The proposed Buffalo Arts and Technology Center (BATC) will be a place of hope and opportunity for at-risk youth and unemployed adults. Potentially located in the Buffalo Artspace Lofts at 1219 Main Street, the Center will be a major collaboration between the Manchester Bidwell Corporation and Artspace. For the first time in the country, these two national programs may be co-located adding increased richness to proposed programs that will build off of the excitement already underway at the Buffalo Artspace Lofts. It is expected that the BATC will house a variety of programs that will benefit youth at-risk of dropping out of high school and adults who are either unemployed or underemployed.
Based on an 18-month long Feasibility Study, possible after school arts programs will focus on high-quality visual, studio-based arts; digital and design arts programming. In partnership with the Buffalo Public Schools, youth at-risk of dropping out of high school will be encouraged to attend exciting after-school studios that will be creative, hands-on engaging sessions that give students an opportunity to express themselves and see new possibilities. Expected partnerships with the local health care sector will ensure that market-relevant career training opportunities possibly in currently hard-to-fill employment areas, such as electronic records management, medical assistants and pharmacy technician training, may eventually be developed.
The next nine-12 months will be used to build out the space, develop program offerings and identify potential participants who will benefit from the hope and inspiration the Buffalo Arts and Technology Center will offer.
Funding for creation of the BATC will come from a public-private partnership, led by the Oishei Foundation and First Niagara Financial Group, along with Empire State Development and the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.
Keep checking back to this website for updates on development of the BATC.
Meet the BATC Executive Director