Art creates spaces that people share, whether neighbors or strangers, alike or dissimilar, Buffalo-raised or from far-flung places. A work of art gives us a moment to pause and reflect, and, when experienced with another, an opportunity to meet and connect.

The Public Art Initiative was born in 2013 out of a partnership between the Buffalo AKG Art Museum and Erie County, soon after joined by the City of Buffalo. Since then, in more than 60 murals, installations, residencies, and works of sculpture, we have sought to empower artists, inspire viewers, and strengthen a sense of our shared landscape with art that reflects the beauty and vitality of the many communities that shape it.

Through partnerships, the museum fosters work by local groundbreakers and international icons alike, individuals and collectives who are innovating in their practices as they reach out to bring the community in.

We seek to make Western New York an internationally recognized hub of public art, to transform the lives of our neighbors through participation in artmaking, and, project by project, to be transformed ourselves as we become your Buffalo AKG Art Museum.

Photographs and Video of Public Art Initiative Projects

You are welcome to take photographs and video of Public Art Initiative projects for personal use. However, please keep in mind that the copyright for each artwork is controlled by the artist. If you would like to use photographs or video of one of these artworks for any commercial purpose, it is your responsibility to obtain permission from the copyright holder before use.