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Carner Development Completes Ownership Transition of The Bank Hotel and Event Venue

by | Aug 4, 2025 | Member Blog, News

Carner Development Completes Ownership Transition of The Bank Hotel and Event Venue

Carner Development Group (CDG) is pleased to announce the completion of its transition to full ownership and operations of The Bank, a historic East Aurora landmark, operating as a boutique hotel and event venue on Main Street. Following a year-long collaborative period with previous owner Todd Stine, CDG is now firmly at the helm, ready to continue and enhance the exceptional guest experience The Bank is known for.

During the last year, CDG has worked diligently to ensure a smooth handover. This involved a comprehensive year-long partnership with Stine, during which the CDG team immersed themselves in every facet of The Bank’s operations. This invaluable collaboration allowed them to thoroughly understand the intricate business processes, communicate with existing clientele to ensure continuity, and update all necessary documentation.

“We are incredibly grateful to Todd for his unwavering support and guidance throughout this transition,” said Rachel Krajewski, President of CDG. “His vision in restoring and operating The Bank created a truly unique venue, and we were committed to honoring that legacy while strategically implementing enhancements for the future. The past year has been instrumental in ensuring we are fully prepared to deliver the high standards of service and unique experiences guests expect.”

In addition to learning the ropes from the previous owner, CDG has also focused on a number of key initiatives to elevate The Bank’s offerings:

  • Dedicated Director of Hospitality: Andrew Burke is the Director of Hospitality focused on further streamline planning and execution for all events, from weddings and corporate gatherings to private celebrations. Along with spearheading all event aspects of The Bank, Andrew will also lead the team operating Beneath the Bank Boutique Hotel rooms.
  • Enhanced Branding and Visibility: Guests will notice new signage gracing the exterior, reflecting The Bank’s renewed vibrancy under CDG’s ownership.
  • Expanding Operations at Restored Historical Locations in East Aurora: CDG is proud of their work to restore and repurpose historical properties in East Aurora. With the acquisition of the Twin Elms Estate, CDG now owns and operates three Main Street historical properties, including The Liberty Building of EA.

The Bank continues to offer its distinguished blend of historic charm and modern luxury, featuring an elegant event space, a fabulous Art Deco wet bar, and seven uniquely themed hotel rooms inspired by 1920’s bank robbers. The professional caterer’s kitchen, bridal suite, courtyard, private parking, and ADA-compliant restroom remain integral to its appeal.

Carner Development Group is excited for this new chapter and looks forward to welcoming both returning and new guests to The Bank of East Aurora. They are confident that their dedicated team and enhanced operations will continue to make The Bank the quintessential destination for unforgettable events and stays in East Aurora.

For event inquiries visit https://www.bankofea.com.

Pine Street Palooza

Pine Street Palooza

by | Jul 7, 2025 | Events, Member Blog, News

“Pine Street Palooza” scheduled for Saturday, July 12th

With work nearly completed on the reconstruction of Pine Street, local
businesses and residents are ready to celebrate. Neighboring businesses on and
around Pine Street will be hosting “Pine Street Palooza”, a full day of music, activities,
and special offers.

The much needed reconstruction of Pine Street, funded by Erie County, began in late
March and included the repaving of the road and reconstructions of curbs and
sidewalks.

For the past few months, traffic and access to local businesses was limited
from Main Street to Porterville Road.

According to John Cimperman, Founder of 42
North Brewing Company, “It’s been a trying few months for the businesses, the residents, our vendors, and our customers. But kudos to the construction crews for getting this work done. It’s now time to get folks back to the East side of town.”

Pine Street Palooza participating businesses include 42 North Brewing Company, Vidler’s, MuseJar, Stella & Brooke, the Dress Shop, ERLO Contemporary, and the recently opened Ethyl Wine Shop on Persons Alley.

All participating businesses will offer special
discounts to customers and 42 North will host live music beginning at 4 pm.

Cimperman adds, “This event is free to everyone. We just ask that you stop by the local businesses and reintroduce yourselves to them.”

2024 Roycroft Winter Festival returns to the Park School in Amherst Dec. 7 & 8

2024 Roycroft Winter Festival returns to the Park School in Amherst Dec. 7 & 8

by | Nov 27, 2024 | Events, Member Blog, News

The 2024 Roycroft Winter Festival has expanded and will return to The Park School of Buffalo for a second year. This year’s festival will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 7 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2024, at The Park School, located at 4625 Harlem Road in Amherst, with ample and convenient parking.

Roycrofters at Large (RALA) is excited to share that due to the overwhelming success of the 2023 Winter Festival, the 44th annual Roycroft Winter Festival will take place in the Rich Family Activity Center on the Park School Campus. This state of the art facility has allowed RALA to expand the festival to 35 booths and exhibitors, restoring the Roycroft Winter Festival to its previous size for the first time in ten years. Event organizers have reintroduced live art, demonstrations by Masters, artist presentations and seasonal programming, marking this as a return to the Festival that collectors and enthusiasts will recall from years past.

