Mission
Buffalo Prescott’s mission is to nurture the growth of Detroit's contemporary art ecosystem by providing direct material support to artists, fostering multi-layered interactions, and offering accessible educational/cultural programming.
Based in Detroit, Buffalo Prescott serves as a nonprofit artist incubator and hub, providing a dynamic studio residency program, engaging community workshops, and vibrant public programming. It offers an enriching network for emerging artists, propelling them into the next phase of their careers.
Our public programming is aimed at filling the gaps in the Detroit art scene, collaborating with local institutions and creatives, and offering a platform and exposure for Detroit’s tremendous well of talent. We intend to maintain a healthy sense of work-life balance and have a strong focus on supporting artists with children.
Staff
Samara Furlong
Founder and Director
Founder Samara Furlong is an independent curator and champion of contemporary art, raised and rooted in Detroit’s art circles. Buffalo Prescott realizes her dream of developing an arts education space that creates access for the diverse set of communities that make up the Detroit metropolitan area. Furlong’s vision for the Foundation has been shaped by her role as a parent plus her personal artistic and curatorial practice, combined with her experiences at Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and Dia Art Foundation. She holds an MA in Contemporary Art from Sotheby’s Institute of Art and serves on the Museum Committee of Cranbrook Art Museum and the DIA’s Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art. Samara and her husband Mark are committed to developing Buffalo Prescott into a lasting and impactful member of Detroit’s cultural landscape while advocating for and maintaining work-life balance all around and supporting working parents.
Leto Rankine
Managing Director
Leto Rankine is a long-time Detroit resident and passionate advocate for arts and culture. As Managing Director his strong ties to the city provide a broad network of people-based connections to serve the Foundation’s mission. From his time at Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Rankine brings over a decade of hands-on institutional experience in project management, programming, fundraising, and relationship building with community partners, donors, artists, and other stakeholders.
Outside of the institution, he was active in Detroit’s punk, hip hop, techno, skateboarding, and graffiti scenes from the early 90s with a background in creative writing, fatherhood, and alternative cultural economies.
Contact Buffalo Prescott sees communication with stakeholders as vital to our efforts to engage with our broader communities. Please click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.
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