ROB LYNCH - BMHOF CLASS OF 2011

Rob Lynch is a painter, musician, and teacher. Born in Niagara Falls, N.Y. in 1974, he received a B.A. in Art Education (k-12) in 1998 and an M.A. in Multidisciplinary Studies in 2002, both from Buffalo State College. 

Lynch has exhibited his paintings in solo and group shows throughout Western New York. His work can also be found in private and public collections nationwide. He has a lengthy career as a commercial artist as well. 

Lynch has released four solo albums and has a long history as a session musician working with artists including Peter Case, Ani DiFranco (in collaboration with Michael Meldrum), and Rex Hobart. He is also a founding member of Robot Holiday, a group of Western New York musicians who play non-traditional Christmas songs every year. In 2011, Lynch became one of the youngest artists ever inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.

In a 2007 interview, Lynch discussed his working process: 

“Both in painting and music, I try to make art that is straight and crooked at the same time. Familiar but slanted in a way that it makes you giggle – not knowing what else to do. I like to direct my work so that both my music and paintings are funny in public and lonesome in private. I like the contrast of profound and frivolous. That’s a theme I visit often. ...  Neither painting nor music are built for direct and clear communication…they’re more slippery than that, thankfully. My works are not meant to be so literal. I like them to be simple and quirky enough that they can be read many ways, and maybe when something happens to you, you’ll remember a painting or a melody and think, “That’s what that one was about!'... 

"... Good work gets into your veins and becomes part of you. ... There’s a Phillip Guston quote that i often think of when starting a work- ‘I don’t know what I’m painting for. That’s what I’m painting for. ‘ It’s the search, the mystery, the fun of trying things out and the surprise of looking back at what I’ve done that keeps me working. There’s a magic moment that creative types get to experience. It happens when you’re up most of the night working, working, working…and you are so close to what you're making that you lose sight of it. Like an inexperienced billboard painter. You’ve got no idea what it looks like from a distance. But in the morning you get to experience the thing – fresh, and that is a wonderful, unique experience. If it’s a recording I made, I turn it up loud as soon as I wake up. If it's a painting, I prop it up across from my bed so i see it as soon as the blur of sleep leaves my eyes. The work becomes very foreign and detached after a little night of sleep. And that moment of meeting the work again is powerful. A cold hard look in the mirror. It’s exhilarating when you’re surprised in a good way, and devastating when you feel like a failure and think, ‘Why am i doing this? What was I thinking!’" 

Lynch has taught for many years at Niagara Falls High School (fine arts and music) and Buffalo Arts Studio (painting), and as a teaching artist with the Arts In Education Institute of WNY. 

The artist is also known as an advocate for his hometown, as a Buffalo Rising writer noted in 2015: 

"Every city could use a Rob Lynch. Scratch that. Every city could use a hundred Rob Lynchs. When taking a close look at Niagara Falls, you will find that there are some real diehard evangelists ... Lynch happens to be one of those evangelists. For years he has been screaming from the rooftops, 'Come visit our city, you will love it here once you know where to look!'” 

Born in 1974 in Niagara Falls, New York, Robert Lynch earned a Masters in Multidisciplinary Studies from Buffalo State College in 2002. 

An award winning teacher, Rob has taught both Fine Art and Music at Niagara Falls High School, Buffalo Arts Studio, The Albright Knox Art Gallery, Artpark, The Burchfield Penney Art Center, Alder Creek Music, Lewiston Porter High School, and various Buffalo Public Schools as a teaching artist with the Arts In Education Institute of WNY. His combined years of teaching nearly equal his years on the planet. Always looking to wear more hats, Rob has worked as a contributing reviewer for the Buffalo News, a hat model for Buffalo Spree Magazine, and was featured in a 2015 ad campaign for Excelsior Orthopedics. He kids you not. 

