Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "It's remarkable. I've been inside several times already and it's a gamechanger," said Peter Hunt, Chairman and CEO of Hunt Real Estate Corporation, when asked to comment on Buffalo's AKG on WBEN Monday.
"This is an incredible display in a remarkable setting." Hunt said what makes AKG a gamechanger is the fact that so much more art can be displayed. "We have almost four times as much display space as we did previously. We can display so many great masterpieces, which are world renowned, all at once."
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Hunt is a member of the AKG Board of Directors and a supporter of the arts himself, as founder of the Hunt Art Gallery, located in the Brisbane Building in Downtown Buffalo.
"It's masterful what Yanni Sirén and the staff have done," said Hunt in describing how the old and new part of the gallery blend together. "As you walk into the old building, the Wilmers building from 1905, you begin with the oldest pieces. As you move through that part of the museum, you get more and more contemporary. Then as you go across the bridge into the Gundlach Building, that's where it explodes into modern times."
Hunt added that it is done chronologically, so you get a sense of how fine art has changed over the years. He called it an "experience" that is truly remarkable.
"I brought a guest here for the opening, Greg Ferrero of Goldman Sachs. He was completely blown away by what he saw. He used the word "gamechanger" and said we are now an international destination."
A week ago, local officials were breaking ground on a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills. Monday is the opening of Buffalo AKG.
What do the museum and new stadium do for Buffalo?
"We have always been, in my mind, from an architectural standpoint and an arts standpoint, a world class destination. Now, we're bringing a new focus to our community through both the stadium and art museum. I think this will be something that will not only be an attraction for people to come and visit, but also a reason for people to stay. That is one of the most important things that we can do in Western New York. There are plenty of reasons for people to leave our area. Now, these cultural benchmarks are a good reason for people to stay; especially young people," added Hunt.
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