BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - Western New York continues to grow its reputation for public art within the community.
Friday's mural unveiled on Hertel Avenue depicting Mark Twain and John T. Lewis is just the latest in public art in Western New York, which includes several other murals along Hertel Avenue. There's also massive murals throughout the rest of the city, the ever-popular Shark Girl at Canalside, and the Albright Knox Art Gallery, which serves as the local driver of art tourism in the region.
"By putting (art) out into the public, we're really trying to engage people in a larger conversation not only about art but in the space in which people gather," Albright Knox Public Art Project Coordinator Eric Jones told WBEN. "(It engages people on) the importance of a space or how the artwork correlates a space to highlight it as a place of importance. It breaks down the barriers of how people feel about talking about art. Often times, we find people don't know how to talk about art or they feel as though their opinion doesn't matter."
"We go back and forth at least three times when it comes to developing a concept," Jones said. "Anything we are given by an artist, we provide to the wall owner or the person who owns that space. It's part of the conversation and we want them to be part of that dialogue and to have a voice in what they want to see within that community. We're not trying to come in and do anything we want. We're going to do something that has that 'umph" that's there in that space that people will look on favorably. Sometimes we don't come to terms on agreements on what's suitable and things change up pretty quickly at that point."
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said that public art enriches the mind and soul and reminds people about the importance of art.
"Because of the tremendous amount of art we're having, they're talking about Buffalo being a tourist destination for people to come and see the art that we have across our entire community," Poloncarz said. "When we talked about doing the public art initiative a number of years ago, we never thought we'd get to the point we are where we have an artist like Eduardo Kobra doing this incredible (Mark Twain/John T. Lewis) mural that is going to be here for years to come and people will want to see from all over the region and country."
Erie County appropriated $573,475 into the Albright Knox Art Gallery in 2019 and another $65,000 for the public art curator. Poloncarz said the art gallery puts forth the cost for murals and maintenance.
"Just get out and take a look at them," Poloncarz said when asked what his message to those who are against public art projects. "Enjoy them. Bring your kids here. The kids aren't going to criticize it. Other family members aren't going to criticize it. It's created a better community."