How many times do you need to walk over to the Buffalo AKG Art Museum between now and Christmas to see everything that's changing there? If you live off Delaware Avenue or West Ferry, the answer is probably fewer times than you'd guess, as long as you pick the right Friday.
Two separate changes are happening at the museum on overlapping schedules. The director who led it for 13 years is leaving at the end of October, and two leaders take over on November 1. In the same weeks, one exhibition closes, another opens, and a third is still to come in December. The overlap is short. Friday, November 6 is the one date this season when four exhibitions are up together, the Gundlach and Wilmers buildings are pay-what-you-wish, and the new leadership is in place.
Two handoffs on overlapping clocks
The leadership change was announced first. On April 29, 2026, the AKG announced that Janne Sirén would leave his post in October 2026, and the board said it would plan to fill the job over the summer. The museum's release described his plans as "focused, impactful projects" with artists and cultural organizations, plus more time for family and writing.
Neighbors know his tenure best through the building. WIVB's coverage credited Sirén with the $230 million renewal that opened in June 2023 and with the Public Art Initiative he started in 2013. WGRZ listed what that project produced: the Gundlach Building, restored historic buildings, more gallery space, and underground parking.
The board's answer, announced July 24, was not a single new director. The Art Newspaper reported that trustees promoted two people from inside the museum to share the top job as equals. Deputy director Jillian Jones becomes executive director, and chief curator Cathleen Chaffee becomes artistic director. Both start November 1 and report directly to the board. Chaffee joined the AKG as a curator in 2014, and Jones started as director of advancement in 2015. Jones grew up in Buffalo, and she worked with Sirén and the board to finish the $230 million capital campaign.
Board president Alice Jacobs explained the choice plainly: "I frankly couldn't think of any better profiles to fill the roles than what we have right in front of us." Buffalo Rising reported that the pair will lead a strategic plan meant to make the museum "an agile, innovative, and globally engaged cultural institution."
That's the first schedule. The second is on the gallery walls, and it doesn't line up neatly with the first.
What's on the walls, and when
Five exhibitions have dates that matter between now and spring. Each one has a different start and end date, so what you can see changes almost week to week:
| Exhibition | Dates | On view Nov. 6? | On view Dec. 4? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ali Banisadr: Temple of the Mind | June 26 to Nov. 8, 2026 | Yes, two days before it closes | No |
| Natvar Bhavsar: Free Yourself | Aug. 21, 2026 to April 4, 2027 | Yes | Yes |
| Ragnar Kjartansson: Politics of the Obvious | Sept. 4, 2026 to Jan. 31, 2027 | Yes | Yes |
| The Light in the Window | Oct. 30, 2026 to May 9, 2027 | Yes, one week after opening | Yes |
| Alex Da Corte: The Party | Dec. 11, 2026 to May 3, 2027 | No | No, opens a week later |
Here's what each one is. Temple of the Mind pairs Banisadr's work with an artist-led intervention among works from the museum's collection. Free Yourself covers five decades of Bhavsar's abstract painting and his use of pure color. Politics of the Obvious brings together six immersive installations by Kjartansson. The Light in the Window is a group show of contemporary artists exploring the idea of home through belonging, memory, isolation and displacement. Da Corte's The Party is the premiere of a feature-length, stop-motion animated opera based on Marisol's multi-figure sculpture of the same name.
Banisadr closes before Da Corte opens, so no single visit this season covers all five. The best you can do is four, and that only happens between October 30 and November 8.
Why November 6 is the date to circle
The AKG's M&T FIRST FRIDAYS run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of every month, with M&T Bank as sponsor. On those nights, admission to the Gundlach and Wilmers buildings is pay-what-you-wish, and the Knox Building is free as always. The October 30 to November 8 window that shows four exhibitions includes exactly one first Friday, November 6. It's six days after Jones and Chaffee take over and two days before Banisadr closes.
The next first Friday, December 4, comes one week before The Party opens. If Da Corte is the one you most want to see, you'll need a different plan. Kjartansson closes January 31, so check the AKG's calendar for the remaining First Fridays before then.
On a First Friday you get more than the galleries. The museum lists free drop-in art activities in the studios, artist demonstrations in the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Town Square, curator- and docent-led tours, live music at the Sculpture Bar, and talks and films in the Lipsey Auditorium.
What a regular visit costs, set against the free options
The pay-what-you-wish option matters more once you know the regular prices. The AKG's hours and admission page currently lists:
- Adults: $24
- Seniors 62 and older: $20
- College students: $20
- Ages 5 to 18: $10
- Ages 4 and under: free
- Members: free
Two other free options matter for people who live nearby. The Seymour H. Knox Building is always free, and on First Fridays the pay-what-you-wish pricing covers the Gundlach and Wilmers buildings. Free admission also applies to active-duty U.S. armed services members and their families, Arts Access passholders, and members of participating reciprocal museum networks.
If you'd rather go on a quiet weekday afternoon than a busy Friday night, compare a membership with paying at the door. The AKG's membership page lists $30 for students, $45 for seniors, $70 for an individual and $100 for two people. At current prices, three adult visits cost $72, so the $70 individual membership covers itself on the third visit. Two adults going together pay $48 a visit, and the $100 dual membership costs less than three of those trips. With Da Corte opening December 11 and The Light in the Window running until May 9, 2027, the shows alone add up to several visits by spring. Every membership level also includes a guest pass, member previews and a $4 parking discount when spaces are available.
Building the visit around the hours
The museum is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It's open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. On Fridays it stays open until 8 p.m., or 9 p.m. on First Fridays.
Cornelia, the restaurant in the Knox Building, follows the same hours. Lunch generally runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Fridays there's happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 8 p.m., and Sunday brunch runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cornelia takes reservations for Friday nights and brunch. On November 6, that means a Friday dinner reservation and pay-what-you-wish galleries can share the same evening, with the museum open an hour after the kitchen's posted dinner hours end.
There's a closer date too. The AKG's 30th annual Art Alive is this Saturday, October 10, from 2 to 5 p.m. on the Great Lawn and in Wilson Town Square. It's free, and this year it adds an edible-art category. It falls in Sirén's final month as director.
On Elmwood, closer to home, Skeleton Dojo Social Club held its grand opening September 25 in the lower level of 875 Elmwood Ave. WKBW reported that cofounder Falynn Waugh described it as "a little bit cafe, a little bit co-working."
Exhibition dates, prices and hours above come from the AKG's own pages as currently posted. The museum updates them, so check the hours page before heading over.
At Benjamin Domagala, we keep track of the Delaware West Ferry calendar the same way we keep track of the homes around it. If you live near the AKG and wonder how being a short walk from the museum figures into your home's value, let's connect. A free home valuation is a good first step.
