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Various artists

Cobblestone Commons murals. Photo: Brenda Bieger for Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Cobblestone Commons,

Public Artwork Details

Currently on View

Materials:

Acrylic paint

Credit:

Commissioned by the Albright-Knox Art Gallery Public Art Initiative, 2020

Location: NFTA Yard (DL&W Terminal) (Get Directions

Over the course of three summers (2020–2022) twelve artists from the Western New York community and beyond painted twelve individual murals on the South Park Avenue façade of the NFTA Yard (DL&W Terminal) located in downtown Buffalo’s Historic Cobblestone District.

The proximity of this area to the Erie and Hamburg Canals, the Buffalo River, and the Buffalo Harbor made it an industrial, maritime, and product-manufacturing center, especially throughout the 19th century. Today it is a vibrant hub of bars, restaurants, and live entertainment venues as well as the home to the annual Cobblestone Live festival. In 2014, the National Parks Service placed the Cobblestone District on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Monet Alyssa Kifner's mural, part of the Cobblestone Commons mural project. Photo: Brenda Bieger for Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Miriam Singer's mural, part of the Cobblestone Commons mural project. Photo: Brenda Bieger for Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Karle Norman's mural, part of the Cobblestone Commons mural project. Photo: Brenda Bieger for Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Morgan Blair's mural, part of the Cobblestone Commons mural project. Photo: Brenda Bieger for Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Cyrielle Tremblay's mural, part of the Cobblestone Commons mural project. Photo: Brenda Bieger for Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Thomas Evans aka Detour's mural of Kelly Diane Galloway, part of the Cobblestone Commons mural project. Photo: Brenda Bieger for Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Bradd Young aka SALUT's Teamwork, part of the Cobblestone Commons mural project. Photo: Brenda Bieger for Buffalo AKG Art Museum

James Moffitt aka YAMES's Practice, part of the Cobblestone Commons mural project. Photo: Brenda Bieger for Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Lauren Mckenzie-Pearce's An Artist & A Drummer, part of the Cobblestone Commons mural project. Photo: Brenda Bieger for Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Jason Brammer's The Ocean of Being, part of the Cobblestone Commons mural project. Photo: Brenda Bieger for Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Obsidian Bellis's Daisey Chain 333, part of the Cobblestone Commons mural project. Photo: Brenda Bieger for Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Ellen Rutt's mural Open and Voluntary Membership. Democratic Member Control. Members' Economic Participation. Autonomy and Independence. Education, Training, and Information. Cooperation Among Cooperatives. Concern for Community., part of the Cobblestone Commons mural project. Photo: Brenda Bieger for Buffalo AKG Art Museum

The artists who completed the first six murals over the summer of 2020 are Obsidian Bellis (American, born 1993); Jason Brammer (American, born 1974); Lauren Mckenzie-Pearce (American, born 1988); James Moffitt, aka YAMES (American, born 1987); Ellen Rutt (American, born 1989); and Bradd Young, aka SALUT (American, born 1994). This selection includes three regional artists, two female artists, one non-binary artist, and three Black artists.

The selection of artists for 2021 includes Monet Alyssa Kifner (American, born 1997), Morgan Blair (American, born 1986), Thomas Evans, a.k.a. Detour (American, born 1984), Karle Norman (American, born 1983), Miriam Singer (American, born 1976). Cyrielle Tremblay (Canadian, born 1986) completed her mural in 2022.

For several of these creators, their contribution to Cobblestone Commons is their first or largest public work to date. This outstanding, distinct set of voices reflects the beautiful diversity found in the region. 

About the Artists

Project Sponsors

Cobblestone Commons is made possible by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. Additional support provided by Ferguson Electric, Labatt USA, Savarino Companies, Lockhouse Distillery, Pegula Sports and Entertainment, Port X Logistics, Watts Architecture & Engineering, Abbey Mecca, CPL Architecture, Engineering & Planning, ECIDA, RP Oak Hill Building Company Inc., Gilbane Building Company and Julia Spitz.
  
Special consideration provided by C-2 Paint. 
 

Initiative Sponsors

The Public Art Initiative was established and is supported by leadership funding from the County of Erie and the City of Buffalo.

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