The Buffalo AKG Art Museum's nearly $200 million renovation and expansion transformed one of the jewels of Buffalo.
In the estimation of USA Today, it turned something old into something new, which is how the museum ended up vying for the honor of Best New Museum in the country.
Paid attendance has topped 115,000 and is on pace to reach 251,909, more than double 2018, the last full year of operation prior to closing for the expansion project, a museum official said.
"These museums have been nominated by an expert panel as the best new venues on the scene, ranging from avant-garde art spaces to colorful children’s museums, and they represent the top openings of the past two years," the newspaper said in announcing the 10 competitors in the contest.
Voting is now open and ends at noon Dec. 25. Winners will be announced at noon Jan. 5.
Patrons can cast their votes once daily at 10best.usatoday.com.
Buffalo, the state's second-biggest city, is finally stepping out of Niagara Falls' shadow when it comes to attracting tourists, with "assets that are attractive to people in and of themselves," said Ed Healy, vice president of marketing at Visit Buffalo Niagara.
Although the museum opened its doors in 1905, the recent rebranding and expansion likely led to its consideration as a "new museum," said Andrew Mayer, the marketing and media relations manager at Buffalo AKG.
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"The staff here is not only proud of the institution and the work that we do here, but we also know that the work that we do here can have a tremendous impact on the tourism and driving economic tourism to this area," he said. "So, it's an honor to be directing people's eyes and attention nationally and internationally to Buffalo."
Other contenders for the honor include the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas; the Museum of Broadway in New York City; and the International African American Museum in Charleston, S.C.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the AKG was leading the contest.
If the idea of Western New York being home to a "Best New Museum" sounds familiar, it should. In 2020, the National Comedy Center in Jamestown received that honor from USA Today, and has used it in marketing the museum since.
Those who have visited the AKG since its summer reopening would attest to its newness. Bright and airy, adding the new installations – as part of the $195 million expansion, restoration and renovation project – to the existing mix of art exhibits, AKG qualifies as a transformative experience, many have said.
Paid attendance at the museum this year has topped 115,000 and is on pace to reach 251,909, more than double 2018, the last full year of operation prior to closing for the expansion project. With this exponential rise in numbers, it may become the highest attendance year since the museum's 1977-78 season that drew 303,858 patrons. The holiday season is usually the busiest time of the year, Mayer said.
Patrick Kaler, the president and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara, said the museum with its world-renowned collection has always been an "exceptional asset" in the Buffalo-Niagara region. Being considered one of the best in any category will highlight that.
"To be number one gets the attention of art and architecture enthusiasts and gives us a jumping point to tell the overall Buffalo story," Kaler said. "It's going to start with Buffalo AKG, but then it's going to bleed out to everything else that we have in our community to have a total destination experience in Buffalo and Erie County."