WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — Things are about to get a lot more colorful in Williamsville.
The village hall in is in the process of becoming the community's first large-scale public artwork.
Artist Chris Piontkowski has started preliminary work on a 1,700-foot floral design that will grace one entire east side of the building. The Williamsville Beautification Committee commissioned the work thanks to community donations collected during annual village garden walks.
Piontkowski, 34, of Buffalo, is a 2009 graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh where he studied media art and animation. Other public murals he has created can be viewed in Hertel Alley, along Elmwood Avenue, in Black Rock and in Eggertsville.
PHOTOS: Public art in the Northtowns
“I will be filming the entire process using a GoPro,” he said. “Most of the footage will be time-lapsed, and I’ll edit and post videos to my social media accounts as the project comes along.”
“His artistic style of floral and pollinator images is what our committee is looking for,” said Deb Habes, who led the Beautification’s Committee’s efforts in securing Piontkowski and the mural initiative.
“We believe that based on his floral-themed murals painted in the City of Buffalo and Town of Amherst, he provides the natural aestethics we believe would best complement the gardens in the Pocket Park.”
The mural, which will be 99 feet high and 17 feet wide is expected to be completed in about six weeks.
Check out our Guide 2 Public Art in Western New York to find some pieces you can view while maintaining social distancing guidelines.