Flight Gallery

Flight Gallery is a mini-gallery located inside Flying Bison Brewing Company. We aim to make art accessible to a wider audience, while showcasing the talent of our local Buffalo artists. Enjoy a sample of what our art community has to offer. For purchase inquiries or other questions contact Parrish at flightgallerybflo@gmail.com or text “Flight Inquiry” to 716-525-0292.

Overwhelming (im)Possibilities

Works by Kari Achatz

On view virtually now through end of  July

Artist Statement | Kari Achatz

Cut. To make an opening or incision with a sharp-edged tool. To cut is to remove from something larger. The ability to slice through and let the light in. I remove and pierce my photographs to reveal the hidden spaces, the colorful stories that lie beneath. Preserving a slice of history, in this time and this moment. My hand cut and layered artwork speaks to the complicated relationships that humans have with their environment, and in this case the focus is on Buffalo’s iconic Grain Silos. The neglected places in this world are not the first we think of when we think of beauty, but if we look, instead of just see, we can find beauty and wonder. Viewing these abandoned spaces and forgotten places through colors, texture, secret spaces, and altered perspectives revel what is and what once was. I create stories and new context in my work, by hand cutting and layering archival prints, leaving the viewer to discover new meanings in these abandoned spaces. Removing the colors from complex black and white prints, invites the viewer to imagine their own story and relationship to the work. Abstract colors layered behind the prints fill the void and help the viewer to imagine what hidden stories lie beneath the surface, and reimagining a new future for Buffalo. My work is complicated. It is not quite college, hotomontage or sculpture, although all of these elements can be considered within the layers of the work. I am pushing the boundaries of traditional papercutting by cutting paper that has photographs I have taken printed on it. The hand cut, lifted, and multilayered works I create verge on sculpture, but remain two-dimensional as they are contained within boxes and frames. I consider myself an artist who draws with a blade, creating a unique language within the artwork. My cutting language reflects the intricacies in which I view the world. Each hand cut piece relates to the next and I do not draw out the organic or geometric patterns before cutting. Each cut informs another. Patterns are cut and layered throughout the negative spaces in the photographs. While cutting, I work from the back of the photograph, treating each space as a unique story and design. Removing myself from the story, allows me to create the most comprehensive narrative focusing on design and negative spaces. I am evoking emotion and storytelling, while preserving a moment in history through my lens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To purchase email flightgallerybflo@gmail.com. Paypal link will be sent to you digitally. Pieces will be available for pick up at the end of July.

Hello, Flying Bison fans & webpage visitors.  As 2017 comes to a close, we thought we’d bring back the blog along with the updated look to the website.  Before we type on about our future, we’d like to acknowledge an important figure in our history.  2017 marked the 20th anniversary of the passing of our co-founder Larry “Red” Mrozek,  home-brewer, facial hair aficionado, and huge craft beer advocate in the city of Buffalo.  There are still a few kegs of Red’s Brown Ale at the tasting room, a tribute beer brewed in fall in honor of Red, with the classic recipe coming from the vaults of our Hop Jack (with tweaking by Red himself).  Bold, balanced, and supremely drinkable…come raise a pint for Red while you still can!

The entire brewery is going through some tweaks and changes to help start 2018 off on the right foot.

First off, our original bottling line from the Ontario Street days has left the building.  In an effort to get more efficiency in our packaging department, we are in the midst of installing a Krones bottler (to go along with the Krones labeler we picked up a few years ago) and a Criveller bottle rinser unit (to go along with our Criveller brewhouse).   By the new year, we’ll hopefully be bottling 4x faster than we have been.

Second, our tasting room is going to look a bit different.  We’ve updated our snack menu , using locally made products whenever possible.  We’ve added a monitor/TV.  By the time we open for business December 21, our extraordinarily tall serving counter/bar will have been lowered, to the delight of our visitors under 5’8.  By the time spring rolls around, we’ll be sprucing up our back lot patio space to make it more green, private, and lawn-game friendly.  We’re also building a stage so we can have some more musical acts in 2018, including a series of Happy Hour concerts on Thursdays in the summer.  Check our events tab on this webpage for our next fun parties and beer releases.

And last, but certainly not least, THE BEER.  Blackbird Oatmeal Stout recently saw its first release in bottles in about 10 years.  MacBison Scotch Ale just a few weeks ago was bottled and available in stores for the first time ever!  Three of our most exciting beers of the last year, Spot Coffee Stout, Bourbon Barrel Spot Stout, and Juice Caboose New England-style IPA are set to be brewed and released in the coming months

What are we working on beyond winter?

Next on the horizon are some international collaborations with two of Ontario, Canada’s most prolific craft brewers, Beau’s All Natural in Vankleek Hill and Great Lakes Brewery just outside Toronto in Etobicoke, ON.  These beers will be made as part of the Canadian American Beer Festival on April 7th, 2018 in Niagara Falls, NY.  Western NY and Southern Ontario breweries were matched together in two  lottery-style drawing or “draft.”  Each participating brewery will both host and travel to a brewery from the other country.

We’re working on another international collaboration with a brewery from ‘across the pond’.  We’ll let you know more as we work out some details.

As for spring beers from our regular & seasonal lineup, we’ll see Barrel Roll Maibock, Polonia Pils, Brindle Porter, and also the return of Aviator Irish Red back in bottles!

We’ll be updating this blog more frequently than the 3+ years it took us to write this post, so check back here to see what we’re up to.

Cheers!

 

Ah The Herc! Its history is as rich as the beer itself.

In short, The Herc is our barleywine of British and American descent. By that I mean a substantial amount of British Pearl malt is the backbone with heavy-handed additions of high-alpha American hops supporting the malt assault. It boasts a substantial sweet and bready body with caramel tones and is balanced by a stiff bitterness. We let this beer sit and condition around four months before packaging it and encourage folks to buy several bottles: some to enjoy fresh and a few more to cellar. After a few months and years sherry-like flavors develop and the malty caramel notes really shine through. This beer has been a mainstay at Flying Bison since the first batch was brewed in 2005, but this is the first year we sent it out to the general public; it has been previously exclusively available in our retail shop ( I suppose retail ‘area’ is a little more fitting ).

The story of this beer begins with the mighty Paul Jackson, an original Sultans of Swig homebrew club member and Flying Bison investor. You can find him filling kegs and cups during brewery retail hours most Saturdays and can be described as nothing short of a force in the WNY brewing community. He brought his barleywine recipe to our hectoliter pilot system so we could brew something a bit more high test. With plenty of hops of course. Paul forewarned us about the amount of hops we would be using with an explanation: “I want to be able to taste ’em 5 years down the line.” So, once again, aging is as encouraged as fresh enjoyment.

Enter the United States Air Force. A group of Hercules C-130 pilots operating out of the Niagara Falls Air Base began frequenting the brewery in their off time. Upon asking to be involved in a brew, they were invited to take part in brewing a special strong ale on our pilot system. A few months later they tasted the results and emphatically approved. The enthusiasm inspired us to add the brew to our line up. So with Paul Jackson’s approval The Herc was born, not only as a special new offering for our customers to enjoy, but also as a tribute to our friends working hard and sacrificing in the armed services.

So come and snag some bottles from the brewery and keep your eyes peeled for it when visiting better beer establishments. But do so soon before it disappears for another year!

 

Here at FBBC we recognize spring time not by the warmer air temperature nor the longer days, but by the release of Barrel Roll Bock.

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Leaps and bounds, my friends, we have an official blog!

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