The Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC) has approved funding for a public art project on a parcel it owns along the Northland Corridor. The sculptures will be located at BUDC-owned 577 Northland Avenue as part of a rain garden and green space area being constructed (below) as part of the streetscape project underway along Northland Avenue.
As part of the Northland Avenue right-of-way improvement project, BUDC made a Commitment, consistent with City of Buffalo requirements for public works projects, to include and fund a public art project along the Northland Avenue corridor. BUDC worked with the Buffalo Arts Commission and its Northland Public Art Subcommittee to issue a Call for Artists, and to review and select an artist or artists to produce this work. After a lengthy solicitation and review process, the Buffalo Arts Commission approved a submission by the WNY Urban Arts Collective, and two member artists of the collective: John Baker and James Cooper II.
Wooden cogs from a Northland warehouse will be used to create sculptures made from sand molds created by the cog patterns. There will also be a metal display case with a Plexiglas front containing a descriptive narrative and historic pictures of the individual cogs and their purpose to help explain the sculptures. Two custom welded steel benches and a welded steel sculpture (Workingman) will also be fabricated.
The $45,050 budget for this project is coming from State funding earmarked for the corridor.