 

This year’s Roycroft Winter Festival features the work of Roycroft Masters and Artisans, two Roycroft Emerging Artist cohorts and a schedule of live and interactive art demonstrations by Roycroft Artisans and Masters throughout the weekend.

RALA and Park are joined by the Buffalo Society of Artists and the Hunt Gallery, thanks to a new collaboration between RALA and The Buffalo Society of Artists. As part of their presence at the festival, live artists demonstrating will include select exhibiting members of the Buffalo Society of Artists on Sunday. The Buffalo Society of Artists is the oldest continuously operating art society in the nation, whose previous members include such members as Claude Monet and Camille Pisarro. RALA is proud to partner with their peers in the WNY fine art sector to showcase the combined talent of our two respected organizations.

The Roycroft Winter Show is a traditional opening of the gift giving season, and offers a wonderful selection of handcrafted fine art and high craft made with the highest standards in craftsmanship.

This year’s Festival Poster highlights the work of Master CJ Hurley of Oil City, Pennsylvania. “Winter Rose” is a significant work by Hurley and RALA is grateful for the opportunity to spotlight this fine work as a collaborative celebration of the White Rose’s 20th anniversary. A limited series of commemorative posters will be released for purchase at the Winter Festival to festival goers and available to membership following the festival.
NEW to the Roycroft Winter Festival in 2024: Visitors with children can sit with Santa Claus from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday on a Roycroft Antique “Santa’s Throne,” a donation from Board of Directors member Bill Pictor from his private collection. Santa Jim and his winter wonderland is made possible by collaboration with the Park School Student Photography Club.

A nominal admission fee of $5 will be charged for adults. Admission for children and RALA Patrons and members is free of charge. $4 Advance Pre-Sale for parties of two or more is available through the ticketing link or RALA website. Tickets purchased online are non-refundable.

In furtherance of RALA’s mission to educate and foster, the work of Park School student Anna Dyshlova will be highlighted as part of the 2024 Winter Festival as the first Emerging Park Artist. Dyshlova, originally from Ukraine, is a 17 year old painter currently residing in the United States and attending Park School of Buffalo. Roycrofters at Large is proud and touched to have the opportunity to help Dyshlova hone her practice and will work with her to help develop a CV, a portfolio, proper pricing and assistance with sales. A collection of assembled work by Park Students of Note, recommended by Park School of Buffalo art faculty in collaboration with the Roycrofters at Large Emerging Artists Chair will also be on display during festival.

Founded in 1912, The Park School of Buffalo is WNY’s only co-ed, PreK – Grade 12 and Montessori school, and was also ranked #1 Best Private K-12 School in Buffalo and Erie County by Niche for its second consecutive year. Park was founded by a group of Buffalo parents who had met with the influential philosopher John Dewey. Under Dewey’s guidance, Park philosophy draws from Dewey’s key insight that deep learning occurs through constant experimentation and problem solving. The curriculum has always been interdisciplinary, as such, the arts are integrated into all academic subjects. Park students are academically and socially prepared problem solvers equipped with confidence, critical thinking skills, and a desire to make the world a better place. Park’s philosophy and shared tradition in the Arts & Crafts Movement represents significant mission overlap and shared vision, and RALA is pleased to partner with Park to further its charter and to expose what the East Aurora based Roycroft community has to a wider audience. Park School’s proximity to both the northtowns and the City of Buffalo is in keeping with RALA’s mission to promote and further the evolution of Roycroft and the Roycroft Renaissance.

The collaboration with Park continues to an exciting opportunity to connect the Roycroft community with a broader segment of Western New York Arts & Crafts collectors. “We are thrilled to partner with the Roycroft to host their winter art show. Art education is core to the Park educational experience and our students, families and teachers are very lucky to have the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by the wonderful artists who will be showing their work, “ said Keith Frome, President of Park School.

Raffle tickets for the RALA “Goodie Box” will also be available. The Goodie Box is a tradition of the organization for over 20 years, and is the backbone of its non-profit fund-raising initiatives. This year’s box contains items created by Roycroft Artisans and Master Artisans valued at over $9,000. The drawing will be held in February 2025, at the National Arts and Crafts Conference, at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. The winner need not be present.

The 49th Roycroft Summer Festival will be held on June 28 and 29, 2025 at the Classic Rink on Riley Street in East Aurora. The 2025 commemorative poster will spotlight the work of Master Laura Wilder as featured artist.

