For thousands of visitors to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Joe Bochynski is the friendly face behind the ticketing counter who ushers art-seekers into the gallery’s hallowed halls. But, like many of the staff members who keep local arts institutions running smoothly, Bochynski’s day job fuels his own artistic endeavors.

A show of Bochynski’s paintings, called “New Suburban Landscapes,” will go on view starting tonight at Sugar City (19 Wadsworth St.). The show is part of the Sugar City exhibition “An Interactive Space for Families,” which also features performances by C. Frances Fallon and Tom Van Deusen that reflect on the state of American culture.

For Bochynski, who grew up in Snyder, the evolution of the modern suburb provides the impetus for his current body of work, which examines such suburban spaces as retail store parking lots and supermarket checkout lines.

“I’m very much a product of the suburbs and because of that I don’t find the work that I’m doing 100 percent critical, although they’re complicated observations of that environment,” Bochynski said. “I’m not trying to be nostalgic—but there’s definitely a new kind of environment that’s being fostered and that’s what I’m looking at.”

The show runs through Oct. 2. For more information, search for Sugar City on Facebook.com.

—Colin Dabkowski