Over the weekend, artists involved with the Community Canvases project got busy painting along Tonawanda Street (from Austin to Vulcan) in order to add an artscape to otherwise bland and utilitarian features. Artists such as Elaine O’Toole, Max Collins, OGRE, Amanda Hart, Elyssa Harper, Katlin Little, George Grace, Russell Mott, Cindy van Ens, Jim Montour and Connie Cartwright spent part of the day canvasing the neighborhood with artwork in order to draw attention to the mission of supporting local artists and beautifying our neighborhoods. A few of the urban mechanicals that got tackled today were eight signal boxes, eight waste receptacles and ten light poles. That’s a lot of splash being added to a neighborhood that doesn’t usually see many public art installations.
Not only did the artists paint throughout the weekend, many made themselves available to field questions from residents in the neighborhood, many of which were young kids. A couple of budding artists even got a chance to try their hand at adding their own touches to the pieces. It’s fascinating to see what the addition of public art can do for a community’s image and attitude when it comes to creating a sense of pride and ownership – especially when many of the artists involved are from the respective neighborhoods where the projects are launched.
Up next for Community Canvases: The Elmwood Village and Abbott Road in South Buffalo in late September and then Hertel in early October.
Visit visit www.communitycanvases.org
Lead image: Ogre | Light standard: Buffalo Artist | Signal box left: Elaine O’Toole | Signal box right: Cindy Van Ens (with Jim Montour