Tuesday forum at Burchfield Penney sets stage for works at Botanical Gardens, Isle View Park, other locales

By Mike Desmond
(Image above: “Queen City Kaleidoscope,” by Cassandra Ott and Chuck Tingley)

Buffalo and Erie County are not without evidence of public art; just look around for statues like that of George Washington in front of Old County Hall or the canoes at the AKG art museum or displays in every Metro Rail station.

The biggest for Erie County are the sprawling murals on the front of the walls of the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center and that on the Erie County Health Mall on Broadway.

There are also the vast outdoor murals of the Buffalo AKG’s public art project and, from the more rural areas, Griffis Sculpture Park in East Otto.

Expanding that public art is why there is a public hearing at 4 p.m. on Tuesday in the Burchfield Penney Art Center, being held by the County Department of Environment and Planning.

DEP provides the (small) staff for the Erie County Arts in Public Places Committee.

That’s the agency which administers the county’s public arts collection, inside and outside, always on county property.

Expansion of the public’s art collection carries a 2026 budget appropriation of $135,735 and a carryover from last year of $84,988.54.

RELATED MEDIA: A Time-lapse of the creation of one of 2025’s projects, “Queen City Kaleidoscope,” a mural by Cassandra Ott and Chuck Tingley on the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center’s Pearl Street side.

Assistant Project Coordinator Colette Balisteri says that carryover reflects county budget practices which pay the artist over time during production.

The price is negotiated by the county and the artist, with a top price of $10,000 and the final payment at the time of delivery.

Balisteri explains it’s all intentional:

“Art in Public Spaces is comprised of a five-person committee who are voting members and then there are ex-officio members, as well, from different departments within Erie County, who come together to really emphasize public art and find locations that are suitable for public art for the enjoyment of all residents of Erie County.”

Those other county agencies are involved because of the need to ensure the artwork can be long-lasting, particularly for those on the outside.

As an example, the NFTA has had difficulty with the aging artwork in the Metro Rail stations, with those nearing a half-century in age.

After a long process, starting with the meeting on Tuesday, some artworks will be selected for purchase and the result sent to the County Legislature, which has the final voice.

RELATED MEDIA: Two of Erie County’s recent public art acquisitions.

The most visible in this year’s draft plan are outside artworks for the Botanical Garden in South Park, which is getting multi-million-dollar improvements, and one for Isle View Park, which is also getting outside money from the state’s Submerged New York grant system.

There will also be more inside works, like those on display in the Convention Center from past years.

That’s all why the public hearing on the draft plan is important, giving members of the public and artists, other than the five who sit on the AIPP committee and the ex-officio members, knowledge of what is planned.

Balisteri says the goal is all very intentional:

“The focus of the committee is to have professionals within that are Erie County residents. They’re familiar with public art in general. They’re familiar with the art community. And, really, you know, maybe public art that has been lacking in the area, at least in public spaces. So, I think having their expertise is very helpful in selecting the art that comes in.”

The public hearing will give artists and members of the community-at-large an opportunity to understand how the process works and how the 2026 artworks will be selected and paid for with taxpayer money.

And that’s important because the artworks aren’t being selected and paid for by the gift of some affluent resident of the county, with his or her artistic taste, but with public money.