Information on the Roycrofters-at-Large and membership options can be found online at www.ralaweb.com. Follow the Roycrofters-At Large Association’s social media pages at Facebook and instagram, @roycroftartisans, for updates and information on the 2024 Winter Show and to experience the Roycroft Artisans’ exceptional work.

Little Journey – Oct. 10, 2024

Little Journey – Oct. 10, 2024

by | Oct 2, 2024 | Member Blog, News

Little Journey at the Roycroft Inn set for October 10

The Roycrofters-at-Large (RALA) and The Roycroft Inn are pleased to announce the next Little Journey at the Roycroft Inn.

On Thursday, October 10, The Roycroft Inn will host the return of the Roycrofters at Large Association’s Annual Meeting and Installation of Directors, followed by a “Meet the Masters” Roundtable Little Journey for a series of collaborative artists talk on process, Roycroft legacy and modern working practices by seven Roycroft Master Artisans.

The evening’s program will begin with a relaxed start at 4:30 PM Happy Hour before the annual meeting at 5:30 PM in Hubbard Hall.

All members and prospective new members are encouraged to attend to hear the state of the organization’s annual report and President’s Comments. Report to Membership and President’s Address will be followed by the evening’s program at 6:00 PM, also in Hubbard Hall.

 Roycroft Masters Thomas Kegler, Thomas Pafk, Ann Perry Smith, Peter Potter, Henry Schmidt, Gerald Smith and Ronald VanOstrand will participate in the moderated panel discussion and brief artist talks before offering the public the opportunity to interact and ask questions about the movement and their work.

Kegler, Park and Potter and VanOstrand are long-time residents of East Aurora. More information on the Masters’ work and links to their portfolios can be found online at ralaweb.com.

The presentation will be followed by a period of informal conversation and socializing in the Lounge before dinner. Guests who attend Little Journeys receive 10% off of their dinner at The Roycroft Inn that evening beginning at 7:15 p.m. by mentioning Little Journeys when making a reservation.

Membership opportunities and tickets for the 2024 Goodie Box Fundraiser will be available at the evening’s event prior to and immediately following the meeting and presentation.

 RALA’s Little Journeys connects Roycroft Artisans with the community by offering artist talks, demonstrations and lectures in the Masters’ mediums that educate and create opportunities for collectors and members of the Roycroft community to connect with the modern Roycroft artists, and serves as a homage to Elbert Hubbard’s original Little Journeys, small trips to artists of note that shared intimate glimpses behind their process and lives. For years, this series was an important part of RALA’s presence on South Grove, and offered “show and tell” by Masters and Artisans, Artisan Forums and visiting nationally known speakers. RALA is proud to bring this lecture series back to its birthplace at The Roycroft Inn.

The next Little Journey will take place on December 12 and will include an intimate performance and celebration of the season by the Roycroft Chamber Music Festival.  Please mark your calendars for the Roycroft Winter Festival, on December 7 & 8, 2024 at the Park School of Buffalo campus. Information on the Roycrofters-at-Large events and membership options can be found online at www.ralaweb.com.

Follow the Roycrofters-At Large Association’s social media pages at Facebook and instagram, @roycroftartisans, for updates and information.

Roycrofters-at-Large Appoints New Coordinator

Roycrofters-at-Large Appoints New Coordinator

by | Nov 20, 2023 | Member Blog, News

Roycrofters-at-Large Appoints Tami Fuller as Coordinator; New Era of Growth of Roycroft Renaissance

The Roycrofters-at-Large announces that it bids farewell to Deborah Muniak on the occasion of her retirement and welcomes Tami Fuller as its new Executive Coordinator as of October 16, 2023. 

Deb Muniak has served the Roycrofters-at-Large Association as Coordinator for more than 20 years. As the face of that organization, she has done more to shape it than any other individual. Her loyalty, dedication, and organizational skills will be missed by the Board, the community and the Patron and Artisan membership of the Roycrofters-at-Large Association. Her tireless work in shaping RALA and working with the East Aurora community has been crucial to the organization’s success, and she will be sorely missed. 

Fuller is a known presence within East Aurora and the larger arts community and works with the NY Council on the Arts as a 2022 Creatives Rebuild NY artist, a program defining culture-makers working to promote and revitalize the arts landscape in WNY post-COVID. She is a writer, editor, curator and arts educator and has significant ties to both the Arts & Crafts movement and the larger WNY arts community. 

Fuller has worked closely with RALA for several years in a volunteer capacity, having curated and exhibited “The Evolution of Roycroft” at the Grove Park National Arts & Crafts Conference in 2022 and currently serves as the chair of the Roycroft Emerging Artists Program, one that she piloted and implemented with the assistance of the board. Her previous work with the organization, deep background in the Western New York arts community and experience in print and electronic media will be valued as she builds upon the legacy that Muniak established during her tenure. Muniak put forward Fuller as her successor and the two have worked closely in the transition in leadership. 

