The Buffalo AKG announced the museum’s Public Art Initiative will partner with Stitch Buffalo and local artist Saira Siddiqui (American, born 1991) to create a mural for Stitch Buffalo’s new building at 284 Plymouth Avenue, which is owned by Ellicott Development Company.  

Artist Saira Siddiqui will lead workshops with Stitch Buffalo and members of the public to develop the mural design through the end of 2024. Once a final design is selected, the mural will be painted by members of the public in the spring of 2025. The mural will be painted on sections of Polytab, a non-woven fabric that is lighter than traditional canvas and can adapt to the form of the surface on which it is being applied. Once completed, the mural will be installed on the new Stitch Buffalo building later in the spring.  

"Stitch Buffalo is excited to partner with Saira and the AKG on this project," said Stitch Buffalo founder and Executive Director Dawne Hoeg. "We look forward to engaging with the whole community to create a mural that celebrates the textile arts, elevates our neighborhood, and welcomes new people to explore Stitch Buffalo."

"I’m honored to have been selected for this project. I’m passionate about creating authentic public spaces in collaboration with community voices,” said Siddiqui. “This project offers a unique opportunity to foster a welcoming environment and support meaningful connections between people in the neighborhood where Stitch Buffalo is located."

“Through the AKG’s impactful Public Art Initiative, we are pleased with the opportunity to provide a canvas for Saira Siddiqui to showcase her talents, and through that effort, foster meaningful community engagement,” said Thomas Fox, Director of Development for Ellicott Development Company.  
 

About Saira Siddiqui  

Saira Siddiqui specializes in people, places, and experiences to help them harness the creative potential within their communities. With more than a decade of experience, Siddiqui is a working artist with specializations in commercial district revitalization, placemaking, community engagement, and creativity.  

Siddiqui is currently exploring and developing her own unique process that invites neighborhood residents and stakeholders to play a role in artmaking. Leaning on her creative problem-solving background and facilitation techniques, she hosts workshops that engage people in the discussion of a public space’s history and narrative. From there, themes, colors, and shapes are identified that physically represent the identity of the space. Finally, residents and community members are invited to take part in the painting process, paving the way for stronger ownership, meaning, and connection to their environments. 
 

About Stitch Buffalo

Stitch Buffalo is a textile art center committed to empowering refugee and immigrant women through the sale of their handcrafted goods, inspiring creativity and inclusion through community education, and stewarding the environment through the re-use of textile supplies. For more information, please visit stitchbuffalo.org.  

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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 the Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Founded in 1862, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum (formerly the Albright- Knox Art Gallery) is the sixth oldest public art institution in the United States. For more than 160 years, the Buffalo AKG has collected, conserved, and exhibited the art of its time, often working directly with living artists. This tradition has given rise to one of the world’s most extraordinary collections of modern and contemporary art.

In June 2023, following the completion of the most significant campus development and expansion project in its history, the Buffalo AKG opened anew to the public. The project is funded by a $230 million capital campaign, the largest such campaign for a cultural institution in the history of Western New York, including $195 million raised for construction and $35 million in additional operating endowment funds.

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