Today the Buffalo AKG announced the museum’s Public Art Initiative will work with local artist Bree Gilliam (American, born 2000) for a new mural at Evergreen Health and affiliate Community Access Services’ new location at 3070 Bailey Avenue. Evergreen Health and CAS are building the new comprehensive healthcare center to ensure inclusive and judgment-free health care is accessible to more people in our community, with a long-term goal of eradicating health inequity through unconditional care.

“I am incredibly honored to be a part of this project with Evergreen Health and the Buffalo AKG,” said Gilliam. “My motto is ‘art is power,’ and this mural has the power to inspire hope, joy, and a sense of connection for our community.”

“The Public Art Initiative is proud and delighted to work with Evergreen Health, Community Access Services, and Bree Gilliam to create a vibrant and welcoming space for this new location and the people it will serve,” said Aaron Ott, AKG Curator of Public Art.

About Bree Gilliam

Bree Gilliam is a figurative painter from Buffalo, New York. She is the owner and founder of Paintphoria, Buffalo’s first paint-throwing studio. Gilliam attended SUNY Buffalo State University, where she received a BFA in painting and a minor in art therapy. In her work, she addresses the social issues that plague society. As a young Black woman, she believes that her responsibility is to depict the perspective of marginalized people, give a voice to the voiceless, and empower her community.

In 2023, Gilliam was selected as an artist-in-residence at Hunt Art Gallery. Her work has been featured in several exhibitions around Western New York. Some of these include a solo exhibition, INSPIRED, at BOX Gallery and Buffalo Arts Studio, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center’s Amid/In WNY 2024, and Burchfield Penney Art Center’s Sharing Our View: 25th Anniversary. She has been commissioned to paint several murals in the Western New York area.

Recently, Gilliam assisted in the creation of a mural with the BuffaloAKG and Eat Off Art on the Jesse E. Nash Medical Center at 608 William Street in Buffalo. In 2023, the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area chose Gilliam to paint her mural entitled Free Your Mind. Gilliam has received more than ten academic awards and scholarships during her time at Buffalo State. These include the Dean's Award for Excellence in theSchool of the Arts and Sciences, the Robert C. and Marilyn WilsonPainting Scholarship, and the SUNY Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship.

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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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About Evergreen Health

Evergreen Health fosters healthy communities by providing medical, supportive and behavioral services to individuals and families in Western New York – especially those who are living with chronic illness or who are underserved by the healthcare system. For more information, visit evergreenhs.org.

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About Community Access Services

Community Access Services (CAS) is committed to addressing the epidemic of HIV and other diseases that challenge the welfare of urban communities in Buffalo and Erie County by ensuring the availability of comprehensive care services, including prevention education and treatment. For more information, visit www.caswny.org.

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About the Public Art Initiative

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.

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