Tuesday night, the Albright-Knox was kind enough to host a group of members and supporters for “After Hours @ AK.”

Guests were treated to a conversation with curator Heather Pesanti, speaking on the “Wish You Were Here: The Buffalo avant-garde in the 1970s” exhibition. We got a behind-the-scenes look at four installations from the exhibit including works from Cindy Sherman, Tony Conrad, Gordon Matta-Clark and Paul Sharits.

These artists were just a few notables from the 300 works of art on display in an array of media including painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, performance, literature, and music.

According to the Albright-Knox,

The title Wish You Were Here comes from a notable anecdote of the time: In the aftermath of Western New York’s catastrophic Blizzard of ’77, instead of closing shop, Hallwalls responded with characteristic spontaneity and tenacity by putting together a memorable Snow Show featuring snow works by fifty-five artists.

One of the participants, the artist Diane Bertolo, perfectly encapsulated the ironic yet persevering sensibility of the moment when she included a postcard-shaped wall painting on which she had written “Having a wonderful time . . . wish you were here.”

Grounding the exhibition as a geographically based exploration of a particular era, the title suggests not only a tongue-in-cheek response typical of outsiders’ (and snowed-in natives’) unenthusiastic view of Buffalo, but also a poignant sensibility referring to a moment that was truly special, something not to be missed.

This exhibition was organized by curator, Heather Pesanti and will run at the Albright-Knox until July 8. For more information on “Wish You Were Here,” check out the Albright-Knox website.