Rob’s Multidisciplinary background has found a home in various places: He has produced four solo recordings of “bittersweet art pop”, one of which was proclaimed by Buffalo News music critic Jeff Miers as, “One of the best releases of the year, period. Stunning.” His discography as an award winning session musician is long and varied. Highlights include work with national artists Peter Case, Stan Ridgway, Gurf Morlix, Ani Difranco, Rex Hobart, Michael Tarbox and 10,000 Maniacs founders John and Mary. Some of the more interesting musical paths taken include a weekly bluegrass gig with guitarist Doug Yeomans, a soul jazz matinee with organist Ronnie Davis and a yearly recording project of non-traditional Christmas songs known as Robot Holiday. In the early 90’s Rob’s band placed first in the Late Night with Conan O’Brien College Music Search, narrowly missing the grand prize of appearing on the show but gaining a fantastic NBC sweatshirt (now lost). Working heavily in a variety of styles lead to his induction in the Buffalo Music Hall Of Fame in 2011 as one of the organization’s youngest members. 

Rob has worked as a commercial artist for Media Play Inc, Buffalo Spree, The Hard Rock Café, You And Who and The Aquarium of Niagara Falls. Public art exhibitions include Herd about Buffalo, Papergirl (Berlin, Germany), The Hard Rock Café New Years Eve Guitar Drop, and the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation. Rob’s paintings are held in numerous private and public collections nationwide and exhibited in Western New York and beyond through solo and group shows.

Partial List of Credits & People played with:

Greg Klyma, Nelson Starr, Doug Yeomans and The Lo Blu Flame, The Tails, The Blue Ox Band, Mr. Conrad, Stan Ridgway, The Sportmen, Lance Diamond, Elton Lammie, The Twang Gang, Ajax, Dave Shultz and CO Jones, Hussalonia, The Lemonhelpers, Rex Hobart and the Wrecks, Wisdom Of Children, Michael Campagna, the Possums, Peter Case, John and Joe, The Irving Klaws, Ed Bentley, Big Wheelie, Mike Oliver and the Sacred Band, Chris Cannon, Dave Ruch, Tom Fenton, Roger Bryan, Alan Whitney, Rick Smith, The Doug and Gretch Band, James Patrick Lynch, Adjoa Skinner, Jamie Holka, The Steam Donkeys, Afterimage, Autobahn, Dr. Z, Major Healy, David Kane Quartet, Liz Abott, Mark Freeland's Electroman, Brian Wheat, John Mahoney, Jud Sunshine, JJ Muscato and Blue Ave, Tyler Harrington, The Buffalo Opera Company, Rob Lynch's Adjustable Friends, The Stumblers, Myron Deputat, Mike Meldrum's Buffalo Song Project, Ani Difranco, Joe Rozler, the Morvells, Leigh Stoner, The Buffalovebirds, John Martz, The Sid Winkler Trio, Laura Hubert and Peter Hill, John and Mary and the Valkeries, Numoniker, The Tarbox Ramblers, Gurf Morlix, Ani Phillipone, Robot Holiday, Joelle Labert, Dee Adams, Mike Morrissey's Revered Morrissey, Mark Winsick, the Ronnie Davis Combo, Jim Whitford, Dave Ruch, The Jim and Cathy Band, Cathy Cafragnia, Tom Stall, John Brady, The Black Cat Bules Band, Al Tinney, Geno McManus, The Ifs, Tadaaki Naguma, Down To The Roots (aka thursday night bluegrass at the hardware!), The Panfill Brothers, Alison Pipitone, Rob Falgiano, Plaster Sandals, The Contortionists, Fifty Diamond Rocks, The Allen St. Jazz Band, The Black Rock Beatles, Phil Sims.

Solo records: Welcome to Sound (2002)
Gift Songs From A Lovely, Puzzling Sea (2007)
Duets (2008)Rob Lynch and Jonathan Hughes, Public/Private (2012)
And Now We Have Bear Boxer (2016)