RALA is looking forward to an exciting new period of growth and evolution of RALA as a critical arts service organization under Fuller’s watch and is looking forward to expanding its presence and support services to its Artisans, the East Aurora arts community, and the larger Arts & Crafts community nationwide. 

Said President Peter Potter, “We are very grateful for Deb’s service and we will all miss her skills. We wish the best for her and her family. We are excited about working with Tami and look forward to a productive association as our organization approaches its 50th year in 2026.”

Roycroft Winter Festival – December 2 & 3

Roycroft Winter Festival – December 2 & 3

by | Nov 20, 2023 | Events, Member Blog, News

47th Annual Roycroft Winter Festival to be held December 2 & 3 at The Park School in Amherst

The Roycrofters-at-Large Association (RALA) is pleased to announce that this year’s Roycroft Winter Festival, held on December 2 and 3, 2023, will have an exciting and significant change in venue. This year’s Winter Festival, a long-standing tradition in East Aurora, will be held on the grounds of The Park School in Amherst.

Founded in 1912, The Park School of Buffalo is WNY’s only co-ed, PreK – Grade 12 and Montessori school, and was also ranked #1 Best Private K-12 School in Buffalo and Erie County by Niche for its second consecutive year. Park was founded by a group of Buffalo parents who had met with the influential philosopher John Dewey.  Under Dewey’s guidance and with the leadership of his star student, Mary Hammett Lewis, Park began educating children in 1912 implementing Dewey’s key insight that deep learning occurs through constant experimentation and problem-solving. The curriculum has always been interdisciplinary, as such, the arts are integrated into all academic subjects. Park students are academically and socially prepared problem solvers equipped with confidence, critical thinking skills, and a desire to make the world a better place.

 

Earlier this year, RALA was approached with the opportunity to collaborate with Park School, and subsequent conversations revealed considerable mission overlap and a shared history in the Arts & Crafts movement, making the decision to hold this year’s Winter Festival on the grounds of the school an easy one. This temporary change in venue is an exciting opportunity to connect the Roycroft Renaissance and the modern Roycroft Artisans with a broader segment of Western New York Arts & Crafts collectors who may have been prevented from traveling East Aurora in previous years, and the Roycroft Artisans are looking forward to sharing East Aurora’s proud Arts & Crafts traditions with the larger WNY arts community. This will be the first Roycroft Winter Festival held outside of East Aurora in the organization’s history. Park School’s proximity to both the northtowns and the City of Buffalo is in keeping with RALA’s mission to promote and further the evolution of Roycroft.

The school has three visual art studios and a woodworking shop. Therefore, Park’s partnership with the Roycroft Winter Art Show is a natural outgrowth of the school’s history and mission.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Roycroft to host their winter art show. Art education is core to the Park educational experience and our students, families and teachers are very lucky to have the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by the wonderful artists who will be showing their work, “ said Keith Frome, President of Park School. 

This year’s festival will feature 20 Roycroft Artisans and Artists representing the strongest qualify of fine art in wood, metal, fabric, jewelry, clay, glass, book arts, prints, drawing, painting, and photography. These Artisans have been accepted by the Roycrofters At Large Association’s Master Artisans based on their high standards of work through a Juried process. The Roycrofters At Large Association was founded in 1976 with the mission to keep the Arts & Crafts Movement alive guided by principles set forth by founder Elbert Hubbard.  Artisans proudly display the registered “double R mark” representing the quality of their work and are the only modern working artists permitted to represent themselves as Roycrofters, honoring the design core values of Hubbard and the founding artists of South Grove Street. We are proud to carry this tradition forward. 

The Roycroft Winter Show is a traditional opening of gift-giving season and offers a wonderful selection of handcrafted items made with the highest standards in craftsmanship.  This year’s festival will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 2 & 3, 2023 in Clement Hall on the grounds of Park School, located at 4625 Harlem Road in Amherst, with ample and convenient parking. A nominal admission fee of $1 will be charged for adults.

Raffle tickets for the RALA “Goodie Box” will also be available. The Goodie Box is a tradition of the organization for over 20 years and is the backbone of its non-profit fund-raising initiatives. This year’s box contains items created by Roycroft Artisans and Master Artisans valued at over $6,000. The drawing will be held in February 2024, at the 37th National Arts and Crafts Conference, at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. The winner need not be present. 

The 48th Roycroft Summer Festival will be held on June 29 and 30, 2024 at the Classic Rink on Riley Street in East Aurora.

Information on the Roycrofters-at-Large and membership options can be found online at www.ralaweb.com. Follow the Roycrofters-At Large Association’s social media pages on Facebook and Instagram, @roycroftartisans, for updates and information on the 2023 Winter Show and to experience the Roycroft Artisans’ exceptional work.