After his smashing success with the “Greetings from Buffalo” mural, artist Casey Milbrand is preparing to get another one off the ground in North Buffalo. This time, the super colorful mural, called “Lookin’ Good”, will be installed on the side of the CRāVing Restaurant at 1472 Hertel Avenue.
The community is being asked to donate towards the cause, by visiting this Facebook page, where they can find a donate button at the top of the page. The end goal os to raise $3500 for the project. Current supporters of the initiative include North Buffalo Organization, Arts Services Initiative of WNY ,the City of Buffalo Department of Law, the Hertel Business Association, Sinatra & Company Real Estate, Councilman Joel Feroleto, and other community members. Supporters who donate $50 or more will get a signed print of the mural.
The colors and unique typography of the artwork were inspired by the newly restored North Park Theatre, also on Hertel. Milbrand says that he got the idea for “Lookin’ Good” while he was painting “Greetings from Buffalo”. Apparently, people would pass by as he was painting the piece, and shout out “Lookin’ Good!” He felt that the sentiment was one that people could appreciate throughout the city, during this time when the city is on the rise.
In recent months, Hertel has become an artist’s playground for murals projects. The street has transformed into a colorful display of imaginative canvases, thanks to mounting support from public officials, art institutions, businesses, and organizations. These mural projects have been well received by the public, which is why there is a push to create some additional works at this time. These types of public art initiatives are fun, but they can also be expensive. Hence the reason that it’s so important for everyone to chip in. The end reward is seeing the work come to reality, for all to see, in a larger than life setting.