Fall 2015 marked Squeaky Wheel Film & Media Art Center’s 30th year as a pioneering cultural presence in Buffalo and beyond. The 30th Anniversary Exhibition celebrated the past, present and future of this acclaimed, grassroots media art center.

An inclusive survey, the exhibition highlighted work created by founding members, former and current staff, resident artists, work pulled from the public access show archives of AxleGrease and ArtGrease, and activist and community media created through the organization’s long-running roster of production-based initiatives and educational programs.  Squeaky Wheel’s 30th celebration provided a peek inside the eclectic archives of this small, spirited and aptly named artist-run-space. The exhibition was a gesture. It did not pretend to present a history, but rather traces of histories that are multifaceted and fluid – fragments excavated from a relatively large and diverse archive and given generously by a continuously growing community of media makers.

The exhibition featured work by: 8mm News Collective, Alex Anas, Fred Bacher, George Bagdasarov (as Labodoble Infinito with Alex Moralesova), Jason Bernagozzi, Peer Bode, Diane Bonder, John Bono, Dorothea Braemer, Buffalo Artists Against Repression and Censorship, Cade Bursell, Patrick Cain, Anna Chiaretta Lavatelli, Martha Colburn, Tony Conrad, Jax Deluca (in collaboration with Kyle Marler as Flatsitter), Ghen Dennis, Roberta Dombrowski, Julia Dzwonkoski (in collaboration with Kye Potter), Ron Ehmke, Rachel Fein- Smolinski, David Gracon, Stephanie Gray, Ruth Goldman, Daniel Henderson, Paris Henderson, Armin Heurich, HK, Kathy High, Chris Hill, Cheryl Jackson, Eric Jensen, Meg Knowles, Caroline Koebel, Mike Kuchar, Jody Lafond, Al Larsen, Barbara Lattanzi, Carl Lee, Mark Longolucco, Andrea Mancuso (as Virocode with Peter D’Auria), Stella Marrs, Matthew McElligott, Tammy McGovern, Media Coalition for Reproductive Rights, Brian Milbrand, Vincenzo Mistretta, Jan Nagle, Danny Plotnick, Robby Rackleff, Matthew Rousselle, Doug Ruffin, Ruth Sergel, Ellen Spiro, Brian Springer, Kelly Spivey, Studio of the Streets, Carolyn Tennant (in collaboration with J.T. Rinker), Tiny Circus, Igor Vamos, Paula Watkins, Diedie Weng, Richard Wicka and Julie Zando.

Installed in the Project Space at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, six flatscreens organized into sample reels featuring Founders, Staff, AxleGrease and ArtGrease contributors, Resident Artists, Youth Media Initiative alumni, and Activist Collectives, Coalitions and Programs each included 8- 15 artists, collaboratives and collectives per reel, and over 1030 minutes (roughly 17 hours) of video. The museum-goer became curator of their own experience as they made selections via Mira controllers on mounted iPads.

Curated by Anna Scime; with Don Metz and a Committee of former and 2015-2016 board, staff and artists.

This exhibition and related events were generously supported by: The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts, ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes, Erie County Arts & Cultural Funding, M&T Charitable Foundation and New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).

And by: 2nd floor projects, Josephine Anstey, Tony Bannon, Dorothea Braemer, Terri-Lee Burger, Ina Cajulis, Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre, Tom Colley, Tony Conrad, Ron Emhke, Ruth Goldman, Hallwalls, Kathleen Heyworth, Ruth Hodgins, Mona Jimenez, Tullis Johnson, Mary Kozub, Lumiflux Media, Andrea Mancuso, John Malinowski, Corey Mansfield, John Massier, Laura McGough, Brian Milbrand, Aimée Mitchell, Moving Image Archiving and Preservation Program at New York University, Liss Platt, Scott Propeak, Kathy Short, Annette Daniels Taylor, Margaret Tedesco, Carolyn Tennant, Renata Toney, Video Data Bank, and Leslie J. Walker.

Image courtesy of Shasti O'Leary-Soudant & SOS CREATIVE LLC.