BUFFALO, N.Y. -- If you've been noticing more murals and public art projects recently, you're right.
Alright Knox has an ongoing public art initiative, which started in 2014, that’s bringing color, culture, and history to our neighborhoods.
The newest mural, which was completed Friday on Niagara Street, is the latest public art project to beautify Buffalo.
The Spanish Heritage Council and Albright Knox worked to develop something that would resonate with the folks who live there.
"When you can put up a mural, when you can celebrate the kind of cultural that's in a specific location, that's what people really want to see,” said Aaron Ott, the curator of public art at Albright Knox.
The art projects have been popping up all over. A new mural on Main Street near Summer, depicting two people, was completed in 2016. The postcard-like mural on Ellicott, also finished last year, has been drawing townies and visitors alike for photos.
“We've been growing, and we've been finding new spots and new partners to expand the initiative,” Ott said.
A mural completed just in recent months covers both sides of Joe’s Deli on Hertel, and the old stars on 710 Main were re-painted with a colorful abstract in 2016. Yet another new mural on Buffalo’s East Side is still in progress. It celebrates civil rights leaders at the corner of Michigan and Ferry.
The public art isn't just murals, it's also sculptures. A new example exists inside Buffalo’s medical campus train station. Other public art initiatives include the rainbows on Allen Street’s sidewalks, the silent poets at Canalside, and perhaps most famous of all: Shark Girl.
"We do look to provide sculptures, performance, and forms of contemporary art,” Ott said, noting that you might see more murals because they’re a bit less expensive than sculptures.
Not only are these public art projects brightening Buffalo, but they're also brightening our social feeds. As more people are embracing Buffalo's rebirth, many are enjoying the increasing opportunities to take a picture.
“They become sights of identity, right? So what you want to do is share that with people you can about. You want to show people what your city can do and how you can celebrate that,” Ott said.