The Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University presents "Michael Veit: Unity Park", May 2 - September 14, 2008. The exhibition is part of the museum's TopSpin series, featuring regional artists, sponsored by Tops Markets.

Like many cities, Niagara Falls, New York has seen booming periods of growth as well as significant periods of decline. In the shadow of a mass exodus of corporations and population, the physical and social fabric of the city has frayed. Michael Veit has captured this atmosphere of decline through the lens of his camera by documenting the post-habitation of the housing complex Unity Park. Units were vacated hastily, with tenants leaving many personal items behind. Abandoned items were left where they sat when the apartment was occupied, creating a strange environment as if suddenly all human presence vanished. Veit's photographic record details countless families forced to leave their homes by the mismanagement of others. Each apartment in the complex housed a family, a history, a story. Demolition of Unity Park began in December of 2006. By January 2007, only piles of rubble remained.

Veit hopes that his photographs strike an emotional chord: "It's well acknowledged within photographic circles that the camera points both ways. But considering the material presented in Unity Park, I hope viewers recognize that the camera actually points in three directions - at the subject, the photographer, and also at the viewer themselves. If viewers are drawn to experience the material with sympathetic recognition rather than distant curiosity, then my goal for the project will be met."

A long time resident of Niagara Falls, Veit studied Psychology at Niagara University and film making at New York University. Varied interests led him to pursue wide ranging opportunities, from landscape design to gold prospecting. Rediscovering his affinity for photography, Veit embarked on a career as a freelance photographer in 2000. Beyond portraiture and architectural photography, his personal photographic projects include extensive documentation of Buffalo's grain elevator district and a new photographic study of tourism in Niagara Falls.

The exhibition opens with a First Friday reception on May 2, 2008, from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. The event features an artist talk, live music by Tony Krew & Company, cash bar, refreshments, raffles and art activities for children. Admission is free to museum members/$5 others. For more information, contact Michael Beam, Curator of Exhibitions & Collections at 716-286-8286.