Celebrating 30 Years of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts
St. Bonaventure’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a yearlong series of events that began April 26, 2025, and will continue through April 2026.
The celebration will include performances, special events, and community engagement initiatives that honor the center’s legacy and continued commitment to the visual and performing arts.
Artist Carson Waterman was honored at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts’ “Beyond the Canvas” event. From left are Dr. Erin Sadlack, Paula Fidurko Bernstein, Odie Porter, Dr. Rachel M. Harris, Kelly Elmore, Waterman, Donald Hopwood, Klint Nephew and Brian Kelly.
Since its opening in 1995, the Quick Center has been a cornerstone of culture and creativity for both the university and the Western New York region, hosting world-class artists, nurturing local talent, and providing enriching experiences for audiences of all ages.
The center is thankful for the generous contributions that empower it to bring world-class performers to its stages, enriching the understanding of music and fine arts for students and the wider community, allowing them to connect with the journeys of international artists who once stood where they stand.
William Bliss Baker’s “Morning After the Snow” (1885), a notable work from the Col. Michael Friedsam Collection of the St. Bonaventure University Art Collection, is a highly regarded piece at the Quick Center.
These vital gifts also ensure that high-caliber fine arts remain accessible in Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania, because the appreciation and creation of art should never be limited by a ZIP code or an income bracket. We extend a heartfelt invitation to celebrate our 30th anniversary and the bright future of the Quick Center. If you are interested in celebrating and supporting the center’s 30th anniversary endowment, please contact University Advancement at (716) 375-2507.
Recognized for its unwavering dedication to artistic excellence and education, the Quick Center serves as a premier cultural venue and a dynamic learning environment.
Home to a permanent collection of more than 1,800 art objects spanning from antiquity to the 21st century, the center also champions arts education through a robust slate of programs and masterclasses led by visiting artists, welcoming learners of all ages.
“Throughout the past 30 years, the Quick Center for the Arts has become a source of local pride and a vital link to the arts for our communities,” said Rachel Harris, executive director of the Quick Center. “This is an exciting moment in its history as we move to fulfill our mission to revitalize the arts throughout our university, community and region, and to establish the Quick Center as a destination for renowned national and international artists. We would like to invite all in our community to join us throughout this yearlong anniversary celebration and beyond.”
Carson Waterman’s “Woodland Dance in Red and Yellow” (1991), gifted to the Quick Center for the Arts by Priscilla Cunningham and Jay LickDyke in honor of Dr. Anthony Bannon, ’64.
The Quick Center will officially launch its 30th anniversary celebration on Sunday, Sept. 21, with an opening ceremony featuring a performance by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and a dedication to Marianne (Letro) Laine, ’68, a longtime advocate and the center’s largest benefactor in Olean.
As part of the celebration, all five galleries — Front, Kenney, Dresser, Beltz and Laine — will reopen to the public on Sept. 21 with fresh, thoughtfully curated exhibitions reflecting the center’s mission of artistic excellence, education and cultural connection.
- The Front Gallery will feature “Once Upon a Sketch” by Dr. Heather Lynn Harris, associate professor of Communication, offering a behind-the-scenes look at children’s book illustration.
- The Kenney Gallery will highlight treasures from the center’s Southwest and Asian collections, showcasing cultural and spiritual artistry.
- In the Dresser Gallery, realist painters Mikel Wintermantel and Barbara Fox will present evocative works rich in atmosphere and technique.
- The Laine Gallery will honor Indigenous culture through the powerful work of Seneca artist Carson Waterman, blending traditional Haudenosaunee themes with contemporary expression. This engaging immersive exhibit will be multisensory and interactive.
- Enhancing the entire experience, the Beltz Gallery will introduce a new audio tour, providing narrated insights and artist commentary to engage and inform visitors of all ages with narration by Dr. Ed. Simone, former longtime professor and director of SBU’s theater program.
The festivities will conclude on April 24, 2026, with a special closing ceremony honoring the center’s founder and key supporter, Regina A. (Clarkson) Quick, for whom the center is named. The gala will feature a performance by Grammy-nominated, Olean-born artist Calabria Foti.
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