If the success of a vibrant community depends in part on the availability of arts and culture, then the City of Flint is a haven for artistic pursuits and public appreciation and enjoyment. In addition to the Flint Cultural Center, which includes the Flint Institute of Arts, Flint Institute of Music, Sloan Museum of Discovery and Longway Planetarium to name a few, Downtown is also home to the Buckham Fine Arts Project.
BFAP sign announcing the first exhibition in 1984.
Also known as Buckham Gallery, Buckham Fine Arts Project (BFAP) is the current name of the organization with all of its programs and outreach projects. When referring to the exhibition programming and physical gallery, it’s Buckham Gallery, according to Michele Leclaire, Executive Director for the past four years.
Art programs and venues can enrich communities by preserving and celebrating its peoples’ heritage, traditions and diversity. They bring together people from all backgrounds and promote social interaction, as well as drawing visitors from around the country which provides a revenue source for local businesses.
“The Buckham Fine Arts Project was founded by a group of Flint area artists who sought to fulfill the city’s need for a local exhibition and performance venue that would direct its creative attention to presenting ambitious work,” Leclaire explained.
BFAP Founding Members include: (Back, L-R) Robin Bucab, Sam Morello, John Bender, Syd Atkinson, Bob Caskey. (Center, L-R) Jan Hartrauft, Ken Kinyon, Pat Mishina, Jim Anthony, Gary Gebhardt. (On floor, L-R) Tom Nuzum, Nancy Toth (Moran)
The 12 founding charter BFAP members are Jim Anthony, Syd Atkinson, John Bender, Robin Bucab, Bob Caskey, Gary Gebhardt, Jan Hartrauft, Ken Kinyon, Pat Mishina, Nancy Moran, Sam Morello and Tom Nuzum. In late 1983, the group gathered to talk about the concept, officially incorporated Buckham in March of 1984 and presented its first exhibition on May 12, 1984.
Owned by founding member Gary Gebhardt, the original gallery space (1984-2019) was located on the second floor of a vintage building in Downtown Flint – a large, open loft space with a barrel ceiling. The artist-members of Buckham Fine Arts Project transformed the space, installing lighting, drywall and required amenities.
“Soon, artists from the area and across the state and country were exhibiting at Buckham,” Leclaire said. “The gallery became the hub of Flint’s creative community, providing both visual and performing artists with a place not only to exhibit and perform, but also to discuss and explore innovative, creative ideas and processes.”
(L-R) Current Buckham staff includes Michele Leclaire, Executive Director and Katie Cotton, Project & Communications Coordinator.
In 2019, with generous funding provided by the C.S. Mott Foundation, Buckham Gallery moved to a new Downtown facility. The current gallery space is a ground-level storefront with automatic doors allowing easy access for all guests. Located in the Second St. corridor, Buckham Gallery is accessible by bus, car and foot traffic.
“The Buckham Fine Arts Project was founded by a group of Flint area artists who sought to fulfill the city’s need for a local exhibition and performance venue that would direct its creative attention to presenting ambitious work.”
Michele Leclaire, Executive Director
Buckham started celebrating its 40th anniversary in April 2023 with an exhibition of works by Co-founder, Sam Morello. “He was a fantastic printmaker,” said Leclaire. “We had the good fortune of holding the show and reception with Sam present, before he passed away last fall.”
Buckham officially opened the anniversary season on October 6, 2023 with Co-founder Tom Nuzum’s exhibition of selected large-scale paintings. Nuzum is known for his bold use of color, texture and scale in his paintings.
The 2024 Buckham Arts Collective members present at April’s annual meeting.
“Both Morello and Nuzum were integral to Buckham’s longevity,” Leclaire added.
On October 12, 2023 Buckham hosted an anniversary kick-off event with live music and refreshments, welcoming many past members and individuals back to the Gallery to share their stories.
The 40th Anniversary Season features ten distinct exhibitions, with a total of 22 visual art shows highlighting both solo and group artists. Buckham also has a Writer in Residence, Artist Talks in the gallery, student internships and collaborative projects such as the Flint Emerging Artist Fellowship with UM-Flint, Buckham Artists at McLaren’s Karmanos Proton Wing, and events with Gothic Funk Press and Say Your Piece.
The limited edition anniversary screen print is available at the gallery and on the website (buckhamgallery.org) for $40.
Other notable exhibitions include the May show “40 Years of Buckham Fine Art Project” marking four decades since the first exhibition in the original gallery. This invitational exhibition features over 60 artists, including founding members, current and past members of the Collective, as well as select individuals who participated in exhibition programming through the years. The opening reception was held at Buckham Gallery on May 10, 2024 during the Flint ArtWalk event, with over 400 visitors in attendance to celebrate the anniversary.
Buckham will close out the season with a two-person show featuring works by Co-founders Gary Gebhardt and Tom Nuzum in September.
Installation view of 40 Years of Buckham Fine Arts Project show with work by Guy Adamec, Aisha Changezi, Cliff Hughes, Tim Kranz, Daniel Kienitz, John Dempsey,Gary Gebhardt, Tom Nuzum, and John Kotarski.
“In addition to the exhibitions, two of my favorite Buckham projects (works) are our Writer in Residence (WIR) program and shipping stipends for exhibiting artists,” Leclaire said. “The WIR collaboration provides an opportunity for the writer to engage with their interest in visual art, gain exposure for their literary arts and engage Flint’s BIPOC community in a meaningful way,” she adds. “For the anniversary season, we have resident writer Jenifer Fernandes Veloso courageously approaching each show and stretching herself artistically in different genres, and Guest Writer Xzavier V. Simon responded to the three artists who were awarded shows from our 2022 ‘BIPOC is The Theme’ exhibition.
The BFAP 40th Anniversary Season started in October 2023 and will end on September 30, 2024. The celebration included an anniversary exhibition that ran from May 10 – June 8, 2024.
“The awarding of partial shipping stipends for exhibiting artists is new this season to celebrate our anniversary and in commitment to our support of artists. Transporting artworks across the country can be a large financial burden for artists. As a nonprofit organization, we are looking for ways to lighten that burden to ensure we can offer Flint area residents artistic experiences typically available only in larger urban areas.”
What does the future hold for Buckham?
“When Buckham started forty years ago, they didn’t know if it was going to last a month, a year, or longer,” Leclaire shared. “The organization has experienced many ups and downs over the years, largely due to fluctuations in its financial stability. The board and I are working to make Buckham more stable.
A party and opening reception for 40 Years of Buckham Fine Arts Project was held at the gallery on May 10, 2024.
“Our Arts Collective currently includes visual artists and writers. We want to encourage the pursuit of creativity in our community and add more opportunities for artists and arts appreciators to participate. We also want to grow opportunities for collaborations with performing artists at Buckham. Ultimately, we hope to have a larger gallery where we can grow our programming to include studios and a project space for large-scale or site-specific installations. We want to draw more artists to Flint for the enrichment of our community.”
