Anthony J. Sisti (1901-1983)

Although known for his bold use of color, portraits, and boxing motifs, Anthony J. Sisti was also an accomplished landscape painter. Created the same year as his retirement from professional boxing, Old Quarry, Amherst Street depicts a local, rugged, industrial landscape with carts pulling heavy loads of stone along a track. This work is a celebration of Western New York’s contribution to the quarrying market.

Sisti was a prominent artist and visionary in Buffalo. Through his commercial Franklin Street studio and support of the Allentown Art Festival in the 1950s, the local community was revitalized

For Children:

Imagine being in the quarry…can you feel the weight of the heavy stone pieces? Can you hear the rattle of the carts as they move along the track?

Old Quarry, Amherst Street by Anthony J. Sisti shows us a very important Western New York industry. The stone collected in quarries like this one is loaded into sturdy carts and transported to factories where cement is made. Why do you think the artist chose to paint this instead of something prettier?

—Alyssa M. Frijey, 2015