From the outside, the former Immaculate Conception Church looks like a classic Gothic Revival landmark in Buffalo, New York’s Allentown Historic District. Step inside, and you’ll find something far more unexpected. For years, artist and designer Dennis Maher worked on demolition crews while teaching architecture at the University at Buffalo, witnessing firsthand how many of the city’s historic buildings were being lost. He began collecting fragments and materials from demolition sites and transforming them into sculptures. That early work evolved into a creative practice that blurs the lines between art, architecture, and preservation. Today, Maher directs The Assembly House, a nonprofit educational and cultural space housed inside the former Immaculate Conception Church. Here, students of all ages work alongside carpenters, masons, and stained-glass specialists to learn the fundamentals of preservation trades. Discover how Maher’s vision and approach to preservation are building community and preparing a new generation of skilled craftspeople: https://ow.ly/LU0t50XqwKv Pictured: Assembly House Reliquary Photo by Biff Henrich
