Robert Booth: Presence

Buffalo Arts Studio presents Presence by Robert Booth
On View August 28 – October 31, 2026
Opening Reception: Friday, August 28, 2026, 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Part of M&T Fourth Friday at Tri-Main
Buffalo, NY — Buffalo Arts Studio is excited to present Presence, an exhibition of sculptural and two-dimensional work by artist Robert Booth, on view from August 28 through October 31, 2026. Presence highlights the relationship between allegory and human existence, encouraging reflection on how we make and mark meaning. An opening reception will be held on Friday, August 28, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm as part of M&T Fourth Friday at Tri-Main.
Whether intentional or by chance, symbols surround us in our daily life, as every person, place, or thing has the potential to hold some hidden meaning for us. Seeing them may stir a memory, spark an emotion, or call us to act. Every day, we feel called to that allegorical impulse: to make sense of our world by piecing together fragmented signs into one cohesive narrative.

Each varied sculptural form and two-dimensional work is packed full of recurring motifs, common symbols that stretch across the entire series in different pairings and configurations. Booth presents scenes that suggest the passage of time, consequences, and memory of something that has or will happen. Everyday imagery, such as houses, pencils, and chairs, points to and suggests something deeper—a meaning that is in flux depending on the symbols surrounding it.

Pulling from a series of artworks entitled Prompts, the work in Presence reveals how Booth flips that core question we might ask when engaging with a work of art—“What does this mean?”—onto the viewer. The symbols and contexts he creates are not intended to hold supreme intrinsic meaning, but instead function as a sort of vocabulary. As a prompt for something more. As a set of ideas inviting the viewer to piece them together from personal memory and experience to articulate meaning. To tell him what it means.

About the Artist
Robert Booth is a Western New York sculptor and educator. He received his BFA in sculpture from the Massachusetts College of Art in 1976 and his MFA from Syracuse University in 1978. Booth has presented his work in more than 100 solo and group exhibitions over the past thirty years, including at the Burchfield Penney in 1995 and 2015. A retired Distinguished Teaching Professor at the State University of New York, Fredonia, he was in charge of the sculpture curriculum there for over 40 years. Booth has served on the Board of Directors for the Mid-America College Art Association and is a former president of the SUNY Council of Art Department Chairs.

About Buffalo Arts Studio
Buffalo Arts Studio (BAS) connects diverse communities through visual arts, offering inclusive exhibitions, educational programs, mentorships, and public art initiatives. BAS provides vital resources for visual artists, including affordable studio space and paid opportunities. Through its programs, BAS serves as a catalyst for self-empowerment, innovation, and regional enhancement.
This exhibition is generously supported by The Cameron and Jane Baird Foundation, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, DownRoot Fund, part of the Crossroads Community Fund, Erie County Cultural Funds, M&T Bank, and through the New York State Council for the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
Buffalo Arts Studio is located in Suite 500 of the Tri-Main Center at 2495 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214. For media inquiries, interview requests, or high-resolution images, please contact Sydney O’Shei at sydney@buffaloartsstudio.org or 716-833-4450 x 114.