Public art plays an important role in any community. It ornaments public space and speaks to shared values.

When that public art is a statue it honors an historic figure and, in so doing, tells the world how a community wishes to be seen. The ongoing controversies surrounding the removal of monuments honoring Confederates and slaveholders make clear that public monuments which elevate white supremacy and racism are no longer representative of who we wish to be.

Only 8 percent of monuments in the U.S. honor women, a figure that has been improved by the “Trailblazing Women of Western New York Project” which unveiled three statues in front of Erie County Hall on Aug. 26, 2024. The bronze figures honor Louise Bethune, the first professional woman architect in the U.S.; suffragist and civil rights leader Mary Talbert, who was a founder of the Niagara Movement; and Geraldine Sid-Tah Green, a Seneca Nation (Haudenosaunee) leader and educator.

Buffalo Hive Managing Editor Frank Housh recently sat down with Erie County Commissioner of Public Advocacy Karen King to discuss the project. King explains how the project began, the challenges it faced, and how it is just the first phase of an ongoing project to publicly honor the women in our community.

The interview was shot by Buffalo Hive interns Arin Russell and Hayley Mercer and edited by Mercer.