BUFFALO, N.Y. — There's a project in full bloom on Buffalo's East Side. There are beautiful boxes, little works of art designed to be conversation pieces for the whole community.
"Yes, there are a lot of things that are going on that are not positive that are not bright," said Alexa Wajed, project manager of idea boxes. "But bringing lightness into that situation. Bringing positivity into those situations is so vital."
There are 20 boxes in all designed by more than a dozen different local artists.
They've been situated in places the curators at Pride in Place Buffalo say are overlooked including Black and Brown-owned businesses and organizations as well as abandoned buildings and empty lots.
Attached to the boxes are cards with six questions asking neighbors to imagine a future for the spaces, or share stories to help connect with the past.
"When I was younger, and even some of these generations that are ahead of me, they literally had pride in place," Wajed said. "They go out, you know, they clean the neighborhood, they you know, talk with the young folks, they talk with the old folks, they talk with the neighbors. We need to bring all of that back, you know. We need to — this is your home, this is where you live, this is you know, this is your, your initial ground or your initial environment for growth."
Small, cute and colorful: Buffalo's idea boxes may seem a little unimposing but you certainly can't ignore their impact quietly nudging us to not only to imagine "what if" but to dare to put those dreams on paper.
"To ensure that pride in place and to ensure that we recognize that everyone should have access to livable communities, and everyone should have access to good health and good information, and good programming and development," Wajed said.
Wajed said she didn't want to give too much away hoping people might take up the challenge of seeing them all for themselves; almost like a scavenger hunt. They'll be around throughout the summer.
The cards have QR codes on them for people to submit their ideas online.
You can also send an email to info@prideinplacebuffalo.com or use #PrideInPlaceBuffalo on social media.