Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Don't for one minute discount the impact that government-sponsored public art displays can have on buildings and the neighborhoods where they sit.
Want some proof?
Take a look at the east and west facades of the Buffalo Convention Center where its concrete, drab facades were replaced last year with colorful murals created by Cassandra Ott and Chuck Tingley.
Or, look at the Erie County Health Mall on Broadway in the city's East Side where Laura Valkwitch's tranquil mural was installed last summer.
"This is more than a work of art," said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. "It's a symbol of how public spaces can reflect and uplift the community they serve."
Public art will continue again this year, thanks to a $220,000 allocation approved by the Erie County Legislature.
This year's signature public art works will be installed at Isle View Park in the City of Tonawanda and the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. Both should be display-ready by mid-summer, said Zaque Evans, county deputy commissioner for Environment & Planning.
"The art work pays dividends for years to come," Evans said. "They help uplift a community and give a new look to some buildings that, quite frankly, could use it."
Artists are invited to make a pitch to the Erie County Art in Public Places Committee who reviews all applications. Awards begin at $2,000 and go to $75,000.
Further information is forthcoming, Evans said.
"We want the pitches," Evans said.