The Bennington Concrete Collective; Sculptural works by Ed Hallborg and J. Brian Pfeiffer
Where: Roz Steiner Art Gallery at Genesee Community College,
One College Road, Batavia, NY. 14020
On view: 1/21/25 – 3/6/25
Receptions: Thursday, January 30 from 12:30pm – 2:00pm & 5:00pm – 7:00pm. Meet our artists and enjoy some refreshments while viewing this exciting new sculptural exhibit.
Contact: gccgallery@genesee.edu with any questions
The Roz Steiner Art Gallery is kicking off 2025 with an exciting new sculptural exhibit! The Bennington Concrete Collective features artwork by Ed Hallborg and J. Brian Pfeiffer. Hallborg and Pfeiffer both use concrete/cement as the foundation of their pieces. Hallborg creates relief sculptures by spreading layers of cements onto wood, and then carving into it. Recently, he has been experimenting with color in his artwork by layering chalk pastels onto the dried cement for added dimension. Take note of the colorful strokes used in Collaboration Piece, which consists of many interlocking sculptures on display together for the first time. Pfeiffer creates stone blocks out of concrete and marble dust, which he then carves into to create his free-standing sculptures. In contrast to his smaller pieces on display, Pfeiffer also creates large scale sculptures, some of which you’ll find permanently displayed around Western NY. This requires him to weld metal armatures to create a stable base, which he then covers in concrete. Pfeiffer says most of his sculptures are built for interaction, and he encourages viewers to get up close to his artwork. Feel free to take a seat on Sitting Man when you visit the Roz Steiner Art Gallery. Texture and shadow take center stage in The Bennington Concrete Collective. There is a playful mix of abstract artwork on display next to figurative pieces, from both of these talented artists.
Ed Hallborg is a Western New York based studio artist, theatre designer, educator, and musician. He first began working with wood forms and concrete while studying as a Carpenter’s Apprentice in the Southwest United States. Graduating SUNY with a BS of Design in 2002, he currently serves as Professor of Practice and Resident Designer/Technical Director for the Theatre Department of Hobart and William Smith Colleges. In June 2024, he was selected as one of the four Roycroft Emerging Artists:Cohort 2024, sponsored by the Roycroft at Large Association, a Craftsman community in East Aurora, NY. In October of the same year, he was juried in as an exhibiting member of the Buffalo Society of Artists. Ed just finished up a delightfully collaborative NYSCA Independent Artist Grant working with elementary aged artists in the fall of 2024 which he’d be happy to tell you about. He has shown at gallerys throughout the Western and Central NY region.
J. Brian Pfeiffer is a self-taught sculptor, born in 1964. He has been creating sculptures using concrete or stone (alabaster) since 1984. Pfeiffer is the owner of A Sculptor’s Soul Studio, which is located in the rolling hills of Bennington, a small town in Western New York. He has abstract and figurative sculptures of all sizes scattered around his property, as well as commissioned pieces in private collections and public installations peppered throughout Western New York. The largest being a 6 ton concrete sculpture, which is called UNITY, a 911 Memorial donated to the Fireman’s Home/Museum in the Hudson Valley. He is a recipient of the New York State Council on the Arts Community Arts Grant in 2024, and has won numerous awards for his sculptures at the Allentown Arts Festival.