On May 16, Aidan Ryan will launch his book “I am Here You are Not I Love You Andrew Topoliski, Cindy Suffoletto, and Their Life in the Arts” at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center in Buffalo. This free event is open to the public and will feature a reading from the book, a conversation with Laura Marris (author of “The Age of Loneliness”) and artist Matt Kenyon, and a showing of never-before-seen art by Andrew Topolski and Cindy Suffoletto.
“I am Here You are Not I Love You Andrew Topoliski, Cindy Suffoletto, and Their Life in the Arts” by Aidan Ryan.
“I am Here You are Not I Love You” is a nonfiction book that is part biography and part memoir. It’s primarily about artists Topolski and Suffoletto, Ryan’s late aunt and uncle, their place in art history, and the cultural impact of Buffalo from 1962-1982. “Buffalo New York was the center of the world in art and culture and philosophy from 1962 to 1982,” Ryan said, explaining that because of factors like low cost of living and funding from the state, there was an explosion of creatives and creative institutions during that time. In just one year, the Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, CEPA Gallery, Artpark, and The Just Buffalo Literary Center were all formed. By 1882, when funding was no longer abundant, most of these artists moved to NYC.
“The book goes into what artistic success means,” Ryan said, “What do people mean when they say they want to succeed in the arts? Andy and Cindy were kind of on the edge.” Topolski was one of four artists in the first show at Hallwalls, and went on to have his art shown across the world. In 1993, Suffoletto gave up her own artistic goals to help with Topolski’s. On top of helping with sales and finding venues to pitch, she worked a full-time job to keep them afloat. After Topolski’s death, Suffoletto returned to the studio and created 50 self-portraits in just four years. “She never got to show any of it,” Ryan said. “Most of it was never even framed.”
Ryan first started writing about his aunt and uncle for an article in the magazine Traffic East, but soon realized it warranted a longer project. In 2020, he began writing the book. Then came finding a publisher, a process that took longer than he anticipated. During this time, he continued to do work to draw attention to Topolski and Suffoletto’s legacy, including tracking down missing pieces by Suffoletto that were found in a cattle barn in Missouri, framing the artwork, cataloging it, and even making a documentary about Topolski and Suffoletto.
“I am Here You Are Not I Love You” the documentary took two years to create and premiered in October 2024 at the Northpark Theater. It is now available to stream on Amazon and will be shown several times on WNED PBS in May. It was selected for the Buffalo International Film Festival, New York City’s 2025 Winter Film Festival and the IndieX Film Festival in Los Angeles, earning nominations for several awards. “I hope people will show Andy and Cindy again and reprise where they belong in art history,” Ryan said, explaining that his motivation behind the film and the book was always to bring attention to his aunt and uncle’s work.
Ryan is very involved in the WNY art scene. He is a publisher at Foundling Press, a senior editor for the magazine Traffic East, he works on literary programming for ArtPark and for three years he was on the board of the Irish Classical Theatre Company in Buffalo. Locals will recognize him as one of the speakers at the SCA Publishing Panel that took place at Art’s Café in 2023.
Currently, the book is available for preorder through the publisher, University of Iowa press, but it will also be available at Talking Leaves and Fitz Books in Buffalo. For more information on Ryan, including upcoming appearances, visit his website at https://www.aidanryan.com. Ryan welcomes those interested in booking him for an event, and those interested in inquiring about showing Topolski’s and Suffoletto’s work to reach out to him through his website.
When asked what advice he has for writers, he said, “I think first start in your own backyard, be that Just Buffalo (Literary Center) or a local café that is having an open night. Then take the next step and think about what conversation you want to have, and decide if you have to move out of the region. You’ll find your people and you’ll grow faster.”