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Sunday, August 16, 2015

Anna Gives Eric & Me a Tour of Babeville in Downtown Buffalo, New York





This is beautiful old
church is Babeville,
.
This remarkable building is
on the New York State &
National Registers of 
Historic Places






The former Asbury United Methodist Church had an active parish until the 1980s,  It sat vacant for about ten years and was slated for demolition in 1995. The public was opposed to losing this beautiful building.  Ani DiFranco and partner, Scot Fisher, purchased the building in 1999 and began refurbishing it.





Geothermal wells, 300 feet
 beneath the parking lot,
heat this massive building.







On this particular day, there is no large performance at Babeville.  Anna's schedule allows time for a tour of the building.

Eric, Anna & me outside Babefille.

We start on the first floor of Babeville.





Center 41st Annual Members
Exhibition





The large space is perfect
for an exhibit with many
pieces.










Paintings, Sketches,
Mixed Media Art 















Ashbury Hall is Babeville's
 main performance space,
seats 1,200.







This beautiful venue is also used for weddings.





Ani & Scot kept the original
flooring, stairs, balconies.










 



basement, is the smaller
 entertainment venue.















This intimate space welcomes
performers regularly.







The brickwork behind the performer has been reclaimed from various buildings to create the intricate backdrop for the stage.





The wooden header above
the bar was salvaged
from the church, upstairs.









 



Performers' posters
















One of the two
"Green Rooms."











Cleaners will take care of the wedding party's "leavings."






Comfortable seating





The large device in the right
of the photo is the church's
original furnace.

It is no longer working.




The building's original
"vacum cleaner."

Anna quips that it is so
old that the correct
spelling of vacuum 
was not yet invented.









Our next stop is Righteous




This statue of Ani was
carved by a fan.







Cherished memories
cover the walls.




Anna & fellow staffers
work beneath this
beautiful stained glass
window.






Thank you, Anna, for giving Eric and me a behind the scenes tour of Babeville.  It is a beautiful, thoughtfully planned series of venues for artists.

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