An Evening with Jim Cielencki
CEPA Gallery617 Main Street
Market Arcade Building
Buffalo, NY 14203
September 24, 2026
From: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
(716) 856-2717
FREE
An evening with Jim Cielencki
Running the Streets of Buffalo: Mile by Mile How a Photo Project Comes to Life
Runner and photographer Jim Cielencki has run every street in Buffalo 840 miles, twice and documented it all. Come hear the stories behind Mile by Mile, what he’s learned along the way, and how he keeps a long-term project moving. Join us for an evening of stories, practical insight, and inspiration. Bring your questions or a photo project idea you’re ready to explore.
Project Description
We often say we live in a city, yet we only know a small fraction of it. Our worlds are limited by familiar routes, routines, and neighborhoods. The Mile by Mile project set out to challenge that limitation by exploring Buffalo, New York, one street at a time.
Using running as the method, I ran the full length of every street in the city. My feet led me through forgotten industrial corridors, quiet dead ends, hidden residential blocks, and busy commercial streets. Along the way, I realized commonalities among all walks of people and focused on the homes they live in.
Completed twice in 2016 and 2026, the Mile by Mile project combines photography and a physical challenge to create a portrait of a nearly 200-year-old city, capturing a brief moment in its ongoing story along the shores of Lake Erie.
Artist Bio
Born and raised just outside of Buffalo, NY. The images that filled skateboard, snowboard, and BMX magazines inspired my interest in photography.
I spent 14 years exploring back alleys and forgotten neighborhoods as a professional BMX athlete traveling throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. As my career matured, I started to switch to the back of the lens, first capturing riders then the world around me.
Running is my new medium for exploration of urban environments. My first major project was Mile by Mile 2016 documenting what I saw as I ran the full length of every street in Buffalo. The experience was impactful that I finished a Master of Urban Planning degree in 2018.
Today, my work navigates the space between street and sports photography with running being the common thread. This year, I revisited all of Buffalo’s streets for Mile by Mile 2026, a continued examination of transformation the city has gone through in the last decade.
