walk through the exhibit in its final stages. The experience was thrilling and humbling and I am most grateful to Tiffany, Burchfield Acting Director, Scott Propeack,and his entire staff for creating this magnificent restrospective of my work, and the art of the students who have collaborated with me.

After reviewing the exhibition, I sat down in front of one of my favorite paintings, "Butt Naked on Sunset" to share my thoughts about this experience. What you will witness in watching this video is a person in the midst of realizing the dream of a lifetime---a dream I hope you will share with me at the opening, or anytime during the exhibition run through March 2023.

LEROI: Living in Color Exhibition includes the work of students from Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology (BCAT,) Buffalo Public Schools (BPS,) Just Buffalo Literary Center (JBLC,) and Squeaky Wheel Film & Media Art Center. The exhibition will be on view at the Burchfield Penney Art Center through March 26, 2023, presented by M&T Bank, with additional support from organizations and individuals throughout the Western New York community.